On March 14, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar announced via social media that the revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy: New Sunnydale) was cancelled by Hulu. Gellar portrayed the titular character in the original series that ran from 1997 to 2003.
The news comes after months of excitement surrounding the project, which was intended to transform Buffy into a “New Sunnydale” for today’s generation of fans. The pilot episode had already been filmed, with Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao signed to direct and executive produce.
Gellar was initially hesitant to take on the role of Buffy again, but when the project with Zhao surfaced, she felt like her passion for Buffy was reignited.
Pop culture accounts such as @PopBase helped spread the news of Gellar’s announcement as they posted images of Gellar from long ago, along with the announcement, which caused fans to share their disappointment over this decision all across social media. Several sources close to the production told media sources that both Gellar and Zhao were “blindsided” by Hulu’s decision to cancel the show.
Despite this disappointment, Gellar thanked Zhao and all of Buffy’s fans for constantly working to keep Buffy alive for the last several decades. In her video, she created for fans after hearing the unfortunate news regarding the cancellation. “I’ve been reminded how much I love Buffy and how much you all love her too,” she stated.
There is no telling whether a revival of Buffy will ever happen, but Gellar’s message to her fans has left many of them with hope that someday the Slayer will one day rise again elsewhere. For now, though, Sunnydale will remain dark!