Posted in: CW, Hulu, TV | Tagged: btvs, buffy, buffy the vampire slayer

Buffy Revival Series "Honoring the Show's Original DNA": Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar says the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series isn't just "revisiting the past but honoring the show’s original DNA."

With EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, director and executive producer Chloé Zhao, and EP Gail Berman having wrapped work on the Gellar and Ryan K. Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series pilot, the decision now rests in Hulu's streaming hands. That's giving us a chance to take a breather and check out what some of the major players have had to share about the project. Speaking with IGN in support of her new partnership with eBay on the latter's latest campaign, Gellar once again focused on the importance of maintaining "the show's original DNA" with the new series while also defining itself in its own right.

"Fandoms like 'Buffy' still resonate today because it's not just about the show, but about the community that's grown around it," Gellar shared. "For me, the heart of 'Buffy' was always about found family—that sense of belonging and being loved for who you are—and that's more important now than ever. That's what makes this new chapter so meaningful: it's not just revisiting the past but honoring the show's original DNA. The fact that people still carry such love for the show after all these years is incredibly special."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Dream"? Bring Back Everyone Who Died

Speaking with Vanity Fair Italia during the 18th edition of the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, Gellar shared that she considered herself lucky to not have social media around during her run on "Buffy," adding how young actors today are put into positions of having to be social media personalities, too ("…asked to constantly post content and do silly dances on TikTok"). As for why she finally made the decision to return to the "Buffyverse" after all of these years, Gellar credits one person in particular for helping her make the move.

"For so many years, I said no to a possible return of the series. I didn't want to reintroduce something we had already seen. I waited for the right time to come. Then Chloé [Zhao], a big "Buffy" fan, proposed the project to me, and I accepted. The gestation was long. It's been three years, and we're still working on it," Gellar shared, though based on a recent Instagram post, filming on the pilot might just be in sight. As for what fans can expect from the revival, Gellar shared that, "It will be lighter than the last few seasons of the original. We will try to find a balance between new and old characters." Apparently, that includes characters who've passed on, if there's space and a reason. "My dream is to bring back everyone who has died, but space will have to be made for new stories as well," Gellar added.

Finding that right balance is key, a point that Gellar has been emphasizing since the news of the revival series pilot first hit. But as the show's continued success over the years has shown, "Buffy" has very diverse multi-generational fanbase. "One of the surprising aspects of Buffy is that it's always been a crossover series," Gellar explained. "We're trying to figure out how to modernize the themes of the series, especially what it means to feel like an outsider in a world dominated by social media. What we want to explore are the space-time boundaries that affect society today."

Along with Gellar and Armstrong, the trio joined a cast that also includes Faly Rakotohavana (Unprisoned) as Hugo, Ava Jean (Law & Order: SVU) as Larkin, Sarah Bock (Severance) as Gracie, Daniel di Tomasso (Witches of East End) as Abe, Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier) as Mr. Burke, Kingston Vernes (The Survivor) as Carson, Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio) as Shirley, Merrin Dungey (The Lincoln Lawyer) as Ms. LaDuca, Audrey Hsieh (Found) as Keiko, and Audrey Grace Marshall (The Flight Attendant) as Jessica.

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