Posted in: CW, Hulu, TV | Tagged: btvs, buffy, sarah michelle gellar

Buffy Sequel Series with Sarah Michelle Gellar Nears Hulu Pilot Order

Hulu is reportedly nearing a pilot order for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series, with Sarah Michelle Gellar returning as Buffy Summers.

"It's funny. I always used to say, 'No," 'cause it's in this bubble and so perfect. But watching 'Sex and the City' and seeing 'Dexter' and realizing there are ways to do it definitely does get your mind thinking." Those were the words spoken by Sarah Michelle Gellar back in December 2024 while promoting Paramount+ with Showtime and Showrunner/EP Clyde Phillips's (Dexter, Nurse Jackie) Patrick Gibson-starring Dexter: Original Sin. To say that got the hopes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans going would be an understatement, fueling speculation that a possible revival series could be on the way. Based on a report from Variety earlier today, Hulu is close to ordering a pilot for a sequel series to the beloved series that would see Gellar returning as Buff Summers in a recurring role – with the main focus being on a new Slayer. Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman are reportedly attached to write, showrun, and executive produce. Chloé Zhao is attached to direct and executive produce via her Book of Shadows banner. Gellar would also 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. Joss Whedon is not listed as being involved with the project.

Buffy Return Timeline: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Dolly Parton & More

Back in 2018, 20th Century Fox Television announced that it was developing a reboot. Monica Owusu-Breen (Midnight, Texas; Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) would serve as showrunner, and Joss Whedon would co-write and executive produce. That would change beginning in early 2021, when Buffy & Angel star Charisma Carpenter went public with accusations against Whedon that involved years of unprofessional and abusive behavior. This prompted many others connected to both shows to voice their support for Carpenter and offer their own allegations. Whedon's efforts in early 2021 to address those matters and others in "The Undoing of Joss Whedon" by Lila Shapiro for New York Magazine appeared to only worsen matters, with many seeing Whedon as attempting to "play the victim" instead of addressing the accusations leveled against him in a reasoned, honest manner.

Shortly after, the allegations would return to the spotlight with the publication of Evan Ross Katz's Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts. Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the series from its cast, creative team, and production crew, the book included interviews with Gellar, Carpenter, Emma Caulfield, Amber Benson, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, Seth Green, Marc Blucas, Nicholas Brendon, and many others. In terms of a series return, things were understandably not looking good heading into August 2022, with executive producer Gail Berman sharing with The Hollywood Reporter's Katie Kilkenny that the project was "on pause." Now, flash ahead to January 2024 – when music legend and pop culture icon Dolly Parton made some "Buffy" headlines…

For those of you who don't know, Parton and her former manager, Sandy Gallin, founded Sandollar Productions – and it was the production company's television division (Sandollar Television) that co-produced all seven seasons of "Buffy" as well as the David Boreanaz-starring spinoff series Angel. Co-producing the original film with Kuzui Enterprises, the two production companies would join Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions and 20th Century Fox Television (now 20th Television) to develop the television series. "They're still working on that," Parton shared with Business Insider. "They're thinking about bringing it back and revamping it," she added, not offering additional details at the time. Three months later, in April 2024, Gellar shared with US Weekly during a fashion awards show in Los Angeles that Parton was one of the very few people she would take a call from regarding a return. "I mean, like, if Dolly Parton is going to call me, I'm always available to take a phone call from the queen," Gellar shared.

To offer you some perspective on just how much "The Queen" means to her, Gellar discussed Parton being a "silent" producer on the series, how crucial Parton was in getting the series off the ground, how she reacted after Parton praised the series, and the moment when she realized that Parton knew who she was during a February 2023 visit to NBC's The Tonight Show – here's a look:

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