How Sarah Michelle Gellar Was Convinced to Return for a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Revival

The chosen one has spoken. Three days after Variety reported that a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series was in the works at Hulu, Sarah Michelle Gellar confirmed that the project is happening, despite the fact that she initially “didn’t see a way for the show to exist again.”

According to Variety, while Gellar will reprise her role as the titular character in the untitled revival, the story’s focus will be on a new slayer. Gellar wrote on Instagram that conversations about a return to Sunnydale began three years ago with a phone call from her “dear friend and mentor,” producer and executive Gail Berman.

Berman introduced Gellar to Oscar-winning Nomadland filmmaker Chloé Zhao so that she could “hear her take on a potential ‘Buffy’ revival,” the actor wrote alongside a photo featuring herself as Buffy and one of the character’s most memorable lines: “If the apocalypse comes, beep me.” Gellar said that she 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.”

She continued, “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 twenty minute coffee quickly turned into a four hour adventure. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us.”

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Gellar then agreed to more meetings, eventually welcoming Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman, showrunners on the first season of Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson’s Poker Face, into “our little tribe until ultimately, one day, we landed on an idea.”

Variety reports that the Zuckermans will write, showrun, and executive-produce the new series, with Zhao attached to direct and also executive-produce. Gellar is listed as an additional executive producer alongside Berman, as well as original-series EPs Fran Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui, and Dolly Parton. (Yes, that one.) “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,” Gellar wrote.

Noticeably absent from the show’s creative team is Joss Whedon, who created the original series and served as a showrunner during its seven-season run from 1997 at The WB to 2003 at UPN. In 2021, Variety reported allegations that Whedon had fostered a toxic work environment on both Buffy and its spin-off series, Angel. Charisma Carpenter, an actor on both shows, publicly spoke out against Whedon and was supported by several of her costars. At the time, Gellar wrote on Instagram: “While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.”

Whedon addressed those and other allegations of misconduct in January 2022, telling Vulture that there was a point when he “was not mannerly” with Carpenter, but maintaining that “most of my experiences with Charisma were delightful and charming.” Regarding allegations made by some on the show, Whedon also acknowledged to Vulture in 2022 that he was not as “civilized” back then. “I was young,” he told the outlet. “I yelled, and sometimes you had to yell. This was a very young cast, and it was easy for everything to turn into a cocktail party.” He added that he would never intentionally humiliate anyone. “If I am upsetting somebody, it will be a problem for me.”

There’s no word on other original cast members who may be joining the Buffy revival, but David Boreanaz, who played Angel, one of Buffy’s main love interests, on both the original series and its spin-off, wrote beneath Gellar’s post: “Excited for you and your journey. Enjoy the moments and continue to always give back to the fans.”

In her post, Gellar emphasized her commitment to continuing Buffy’s story with the fans in mind. “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,” she wrote. “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…. This will be for you.”