More than two decades after Buffy the Vampire Slayer wrapped its seven-season run, the beloved supernatural saga is poised for a comeback. Sources reveal that Hulu is close to ordering a pilot for a new chapter in the Buffyverse, with Sarah Michelle Gellar in final negotiations to reprise her legendary role as Buffy Summers.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, a self-proclaimed lifelong Buffy fan, is set to direct the pilot, which will be penned by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. The reboot is being developed by 20th Television and Disney’s Searchlight TV, where Zhao holds a first-look deal.
While Hulu has yet to officially greenlight a full series, insiders indicate the project is already setting up a writers’ room— a strong sign of confidence in its future. Whether other original cast members will return remains uncertain but is considered a strong possibility.
Described as the “next chapter in the Buffy universe,” the reboot will be executive produced by Gellar, Zhao, the Zuckerman sisters, and several figures from the original series, including Gail Berman of The Jackal Group and Fran & Kaz Kuzui. Music icon Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar was a producer on the original Buffy, is also on board as an executive producer.
Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy, is absent from the project as has been out of Hollywood’s orbit since facing multiple misconduct allegations in 2021.
If Hulu moves forward with a full series, this would mark the third installment in the franchise following the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and its spinoff Angel (1999-2004). This is not the first attempt at reviving Buffy— in 2018, 20th TV developed a reboot led by Midnight, Texas creator Monica Owusu-Breen, featuring a Black female lead, but it ultimately did not move forward.
According to Deadline report, Dolly Parton hinted at a Buffy return last year, said, “They’re still working on that. They’re thinking about bringing it back and revamping it.” Meanwhile, Gellar, who had long resisted revisiting the role, recently signaled a change in perspective.
“It’s funny, I always used to say no, because it’s in its bubble and it’s so perfect,” she said in a December interview while promoting Original Sin, the Dexter prequel in which she is a guest star. “But watching Sex and the City and seeing Dexter, and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.’”
On whether a Buffy return would need to be a prequel, she remarked, “No, it could be anything. It’s a universe. And it makes you realize that in this world, we need those heroes, I think, more so than ever.”
Gellar, a Golden Globe nominee for Buffy, has built an extensive career with projects such as Wolf Pack, The Crazy Ones opposite Robin Williams, and Ringer.
For Berman, the revival adds to an already packed slate. She is also executive producing the Malcolm in the Middle reboot for Disney+, while 20th TV is concurrently developing a Scrubs revival for ABC. Her company, The Jackal Group, is behind Netflix’s record-breaking hit Wednesday, Fox’s animated comedy Grimsburg, and Netflix’s limited series The Perfect Couple.
The Zuckerman sisters, who recently showran Peacock’s Poker Face, bring their storytelling expertise to Buffy after winning a WGA Award and an Edgar Award for Best Teleplay.
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