Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best supernatural teen dramas and my favorite show of all time. I was hyped when it was revealed that Sarah Michelle Gellar had joined a revival pilot, and even more thrilled when it was picked up for a full season. The Chosen One is back, and Gellar recently explained how producer and director Chloé Zhao convinced her to return as everyone's favorite Slayer.
Those with a Hulu subscription can currently re-watch the original Buffy, but the streaming service will also be where the forthcoming revival is dropped. For years the iconic scream queen denied interest in playing the role again, but Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao changed her mind. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Gellar tipped her hat to the fresh perspective Zhao is bringing to the franchise, saying:
That is all credit to the visionary Chloé is… [She has] an international eye which broadens the scope of what we can achieve.
It's this visionary sense of filmmaking that earned Zhao an Oscar for her work in Nomadland, which had an emotional story and captivating cinematography. It should be fascinating to see what she brings to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, which will continue the story after the wildly satisfying series finale.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a cult following, who regularly re-watch its seven-season fun and keep it in the pop culture landscape. So bringing back the series comes with a ton of expectations and strong feelings about its legacy. In the same interview, Sarah Michell Gellar highlighted Zhao's own fandom, offering:
This version is coming from the true fan that is desperate to revisit the world, not reinvent.
This is definitely going to ease the nerves of some hardcore Buffy fans. The director of Eternals (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) clearly loves the original series, so it sounds like the revival is in good hands. Zhao recently teased more OGs returning to join SMG, and I'm eager to see which/how members of the Buffy cast pop up in New Sunnydale.
Of course, the fact that Gellar is involved and once gain playing Buffy Summers is definitely a boon for the series. We're not getting a reboot, but a continuation of the story fans know and love. Zhao spoke to Vanity Fair about the actress' return to her signature role, saying:
No one knows Buffy better than Sarah Michelle Gellar…and that’s why I couldn’t do it unless she felt like we should. The way the fans commune around her, that’s the energy we’re trying to bring out onto a small screen again.
Points were made. Gellar was at the top of the call sheet for a whopping seven seasons on air, and playing Buffy required tons of night shoots, action sequences, and long hours. She understands this show intimately, and will no doubt be a resource when crafting the new series.
It's currently unclear when Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale will arrive on Hulu, but hopefully it'll be part of the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime I'm going to give the OG show another re-watch and wait for news about which members of the Scooby Gang will appear in the revival.
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