Buffy revival Series With SMG Has Officially Cast Its New Lead Slayer.

[Bamph]

Buffy Sequel Series Pilot Wraps; BTVS Fandom "So Special to Me": Zhao

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/buffy-se...al-to-me-zhao/

And now, we wait. If you're reading this, then you know we're talking about waiting on a decision from Hulu now that the pilot for EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, director Chloé Zhao, and EP Gail Berman's Gellar and Ryan K. Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series pilot has wrapped. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times in support of her Oscar-buzzing film Hamnet, Zhao touched on the project briefly, sharing how important it is to her. "I just wrapped the pilot on the new 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' series, which is set 25 years later. My company is part of developing it," Zhao shared. "The fandom is so special to me, and I'm excited about how that's going to go into the world."

[Bamph]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot 'Not Just Revisiting the Past' But Will Honor Show's Original DNA, Sarah Michelle Gellar Says

https://www.ign.com/articles/buffy-t...le-gellar-says

[Bamph]

Buffy: Sarah Michelle Gellar "Deep in the Weeds" with Pilot: Wonders

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/buffy-sa...pilot-wonders/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvfO1CCmNA8&t=6s

[Bamph]

New Buffy the Vampire Slayer Show Isn’t a Reboot, Sarah Michelle Gellar Explains

https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2...-isnt-a-reboot

[artan42]

Well I'm certain all the trades will absolutely stop misusing the word in their headlines now then...

[Bamph]

"Hell No": Why A Buffy Star Turned Down Writing The Sequel Series

https://screenrant.com/buffy-reboot-...own-explained/

[Bamph]

Sarah Michelle Gellar ‘Never Thought’ She’d Play Buffy Again, Says You Can Understand ‘Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Without Watching Original Show

https://variety.com/2025/tv/columns/...-2-1236558670/

Seems the title of the new show will officially be 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale.'

[Bamph]

Ryan Kiera Armstrong talks SMG being a mentor to her.

https://www.cbr.com/buffy-reboot-sar...t-second-role/

[Bamph]

Buffy Reboot Series Finally Gets A Release Window

https://screenrant.com/buffy-the-vam...elease-window/

[Bamph]

Buffy Sequel "Will Bring Back OG Characters for Sure": Chloé Zhao

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/buffy-se...re-chloe-zhao/

[Bamph]

New Buffy Slayer Actor Reveals Her Favorite Episode (& It's One of the Best)

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe returns with a new slayer in the upcoming revival.

https://www.cbr.com/ryan-kiera-armst...orite-episode/

[Bamph]

Chloé Zhao reveals her favorite Buffy moment and wades into the shipper wars.

https://comicbookmovie.com/tv/buffy-...-angel-a225230

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyeI8Z6s8jI&t=541s

The Buffy talk starts at the 8:50 mark.

[Bamph]

https://deadline.com/2026/01/sarah-m...le-1236675013/

Sarah Michelle Gellar Says ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale’ Is “Not A Sequel” & “It’s Not A Reboot”; Reveals Why “It’s Taking A Long Time”

By Armando Tinoco
January 7, 2026



Sarah Michelle Gellar is clearing things up about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer continuation series she’s working on with Chloé Zhao.

Hulu ordered a pilot for the series that Gellar starred in for seven seasons, and in a new interview, revealed that the title of the new show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale.

“It’s not a sequel, it’s not a reboot — it’s a continuation,” Gellar said on the Shut Up, Evan podcast.

Gellar said the series will answer the questions of where Buffy “is now in this world and what is this world that Buffy lives in with her and without her,” adding, “So it’s not a reboot, it’s not picking up with all of the same characters right away. It is not like a sequel… That’s why the name was even important to me — Buffy: New Sunnydale. It’s Buffy, but it’s also something else.”

Although Gellar didn’t reveal anything new, she did say she “learned a hard lesson in life” about the saying, “never say never,” as she was initially opposed to re-taking the character.

