Sarah Michelle Gellar Reveals Why BUFFY Reboot Is Cancelled (And It’s Infuriating)

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Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are understandably disappointed with Hulu. The streaming service had been developing a Buffy reboot, Buffy: New Sunnydale, with Sarah Michelle Gellar excited to reprise her role and mentor a new slayer, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Though Chloé Zhao directed the pilot episode and production began last summer, Hulu has now cancelled the series, shocking both fans and those involved.

The timing couldn’t have been worse for Gellar and Zhao. Gellar was enjoying celebrations for her film, Ready or Not: Here I Come, at SXSW, while Zhao’s movie, Hamnet, was up for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture. After years of developing a project they loved and that excited their fans, a single phone call shattered their plans.

She explained in an interview with People that receiving the call on a Friday—a day that should have been filled with celebration for both her film’s success and the premiere of her hard work—felt significant and spoke volumes.

Gellar first shared the disappointing news on Instagram, but didn’t explain why the Buffy reboot was cancelled at the time. She later revealed in an interview that the cancellation reason is both frustrating and heartbreaking.

Sarah Michelle Gellar shared that a network executive openly disliked the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and even bragged about never finishing it. This was particularly frustrating because Gellar and her co-star, Chloe, were very passionate about the show. Gellar explained that this attitude created a significant challenge from the very beginning, as it was clear the executive didn’t understand or appreciate the beloved source material.

Armstrong also took to social media to share her thoughts about the cancellation.

Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was set to star in the planned Buffy sequel, has addressed the news that Hulu has decided not to move forward with the project. She expressed her sadness for herself and the many Buffy fans who have been hoping for a continuation of the Buffy story for two decades. She believes the world needs the show’s themes now more than ever, and fans are using the hashtag #BringBuffyBack to voice their disappointment.

— TV Tweets 📺 (@TVTweets2026) March 14, 2026

I’m really worried about where this project will end up. It doesn’t look like the creators will be able to easily move it to another network or streamer. Everything – Hulu, Searchlight, and the rights to Buffy itself – is all owned by Disney. That’s a problem because it means the people involved might not have much freedom to take their work where they want.

It’s disappointing, but not shocking, that one person’s opinion – likely a straight, white man – was enough to derail a show that wasn’t even made for him. Buffy remains iconic, and we’re hoping Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role as the vampire slayer sometime in the future.

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2026-03-17 17:33