Sarah Michelle Gellar on “Buffy” Reboot: New Slayer Cast, Original DNA Honored
The Slayer is officially coming back. Sarah Michelle Gellar is opening up about Hulu’s upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot and how the new project will honor the show’s legacy while passing the torch to a new generation.
Speaking with IGN, Gellar said what made the original series special was more than the monster-fighting action — it was the heart. “For me, the heart of Buffy was always about found family—that sense of belonging and being loved for who you are,” she explained.
“That’s what makes this new chapter so meaningful, it’s not just revisiting the past but honoring the show’s original DNA.”
The original Buffy ran from 1997 to 2003, spanning seven seasons on The WB. Gellar, who starred as Buffy Summers, is not only reprising her role but also serving as an executive producer on the reboot.
This week, Deadline revealed that Ryan Keira Armstrong has been cast as the new Slayer. The 14-year-old actress is set to play an introverted high school student who discovers her supernatural destiny. Gellar praised Armstrong, saying, “From the moment I saw Ryan’s audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side… her smile lights up even the darkest room.”
The reboot is being developed at Hulu with Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals) directing the pilot. The script comes from sisters Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, known for Fringe and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Dolly Parton, who quietly co-produced the original series under her Sandollar banner, is also back as an executive producer.
One notable absence: original creator Joss Whedon. Whedon, who wrote the 1992 Buffy movie and created the beloved TV series, has no involvement in the reboot. He has largely stepped away from Hollywood following misconduct allegations in 2021.
For longtime fans, Gellar says the new version will lean on the same themes that made the original resonate more than 20 years ago — friendship, identity, and belonging — while giving a new generation its own heroine to root for.
The untitled Buffyverse project is currently nearing a pilot order at Hulu, with no premiere date announced yet.