“I will eat my words, and I’m OK with that — I learned my lesson,” she said. “I never saw how and why it could be as good [as the original series]. I’m not trying to be better. I just want to hold and honor the memory and what we created. I know sometimes that memory is conflicted for people about how they’re supposed to feel about it, but a lot of people put their blood, sweat, and tears into making what I think is an incredibly great show, and I’m incredibly proud of it.”

Gellar noted Zhao’s passion for the project, which ultimately led her to sign up to revisit Sunnydale.

“Chloé Zhao came to me and not just her passion, because I’ve seen people with passion before, but she knew how to go into the world. She knew what the world was, and she knew the way,” Gellar said. “And that was the first time I said, ‘Maybe, could I possibly do this? And this went on for three years now … me and Chloé going back and forth, saying I could do it, saying I can’t, and really spending the time to develop what it is and why it is.”

Gellar said they are still developing the series and “still working on that, why and how,” adding, “I know this seems like it’s taking a long time, and it’s because unless we are sure that it is exactly what we set out to do and that it makes sense to do it, we don’t want to sell you the legacy by not. When I know it’s perfect, then it will be out there, but I won’t do it unless I know it can be that.”

[Bamph]

In light of the revival, James Marsters in a video talking with Charisma Carpenter re-watched BTVS to see if he could get into the mind set of even playing Spike again. He admits to Charisma that he's not a part of the revival, there is interest in having him back but if he was producing the new show, he wouldn't call him to come back yet. He would focus on introducing the new Slayer and her friends and have them on one adventure first. Maybe at the very and of season 1 or into season 2.He would be surprised if he's not called but would be surprised if he was called now.

https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2...-new-sunnydale

Here's the video

https://x.com/slayerxvampire/status/...-new-sunnydale

Everything he says makes sense to me. Not surprised that they would put out feelers now for past cast members just to gauge interest in returning at some point.But not do any legacy characters(other then Buffy herself) until late season 1 or maybe not even until season 2.Establish the new characters and new world first.Get us invested in the new cast and circumstance and then start bringing in legacy characters for an occasional guest spot after that.

[Bamph]

Hulu Passes on Buffy Revival Pilot.

https://deadline.com/2026/03/sarah-m...ot-1236753398/

Sarah Michelle Gellar Reveals She Declined Chloé Zhao’s ‘Buffy’ Reboot “Many Times” & Why She Learned To “Never Say Never”

By Armando Tinoco
March 13, 2026



Sarah Michelle Gellar was not always keen on reprising her role as Buffy the Vampire Slayer after the series ended in 2003, following seven seasons.

However, as Gellar has signed up to return to the Buffy-verse in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, she has reflected on never closing the door on the possibilities that may arise.

“I actually like when people bring up that I said ‘never,’ because I really felt that way,” Gellar told ComicBook. “So, lesson learned, first of all, young children… Never say never. Say, ‘I don’t see it happening,’ but don’t say ‘never,’ because then you have egg on your face.”

She continued, “But I truly thought that’s where I was at. I never heard a take or a reason to do it. Then Chloé Zhao came to me, and she had the reasons, and she had the take. Also, I was in a different place. The world was in a different place. With that being said, it’s still taken us four years to get to this place because I would say, ‘Yes,’ and then I would call a month later and say, ‘No. No, no, no. I can’t.’ I’m Cameron Frye from Ferris Bueller. ‘Again, again, again…'”

With Chloé Zhao attached to direct the pilot of the Buffy reboot, many would want to work alongside the Oscar-winning director, but Gellar reveals she also shot the filmmaker down initially.

“I just asked people to give me the time and understand that it took us six years to get a sequel to Ready or Not. When you want to do things right, it takes time. Mind you, I also said no to Chloe many times in the beginning, as well. Her passion, and her reasoning for wanting to do it, and why now, and why it is necessary.”

During an appearance on the Shut Up, Evan podcast, Gellar opened up about what led her to accept returning as Buffy and work with Zhao.

