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

Sarah Michelle Gellar Discusses Buffy Return Feeling "Very Surreal"

Sarah Michelle Gellar discusses how director Chloé Zhao sold her on returning for Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale and much more.

As we keep the candles burning regarding an update on where things stand with EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, director and executive producer Chloé Zhao, and EP Gail Berman's Gellar and Ryan K. Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale pilot for Hulu, Gellar took some time out from the Neiman Marcus Celebrates 2025 Fantasy Gifts party to explain why she never saw herself returning as Buffy Summers as the series wrapped up its run in 2003, how Zhao was a major factor in changing her mind, why a "Buffy" return is needed now more than ever, and how the new series would be welcoming to long-time fans and those who haven't watched the original series.

Speaking with Variety, Gellar admitted that there was a long stretch of time when she "never thought" that a return as Buffy Summers would ever happen. "It was not a place that I ever saw myself, so it definitely felt very surreal," Gellar shared. "But this is why you never say never, and I'm sure I said 'never' many times, and I've learned my lesson because I'm sure someday you're gonna go back and find all the times I said, 'No, never. I'm too old. It'll be Buffy with a walker.'"

But it was Zhao's idea for a return and "the passion with which she spoke both about her idea and the show" that helped change her mind. As Gellar sees it, a hero like Buffy is needed now more than ever. "It's tough times for everybody right now, and I think people feel more isolated and more alone, and we live in an incredibly digital society. But ultimately, the more and more technologically connected we get, the more disconnected we're becoming, and so found family and those true moments become more and more important," Gellar added.

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale is meant to build on what the original series established, Gellar makes it clear that it's meant for long-running fans and newbies. "This is a show that will cater definitely to the [original fans]. There will always be Easter eggs because there were Easter eggs in the original…but we also want to introduce it to people that maybe haven't seen the show," she said.

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"). Regarding 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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