Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed that a high-level executive with a clear dislike for the original series is the reason a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot won’t be moving forward. The news comes as a blow to fans hoping to revisit the iconic world of Sunnydale.
Gellar was set to reprise her role in Buffy: Novel Sunnydale, a new take on the series from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao. The project was in development for Hulu and Searchlight Television, but Hulu ultimately decided to halt production, as Gellar shared on Friday.
In a new interview with People, Gellar expressed her frustration with the cancellation and the timing of the decision, which occurred just before Zhao was to attend the Oscars with two nominations.
According to Gellar, the project was derailed by an executive who openly admitted to never having been a fan of the original indicate. “We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him,” she said. “That’s very hard when you’re taking a property that is as beloved as Buffy, not just to the world, but to me and Chloé. So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn’t watch it.”
While Gellar didn’t name the executive, sources confirm that Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich was the final decision-maker.
Gellar shared that she spoke with Zhao following the news. “Chloé and I are feeling the same things. Disappointment. We don’t want to let the fans down. That hurts. Saddened at how it was handled and when it was handled. But I just said to Chloé and I was very specific, I said, ‘Sunday night, you put that crown on and you walk that red carpet and you take in all that love for what you worked for and forget the other stuff.’ It’s important to me that this doesn’t take away from what we achieved and what she’s achieved. And there’s always so [much] more to do.”
Gellar also expressed enthusiasm for the direction the reboot was taking, particularly the casting of Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new Slayer. “Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming,” she said. “The dialogue flew off the tongue. When I was on set, it was craziness. It was like, ‘Oh, we’re here. We’re doing this.’ I loved the duality that we had this new, younger slayer who was where Buffy was when the show started, and then we would pick up with where Buffy was now … And I’d like to use this moment also to say that Ryan Kiera Armstrong is a superstar. I’m gutted that no one will see her as a slayer.”
However, sources indicate that the pilot script, written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, wasn’t strong enough to move forward. A rewrite attempt failed to fully address the issues, leading Disney/Hulu to decide against reshooting the pilot or ordering a full series. Producers reportedly requested a decision by the conclude of last week, and Gellar announced the news on social media shortly after. Disney reportedly would have preferred to delay the announcement until after the Oscars to manage the situation more carefully.
Buffy, the 1990s cult classic created by Joss Whedon, ran for seven seasons and remains a beloved series for many. Previous attempts to revive the show have been made, but none have included Gellar in a starring role.
A representative for Hulu declined to comment. However, a statement obtained by People noted that, due to Disney’s ownership of the Buffy intellectual property, the project cannot be taken elsewhere.
Gellar currently stars in the horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which opens this weekend.
— Tony Maglio contributed to this report.