“Chloé Zhao came to me and not just her passion, because I’ve seen people with passion before, but she knew how to go into the world. She knew what the world was, and she knew the way,” Gellar said. “And that was the first time I said, ‘Maybe, could I possibly do this? And this went on for three years now … me and Chloé going back and forth, saying I could do it, saying I can’t, and really spending the time to develop what it is and why it is.”

https://deadline.com/2026/03/buffy-r...ao-1236753736/

‘Buffy’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Not Going Forward At Hulu

By Nellie Andreeva
March 14, 2026



Hulu has opted not to proceed with its Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, starring and executive produced by Sarah Michelle Gellar. She broke the news to fans on Instagram Saturday morning.

The news comes a year after the streamer ordered a pilot for the project, tentatively titled Buffy: New Sunnydale, with Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, directing from a script written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face).

The decision follows weeks of speculation about the fate of the pilot. Sources described it as “not perfect,” noting the Zhao’s sensibility may not have been the perfect match for the reboot. Zhao is now riding a wave of critical acclaim for her latest movie, Hamnet.

There had been talk about reworking the pilot. In the end, Hulu opted not to proceed with it but remains high on the Buffy IP and plans to regroup and mull a possible new incarnation of the beloved franchise.

“I want to thank Chloé Zhao because 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 in the video, which you can watch below. “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes… you can still beep me.”

Ryan Kiera Armstrong landed the lead opposite Gellar in the Buffy pilot, playing the new slayer in the untitled Buffyverse project, with Gellar reprising her signature role as Buffy Summers. The series regular cast also included Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott. The reboot came from 20th Television and Searchlight TV.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV31N...c-94c12d94fa79

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...lu-1236531001/

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Not Moving Forward at Hulu, Sarah Michelle Gellar Says

The series was in development since February 2025, with Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao attached to direct.

BY LEXI CARSON
MARCH 14, 2026



The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is dead at Hulu.

The series star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, took to Instagram Saturday morning to share that Hulu is no longer moving forward with the project, which was revealed to be in the works in February 2025. It came from 20th Television and Searchlight TV.

“I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me. Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale,” the actress said in a video. “I want to thank Chloé Zhao, because 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.”

She added, “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.”

Oscar winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Hamnet) was set to direct with a script penned by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face). The reboot was supposed to follow a younger Slayer, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, with Gellar’s Buffy Summers returning to star, and the actress was set to executive produce. Series regulars included Faly Rakotohavana as Hugo, Ava Jean as Larkin, Sarah Bock as Gracie, Daniel Di Tomasso as Abe and Jack Cutmore-Scott as Mr. Burke.

The original series first debuted in 1997 and ran for seven seasons at The WB. It also spawned the spinoff Angel, which ran from 1999 to 2004.


Disappointing news. The Buffyverse just seems to have bad luck getting something onscreen again post ATS.Also curious if this Pilot will ever leak online like the Buffy Animated pilot did.

[Wenxina]

That's a shame but I wonder if we'll get some more details about the scope of the project in the future. While I was warily optimistic about what we've learned so far, my feelings about this revival have been pretty mixed. For one, I'm not sure if it would have honored the canonical stories told from Season 8-12. And while I think that stories about Slayers will always be needed, I don't think that the way the IP has been handled in recent years has been very encouraging. There hasn't been much vision other than just trying to recapture old glory instead of doing something worthy on the mantle. So yeah, I'm a bit bummed but at the same time, I dunno... if this was going to be yet another disappointing outing, I'd rather they just let it lie. For a generation, maybe?

[Bamph]

First and possibly only look at Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new Slayer and comments from the actress on Hulu passing on the pilot.

