Posted in: CW, Hulu, TV | Tagged: btvs, buffy

Buffy Sequel Series Pilot Wraps; BTVS Fandom "So Special to Me": Zhao

Director Chloé Zhao confirmed that Hulu's Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel pilot has wrapped and shared how special the BTVS fandom is to her.

Published Mon, 01 Sep 2025 19:14:04 -0500

by Ray Flook

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And now, we wait. If you're reading this, then you know we're talking about waiting on a decision from Hulu now that the pilot for EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, director Chloé Zhao, and EP Gail Berman's Gellar and Ryan K. Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series pilot has wrapped. 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."

During an interview with Elite Daily from back in May in support of her partnership with MyFitnessPal, Gellar shared that she had been pitched ideas for reviving the series over the years. "Every pitch I heard was just like, 'Let's just do Buffy again.' Why?" she said. But "the passion that [Zhao] came to me with, what she wanted to do with the show and the character, and why Buffy is needed now — it was the first time where I thought, 'OK, there's a reason,'" Gellar continued. Gellar makes it clear that this wasn't something that just came together over the past few months – and they have no plans to move forward unless they feel that they've gotten it right. "We've been at this for three-and-a-half, maybe four years now. We won't do it unless it's 100% right and there's 100% a reason," Gellar added.

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.