Posted in: Hulu, TV | Tagged: buffy, buffy the vampire slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Revival Pilot Rounds Out Series Regular Cast
Hulu's Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot welcomes Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel di Tomasso, and Jack Cutmore-Scott to the cast
Article Summary
- Hulu's Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival pilot adds five key series regulars to its cast lineup.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar returns as star and executive producer, with Ryan Kiera Armstrong co-starring.
- Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao is attached as director, with Nora and Lila Zuckerman as showrunners.
- The sequel aims to balance new stories with beloved Buffy characters, both old and returning.
We've got some big casting news to pass along regarding series star/EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, director Chloé Zhao, and EP Gail Berman's Gellar and Ryan Kiera Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series pilot for Hulu, only days after Gellar had some good news to pass along (more on that in a minute). Gellar and Armstrong will be joined by series regulars 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, and Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier) as Mr. Burke.
Here's a look at what Gellar had to share via Instagram earlier this week, with what appeared to be a table read:
Buffy: 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."