Buffy’s New Slayer Reveals First-Look Image & Addresses Sequel Series’ Sudden Cancellation

https://screenrant.com/buffy-the-vam...tion-response/



https://www.instagram.com/p/DV4X5g3ksD-/

I'm sure many of you have already heard the news by now, but I wanted to come on here and say thank you for all of the support you have given me and the show. Throughout the past couple of months, it's been really special. I'm really proud of what we did. I'm sad that you guys won't be able to see it, but that doesn't take away from the amazing experience that I had. I want to say thank you to Sarah, the Zuckerman sisters, Chloe. I love you guys, and I also want to say thank you to all the fans and all the people that believed in this new chapter and who believed in me. So, thank you guys. Thank you to the cast I worked with, you guys are awesome. But I guess all I want to say is we brought this back for you guys and Buffy is such a big part of all of our lives, and it's not going anywhere, so who knows what the future will hold.


Buffy Reaction: Hulu, Joss Whedon, That "Last 20 Seconds" Rumor & More

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/buffy-re...ds-rumor-more/

[Bamph]

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/c...lu-1236689223/

Chloé Zhao ‘Not Surprised’ Hulu Killed ‘Buffy’ Reboot: ‘We Keep Our Hearts Open’ to ‘What This Might Lead Us To’

By Ethan Shanfeld



Chloé Zhao has spoken out about her “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reboot with Sarah Michelle Gellar not moving forward at Hulu.

Gellar broke the news on Saturday that after they had shot a pilot, the streamer decided to kill the sequel series, which was titled “New Sunnydale” and would have starred Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new slayer.

Speaking to Variety‘s Ramin Setoodeh and CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister on the Oscars red carpet, the Academy Award-winning director said she was “not surprised” by Hulu’s decision.

“I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah [Michelle Gellar], with all the cast and crew doing this. And we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show,” Zhao said. “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.”

Asked by Setoodeh if that meant Zhao and Gellar would be shopping the project to other distributors, Zhao cheekily repeated herself: “Welcome the mystery.”

Zhao, who is nominated for best director for “Hamnet,” pulled up to the Oscars red carpet wearing all black, her face covered by a black veil. Asked about the inspiration behind her outfit, Zhao said, “The crow. The power of taking and letting things die, so something new can come through.”

She was quick to clarify that her look was inspired by “Hamnet,” not “Buffy,” but the theme of mourning resonated nonetheless.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale” was first announced in February 2025 as a pilot order at Hulu, with Zhao set to direct and executive produce the new iteration set up at 20th Television and Searchlight Television. Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman were attached to write, showrun and executive produce, while original series creator Joss Whedon was not involved. Alongside Gellar reprising her role as Buffy, the pilot also starred Armstrong, Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott.

A source close to the show indicated to Variety that despite the reboot not moving forward, there is a “lot of love” for “Buffy,” and the streamer will still consider future iterations on the IP: “Basically, the door is still open.”

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” originated as a 1992 film directed by Fran Kuzui and written by Whedon, with Kristy Swanson starring in the title role. Five years later, a series adaptation starring Gellar was launched on The WB and ran for seven seasons until 2003.

“Thanks to Chloé, I was reminded how much I love [Buffy] and how much she means not only to me but to all of you,” Gellar said in a video posted to Instagram. “And this doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.”

[Bamph]

https://people.com/sarah-michelle-ge...usive-11927330

Sarah Michelle Gellar Breaks Her Silence on What Killed the Buffy Reboot: 'Nobody Saw This Coming' (Exclusive)

The ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ actress tells People what went down behind the scenes before the 'Buffy' reboot was pulled

By Jason Sheeler Published on March 16, 2026



Sarah Michelle Gellar gives PEOPLE insight into how and why her Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot was canceled

The actress is about to premiere her latest movie, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, in theaters March 20

About the cancellation, Gellar says she's "saddened at how it was handled and when it was handled"

On Friday, March 11, Sarah Michelle Gellar — scream queen, patron saint to Millennials worldwide, cultural hood ornament, vampire slayer emeritus — was at the SXSW Film & TV Festival premiere of her new movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

It was her first time at SXSW. It was also her first time on a big screen in almost 20 years. This was, as Gellar says, a really big day. A fun day. Then she got a phone call.

