Sarah Michelle Gellar has spoken out about the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” revival, reassuring fans that her long-awaited return to Sunnydale is on the right track forward at Hulu.
“So… you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven’t heard from me. Three years ago, I got a call from my dear friend and mentor, Gail Berman. She told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential ‘Buffy’ revival,” she shared on Instagram on Thursday. “I was blown away that Chloé even knew who I was, but, as I’ve always done, I told Gail that I just didn’t see a way for the show to exist again. We’d always been aligned on that, but this time I heard something different in her voice. I eventually agreed to go (mainly just to meet Chloé) and our 20-minute coffee quickly turned into a 4-hour adventure. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much the show means to us.”
“While I didn’t agree to anything at that meeting, I did shock myself by agreeing to continue the conversation. These conversations did, in fact, continue over the next few years and eventually we added the incredible Nora and Lilla Zuckerman to our little tribe until, ultimately, one day, we landed on an idea,” the actress continued. “I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit ‘Buffy’ and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right. This has been a long process, and it’s not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there.”
Indeed, as TheWrap learned on Monday, the “Buffy” pilot will be directed by “Eternals” director Zhao based off a script written by the Zuckermans, with Gellar reprising her role and a focus on a new Slayer. If ordered, 20th Television and Searchlight TV will produce. Gellar, Berman, Zhao and the Zuckermans will all executive produce, alongside Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui, who EP via Suite B; and Dolly Parton, who EPs via Sandollar.
Gellar concluded her Thursday message, “I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love ‘Buffy’ as much as I do. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you.”
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” first aired in March 1997 and ran for seven seasons through 2003, moving from The WB to UPN for the show’s final two seasons. It spawned the spin-off “Angel” as well as a canon comic book series, affectionately called “Season Eight.”
