hulu buffy the vampire slayer reboot has been halted, Sarah Michelle Gellar said in an Instagram video Saturday morning ET. Hulu opted not to proceed with the pilot that had been ordered a year earlier; Gellar described the news as “really sad. ” The decision comes after a pilot directed by Chloé Zhao and written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman failed to move forward, and Hulu plans to regroup on the franchise.
Expanding details
The hulu buffy the vampire slayer reboot pilot was directed by Chloé Zhao from a script by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, and had been ordered by the streamer roughly a year earlier. The creative team assembled a cast that included Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new slayer, with Sarah Michelle Gellar reprising Buffy Summers, plus Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott in series-regular roles and Chase Sui Wonders as a guest star. Production credits list 20th Television and Searchlight TV as producers.
Insiders described the pilot as “not perfect, ” and there had been discussion about reworking the pilot as recently as earlier this week before the decision not to proceed. Zhao’s recent feature work has drawn attention — her latest film, Hamnet, has eight Oscar nominations — and she previously directed a major studio genre project at Disney that underperformed with critics and at the box office. Despite the outcome, the platform remains high on the Buffy intellectual property and intends to consider other incarnations of the series.
Hulu Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot: Immediate reactions
Sarah Michelle Gellar, actress and executive producer, broke the news and spoke directly to fans in the Instagram clip Saturday morning ET. Gellar said she was “really sad” about the decision and thanked Chloé Zhao for convincing her to revisit the character. “I want to thank Chloé Zhao because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots, ” Gellar said, adding, “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes… you can still beep me. ”
The hulu buffy the vampire slayer reboot announcement followed Gellar’s appearances in Austin, Texas, where she was present for a film premiere at SXSW Friday afternoon ET. The choice not to move forward surprised some involved, and conversations about possible revisions of the pilot continued up until the streamer’s final decision.
What’s next
Hulu is pausing this version of the Buffy continuation but remains interested in the property and will regroup to explore other directions. Expect casting and creative options to be reassessed and for the platform to weigh potential new approaches to the franchise; any formal next steps will come from the company and the producers listed on the project. For now, the immediate future of the hulu buffy the vampire slayer reboot is on hold while stakeholders consider alternate incarnations of the beloved series.
Timestamp: story updated Saturday morning ET with Gellar’s Instagram announcement and Friday afternoon ET references to Gellar’s SXSW appearance.