“I was just about to take the stage in front of all the fans,” Gellar recalls, speaking by phone Sunday afternoon. “Hulu had decided not to move forward with the Buffy revival. Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming.”

Since the series that made Gellar a star left the air in 2003, fans have been clamoring for Buffy Summers to come back. And she almost did. For several years, Gellar and Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao have been working on a revival for Hulu and Searchlight Television.



“I've been asked since the day I left to return to Sunnydale," says Gellar, 48. "And it never occurred to me that it was something I was going to do. Then four years ago, Chloé, the witch that she is — and I say that as a good thing — comes into my life. In one meeting, she makes me say 'yes' to something I never saw on my radar. That was because of the deep love and commitment and passion she had for this character. It was like I was stepping back in time.”

Gellar and Zhao filmed a pilot episode for what would have become a full series reboot, which would have brought back Gellar’s character and introduced a new slayer (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) to star alongside her.

“Chloé and I talked a lot," says Gellar, who loved where the show was headed. “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."



She adds, "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.”

Gellar does have some confusion over not only why the decision to pull back from the series was made, but as to the timing of the weekend's phone call.

“No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight [Pictures]," she says, noting her new film Ready or Not 2 is a Searchlight production, under the same corporate umbrella as the intended Buffy reboot on the television side.

"And I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie. And it’s also the weekend of Chloé going to the Oscars as a best director nominee for Hamnet. 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...,” she pauses. “That says something.”

Gellar says it was one person who killed the project. “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."

"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," says Gellar.



The morning after the Ready or Not 2 premiere, which debuted to strong reviews and an initial 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Gellar filmed a video explaining to fans that the project was not moving forward. “It was tough. But it was also a chance for me to take in the love that I was being shown.”

The fan reaction on social media was immediate and overwhelming, both in sheer numbers and in both heartbreak and rage, and love for both Buffy Summers and Gellar. And one comment pleading for Dolly Parton to step in. (Her production company actually produced the original series.)

“I wish there was a magic wand Dolly could wave. But don't blame Dolly for this one!” says Gellar.

“But the fans, they were the only reason we were doing this show in the first place," she says. "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?"
Gellar says she has spoken to Zhao, who attended the Oscars on March 15. “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 more to do.”



Asked what will become of the project, Gellar says it’s too soon to say.

A source close to the project tells PEOPLE, “Disney owns the IP. As it stands today, it can't go elsewhere. But that doesn't mean the team behind the reboot, including Sarah and Chloé, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman [the screenwriters and executive producers], can't take their talent and ideas elsewhere.”

Additional sources say the door is open for more Buffy, and that there’s a lot of love for the IP as Hulu is mulling over what a next step could look like.

Gellar says she’s read the comments, and she's felt the love. She's also heard from her OG Buffy castmates. “Every single one of them. No one more so than David Boreanaz. I spoke to him last night. It just shows the lasting relationship that we have."

"But Buffy is timeless," she says. "And the one thing I do want all these fans to know is that legacy is still there and this doesn't diminish it. It doesn't change it. That legacy is still there — for them."

[Bamph]

https://deadline.com/2026/03/buffy-i...ar-1236757372/

‘Buffy’ Autopsy Report: The Inside Story Of How High-Profile Reboot Was Shockingly Slayed

By Nellie Andreeva
March 16, 2026



On her classic show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar‘s Buffy Summers fought the undead. In real life, the actress faced the death of her Buffy reboot at Hulu — and she is having a hard time with it.

Here is how Buffy: New Sunnydale went from a dream reboot two decades in the making, with Gellar starring and Oscar winner Chloé Zhao directing, to a discarded pilot. There were issues — as Deadline reported on Saturday, the original pilot was “not perfect”; some called it “not great.” Yet, after a well-received rewrite with a lot more Buffy Summers in it, no one expected the pass.

