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

Sarah Michelle Gellar on "Buffy" Return; Defends Reboots, Sequels

Sarah Michelle Gellar discusses embracing her "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" past and explains why she's fine with sequels, reboots, and revivals.

While we await word on if 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 sequel series pilot will get a series order from Hulu, Gellar is sharing some insights into her decision to return to the iconic role of Buffy Summers and her feelings on those who offer blankey complaints about reboots, sequels, and revivals. During an interview with USA Today, Gellar explained how she appreciates playing characters that continue to resonate with fans and how much that means to her, personally and professionally.

"I've been fortunate enough that I've had work that people remember from all different times, and as an actor, you just hope you do work that not just stands the test of time (and) that people still remember, but they still enjoy," Gellar explains. "If your art that you've created is still meaningful and also, as the world changes, that it still has emotional resonance to the fans, that's all we could ever ask for." Gellar continued, "But I also feel like some people get stuck in that. I don't feel like anyone's ever done that to me. It's not like people only know me from one thing in the '90s, or they only wanna see me as one thing from the '90s. I've been extremely fortunate."

Gellar also sees revisiting a role like Buffy Summers as an opportunity to apply what she's learned as an actor over the years to a role she played early on. "To get the chance to be able to build on those original performances is pretty lucky," Gellar shared. As for those who complain that there are too many remakes, reboots, and sequels, Gellar isn't buying it. As she sees it, it's all about how the project is approached creatively.

"I feel like people are really hard on it, but you never get mad every time … someone does a new adaptation of Shakespeare or Brontë or any of the classics. At the end of the day, there's only so many stories in the world, and they all sort of are derivatives," Gellar explained. "I think as long as they're good and it's not just a rehashing. As long as the work is put in. It's all about the DNA. If you can capture the DNA of an original, I think you're golden."

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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