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Buffy: Sarah Michelle Gellar on Having Big Shoes to Fill: "My Own"

At tonight's Critics Choice Awards, Sarah Michelle Gellar shared how she wants to do right by the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

At a time when inspiring news can be hard to find, the pop culture landscape has been celebrating the news that Sarah Michelle Gellar is teaming with showrunners, writers, and EPs Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman and director and EP Chloé Zhao on a sequel series to Buffy the Vampire Slayer that would see Gellar return to her iconic role as Buffy Summers. Shortly after the news hit, Gellar shared a touching, heartfelt post offering a timeline of how the pilot project came about while reassuring "Buffy" fans that they plan on doing right by them and the original series. Checking in with E! News during tonight's Critics Choice Awards, Gellar had some additional thoughts on what's to come to pass along.

Joking (though not joking) that she could say "absolutely nothing" when asked for more details, Gellar added, "I can say that this has been in the works for a long time. It's still a little premature, so it's hard to speak about, but I'm incredibly overwhelmed at the response, and I'm really excited, and I want to do it justice." As excited as she is for the potential series, Gellar noted that there's a bar that's been set that they will need to clear – a bar that she set. "I mean, there's big shoes to fill – my own – which is kind of weird. I should fit in them," she said.

Our favorite takeaway from the clip above might have to do with "Mr. Pointy" and how Gellar revealed that she would sometimes break out the beloved stake for a little practice for old-time's sake. And what about the rest of the folks from the "Buffyverse"? Have they been hit up about possible returns? "I will tell you that they are all aware. We… I speak to them all anyway. This is all really, really early. Ultimately, obviously, it's something we want to do, but it's also about setting up the world, and you know, again, it's so premature, so it's hard to say anything anyway," Gellar responded.

Gellar is set to serve as executive producer, along with Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B, and Dolly Parton via Sandollar – with 20th Television and Searchlight Television serving as the studios. Here's a look at the complete text of Gellar's message:

"So….. you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven't heard from me: Gellar began her post on Instagram (waiting for you below). "Three years ago, I got a call from my dear friend and mentor, Gail Berman. She told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential "Buffy" revival. I was blown away that Chloé even knew who I was, but, as I've always done, I told Gail that I just didn't see a way for the show to exist again. We'd always been aligned on that, but this time I heard something different in her voice. I eventually agreed to go (mainly just to meet Chloé) and our twenty minute coffee quickly turned into a four hour adventure. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us."

Gellar continued, "While I didn't agree to anything at that meeting, I did shock myself by agreeing to continue the conversation. These conversations did, in fact, continue over the next few years and eventually we added the incredible Nora and Lilla Zuckerman to our little tribe until ultimately, one day, we landed on an idea. I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit 'Buffy' and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right. This has been a long process, and it's not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there. I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love "Buffy" as much as I do. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you."

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