I hear virtually every day last week, the two studios on the Buffy reboot, 20th Television and Searchlight Television, touched base with the project’s producers and creative team, indicating that a pickup for the pilot starring Gellar and Ryan Kiera Armstrong seemed imminent after its writers, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, had done a rewrite. (Hulu, 20th TV and Searchlight are all part of Disney.)

Then at 6 p.m. on Friday, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, who oversees Hulu Originals, called auspices to inform them that the project was not moving forward, sources said.

“I was in shock,” one person said of their reaction when they got the news, whose timing could not have been worse — with Gellar at SXSX for the premiere of her new movie, Ready or Not 2, produced by Searchlight, and Zhao attending Oscar weekend events leading to Sunday’s Academy Awards, where her latest movie Hamnet had 8 nominations, including for her as a director.

“No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight. And I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie,” Gellar said in a strongly worded interview with People, in which she also called out an executive over the reboot’s axing. (More on that and the executive’s identity later.)

It is unclear why Hulu opted to make the calls on Friday night, with sources labeling the timing “misguided” and “terrible.” From what I hear, there wasn’t a hard deadline or options expiring, but it is true that those involved in the pilot had been waiting for awhile and wanted an answer.

It was just not the answer anyone expected.

***

It was a year ago that Hulu gave a pilot order to Buffy: New Sunnydale, with Zhao, a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, directing from a script written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face). The green light capped years of development; in her People interview, Gellar said that Zhao had approached her with the idea four years ago, convincing her to finally say “yes” to revisiting her signature character, something she had resisted for years.

Armstrong was cast as the new slayer with Gellar’s Buffy Summers by her side, and the pilot went into production in late July.

“I loved the duality that we had with this new, younger slayer who was where Buffy was when the show started, and then we would pick up with where Buffy was now,” Gellar told People about the setup.

After the pilot was completed and delivered, according to multiple sources, Hulu’s main note was that it played too young, with some indicating that the streamer also felt the show was too “small.”

It is unclear how exactly the pilot went through development, green light, casting and production without such concerns being addressed. Armstrong is young; she was about 15 when she was cast. Geller was young in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer too; she was about 18 when she landed the pilot.

As for the scope of the show, I hear the initial business mandate was to keep the spirit of the original, which was done for the WB (and subsequently for UPN) on a modest budget.

After feedback from the streamer that the pilot did not take big enough swings, the Zuckermans set out to do a rewrite to address the notes, sources said.

I hear the new script was 90 minutes. It was more adult, featuring a lot more of Gellar’s Buffy, and was described as a more of a streaming than a network show.

According to sources, the rewrite was well received at both studios, 20th TV and Searchlight TV, triggering the internal talk of a pending pickup, with at least one executive in charge “putting everything on the line” for it, as one person put it.

In her People interview, Gellar singled out one executive. “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.”

Gellar did not name the person; according to multiple sources, the executive Gellar was referring to is Erwich.

It is unclear what exactly Erwich meant by his comments, with some suggesting that he was referring to the fact that he wasn’t the demo for the series when he said that it “wasn’t for him.” (Still, those involved in the reboot agreed with Gellar’s general assessment of his take on the show.)

What is known is that Erwich made the decision not to proceed with the pilot. The reasons for the pass are fuzzy. Some say Hulu suggested that the rewritten version of the project was too expensive to shoot. Others indicate that it still fell short of the high bar set by the original series.

One source close to the project compared the situation to completing a $3M renovation only to find out that the house has foundation issues.

“Instead of fixing the foundation, you just walk away,” the person said about Hulu’s decision to not proceed with the reboot.

As Deadline reported, the hope is to get another take on the Buffy IP up and running within the next couple of years.

Under a restructuring announced today, Erwich, who oversees Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, also added oversight of 20th Television, run by Karey Burke. That is the studio which owns the Buffy IP, produced the original series and would be developing any future incarnations, likely for Hulu again.