Sarah Michelle Gellar Shares Bad News for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Fans
Fans hoping to see Buffy return to TV just got disappointing news. The planned reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will not happen after all. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar shared the update herself on Instagram on March 14.
In the video message, Gellar explained that the project has officially been canceled by Hulu. The actress said she wanted fans to hear the news directly from her.
“So, I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me,” Gellar said in the video. “Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale.”
The reboot had been in development for a while and would have brought the world of Buffy back more than 20 years after the original show ended. According to Gellar, the new series was titled Buffy: New Sunnydale and would have focused on a new slayer. Gellar was set to appear in a recurring role while also working behind the scenes as an executive producer.
During the video, the actress also thanked director Chloé Zhao, who was attached to the project. Zhao was supposed to direct and executive produce the series. Gellar said working with her reminded her how special the character of Buffy is to both her and the fans.
“I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots, and thanks to Chloé, I was reminded how much I love her, and how much she means not only to me, but to all of you,” Gellar said. “And this doesn’t change any of that.”
She ended her message with a line longtime fans will recognize. “And I promise, if the apocalypse actually comes, you could still beep me.”
The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series ran from 1997 to 2003 and became one of the most popular supernatural shows of its time. It later led to the spinoff series Angel, which aired from 1999 to 2004.
The show featured a large cast alongside Gellar. Some of the familiar names included Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head, David Boreanaz, Nicholas Brendon, James Marsters, Eliza Dushku and Seth Green. Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who was also part of the series, died in 2025 at the age of 39.
The reboot project had several big names involved behind the camera. Nora and Lila Zuckerman were set to write and run the show. Singer Dolly Parton was also attached as an executive producer through her company Sandollar Entertainment. Parton had been an uncredited producer on the original series as well.
Back in March 2025, Gellar said she was excited about the idea of bringing the story back in a new way. She also spoke about working with Zhao, saying the collaboration was something she never expected.
“There was no world where I thought Chloé Zhao was going to call me and partner with me, and ask my advice on things and my opinion — especially because she hasn’t done television,” Gellar told People at the time.
Even though the reboot will not move forward, fans can still watch the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. All seven seasons of the show are currently available to stream on Hulu.
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