Re: ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Nears Hulu Pilot Order With Chloé Zhao Directing By Nellie Andreeva February 3, 2025 12:30pm

Ian J. Ball wrote:

On 2/4/25 7:35 AM, EGK wrote:
 

On Tue, 4 Feb 2025 07:07:49 -0800, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:

On 2/3/25 11:10 PM, Robin Miller wrote:

Ian J. Ball wrote:

On 2/3/25 6:15 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:

Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:

On 2/3/25 5:49 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
>

https://deadline.com/2025/02/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-reboot-sarah-
michelle-gellar-hulu-pilot-chloe-zhao-1236273767/
>
‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar
Nears Hulu
Pilot Order With Chloé Zhao Directing
>
By Nellie Andreeva
February 3, 2025 12:30pm
>
More than two decades after Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its
seven-season
run, the beloved supernatural drama is eyeing a revival with a new
chapter
in the franchise. A followup series is nearing a pilot order from
Hulu,
with Sarah Michelle Gellar expected to star, reprising her
signature role
as Buffy Summers, sources said. Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, a self-
professed
lifelong Buffy fan, is set to direct the pilot, written by Nora and
Lilla
Zuckerman (Poker Face).
>
The reboot hails from Buffy the Vampire Slayer studio 20th
Television and
Disney sibling Searchlight TV where Zhao has been under a first-
look deal.
>
Beyond the pilot order, I hear the reboot is starting a writers
room soon,
a sign that Hulu and the studios have high expectations for the
project
going to series. It is unclear yet whether other original Buffy cast
members would return; that is considered likely.
>
Described as the next chapter in the Buffyverse,

>
Mostly by people who hadn’t read the authorized comic books
>

the new incarnation is
executive produced by Gellar, Zhao, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman as
well as the
original series’ executive producers Gail Berman of the Jackal
Group and
Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B.

>
Those dirty leeches will bleed this property till the end of time.
Thanks,
Directors union.
>

Also executive producing the pilot is
Dolly Parton whose company Sandollar was producer on the original.

>
Yikes!
>

Buffy creator Joss Whedon, who also wrote the 1992 movie the series
was
based on, has no involvement in the reboot. He has not worked in
Hollywood
in any official capacity since facing a slew of misconduct
allegations in
2021.

>
Duh.

>
Oh, the top of the link has a click about how they finally charged Neil
Gayman with some really ugly stuff.

>
Yep. Heard about thiat.
>

Well, this is better than Whedon's previous idea for a reboot.

>
I don’t know about that?

>
It is.
>

But I'm
skeptical about the whole thing until somebody proves to me otherwise.
(Like, a good start, would be ignoring the last 4 seasons of the
original series and all of "Angel"!!  ;p  )

>
I don’t see how it can possibly be a reboot if Geller is playing Buffy.

>
"Reboot" is the wrong word. (Entertainment reporters are consistently
mentally deficient, not knowing the basic meaning of the terms they use!)
>
If Gellar is playing "older Buffy" (and esp. if other "Buffy" cast
members return), this would be a "revival" not a "reboot".
>
>
Ian  (One we know won't be returning is Amber Benson. I would put
heavy odds against either Eliza Dushku or Michelle Trachtenberg
returning either.)

>
Why wouldn't Amber Benson return? Did she have a falling out with
someone? I know she's barely acting anymore, in any event.
>
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0072435/

>
She apparently hates Alyson Hannigan's guts. (I think she also came to
despise Whedon, though I don't think that matters anymore.)

>
Why was that?  I'm not up on all the soap opera stuff of their private lives
except what came out about Joss.  I got the impression tho that Alyson was
one of Joss's favorites since she was about the only one who didnt come out
saying anything about him.

 You've answered your own question.
 The story goes that Hannigan was an asshole to Benson (was basically a "mean girl" to her), and because Hannigan was one of Whedon's "pets" she got away with it.
 Benson eventually got fed up with the situation, and left the show/was written out.
 

If Hannigan is involved, Benson won't be.
>
Aside from that, I kind of get the feeling that Benson isn't acting much
these days.

>
Except for David Boreanaz, who among the cast is really is that active?
Alyson had a nice career with the American pie movies and How I met your
mother but most haven't done a lot since Buffy.

 A lot of them are hitting Anim's magic "turned 40 or 50" age, which is when a lot of actresses pretty much quit the business. I get the impression that Charisma Carpenter is pretty much retired now. Same for Dushku who hasn't acted since "Bull" and the accompanying lawsuit. Benson rarely acts these days, and it felt like she was transitioning to directing. Trachtenberg is another one who hasn't acted in ages, and the last thing I think she did was host a "true crime" show, and I think only did that for one season.
 I could see Hannigan being up for a "Buffy" revival series. But I'd bet most of the other actresses associated with the show either aren't interested in coming back, or won't come back.
 

That Buffy podcast I mentioned--"Slayers: A Buffyverse Storu," 9 episodes in Oct. 2023--had several of the BtVS actors: James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Emma Caulfield Ford, Juliet Landau, Amber Benson and Tony Head. I imagine they might be interested in a sequel.
--Robin