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

Buffy: Sarah Michelle Gellar Shares Great BTS Looks at Pilot Filming

Sarah Michelle Gellar shared behind-the-scenes looks at how filming on Hulu's Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot went over the past three weeks.

Less than a day after director and executive producer Chloé Zhao offered an update on the recently wrapped Hulu pilot for EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, Zhao, and EP Gail Berman's Gellar and Ryan K. Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series, Gellar is sharing something very cool for the faithful fans who've been fighting the good fight over the years to make sure the series was never forgotten across the pop culture landscape. Though noting that there wasn't too much she could show from the past three weeks, Gellar was still able to post some great behind-the-scenes looks, including what Zhao shared with everyone at the end of the first day of filming, a "Buffy" action figure, and much more.

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."

"So, since there is very little I can share about my last three weeks, here is the tiniest glimpse," Gellar wrote as the caption to her Instagram post – here's a look:

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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