Sarah Michelle Gellar reveals grim theory on why Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot got axed
Sarah Michelle Gellar has revealed why Buffy: New Sunnydale won’t be going ahead. (Getty)
Sarah Michelle Gellar has plainly shared her theory on why the planned reboot of her ‘90s teen drama Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been unceremoniously axed.
On Saturday (14 March), Gellar shared a video with fans on Instagram confirming that the reboot, entitled Buffy: New Sunnydale and directed by Oscar-winning Hamnet director Chloé Zhao, would not be moving forward.
“Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale,” she said, thanking Zhao.
“I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish, yet affordable boots, and thanks to Chloe, I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means not only to me, but to all of you. And this doesn’t change any of that,” she added.
Announced last year, Buffy: New Sunnydale was created in collaboration between Searchlight Pictures and 20th Television for Hulu, with Gellar set to return to the series and Ryan Kiera Armstrong set to play new Slayer, Nova.
News of the cancellation was met with uproar from Buffy’s legion of distraught fans, with several petitions being set up urging Hulu to reverse the decision.
In a new interview with People hours after the news hit headlines, Gellar shared her grim theory as to why the reboot was given the chop.
According to Gellar, who made her name appearing on the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer series between 1997 and 2003, the decision stemmed from one unnamed executive on the project who made his disinterest in Buffy known.
“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 claimed.
“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.”
She continued: “But the fans, they were the only reason we were doing this show in the first place… We were doing it because everybody loves it. So how do you do a show that’s beloved with someone that doesn’t love it?”
She also revealed that she got the call just before she was due to attend the premiere of her new film Ready or Not 2: Here I Come at SXSW Film Festival, a project also helmed by Searchlight Pictures. Zhao was informed the same weekend as the Oscars, where she was nominated for Best Director for Hamnet.
“Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming,” Gellar told the publication. “No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight.”
She continued: “For them to call us on the Friday of what should have been Chloé’s victory lap for an incredible film, and my world premiere of something that I worked very hard for is… That says something.”
Prior to the show getting the chop, Gellar confirmed that she had filmed the pilot episode “superstar” Armstrong and Zhao, who had a “deep love” for the Buffy universe.
At the Oscars on 15 March, Zhao said that she was sadly “not surprised” by Hulu’s decision.
“I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah, with all the cast and crew doing this. And we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show,” she told Variety.
“Our priority for Sarah and for us has always been to be truthful to the show, to be truthful to our fans. So, things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open and we welcome the mystery. And what this might lead us to.”
Airing for seven seasons, the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer series followed Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, a teenager in high school who had a dual responsibility to hunt and battle evil creatures, including vampires and demons.
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