The Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival suffered a stake through the heart this weekend, with the news that Hulu was not moving forward with the show. Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed on Instagram that Buffy: New Sunnydale had been scrapped, which came as a shock to fans who had been eagerly anticipating the series. Now, the director of the continuation’s pilot, Chloé Zhao, has spoken about that decision.
While the news was unexpected, given how popular reboots and revivals have proved to be, Zhao herself wasn’t shocked. On the Oscars 2026 red carpet [via Variety], where she was attending for her movie, Hamnet (with Jessie Buckley going on to win Best Actress later in the night), the director revealed that she was “not surprised” by the Buffy revival’s cancellation, adding:
“I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah [Michelle Gellar], with all the cast and crew doing this. And we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show. Our priority for Sarah and for us has always been to be truthful to the show, to be truthful to our fans. So, things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open and we welcome the mystery. And what this might lead us to.”
What Happened With The Buffy Revival & What’s Next?
The decision from Hulu to pass on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, as the revival was officially titled, reportedly stems from a lack of faith in the pilot, which was directed by Zhao and written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. Still, given Gellar herself was involved, having rejected the idea of returning to the iconic role for years, it had seemed like a no-brainer that this would go-ahead to series. It likely would’ve been a guaranteed hit, and Zhao is an Oscar-winning director, so while she isn’t surprised, everyone else is.
There are rumors and reports that Buffy Summers herself didn’t feature much in the pilot, only turning up at the very end. Instead, the focus is believed to have been firmly on Ryan Kiera Armstrong’s new vampire Slayer, Nova, and the rest of the new cast. That might’ve made sense from the point-of-view of introducing the show to a new generation, with Gellar’s character likely to then become a mentor to Nova, but it also might have been what spooked Hulu, though that is just speculation.
Still, this is Buffy, so the cancellation doesn’t mean it’ll stay dead. When asked by Variety if she and Gellar would be shopping the project to other distributors, Zhao repeated: “Welcome the mystery.” That might be a little complicated, given the rights are with 20th Television. As per Deadline, Hulu “remains high on the Buffy IP,” and there are “plans to regroup and mull a possible new incarnation of the beloved franchise.”
What’s not clear is whether Gellar would be involved in those plans. After finally finding an idea that made her want to return, only to have it cancelled, it’s easy to imagine she won’t return. It could even be that Hulu decides it’d rather have a clean reboot, rather than one that straddles the line between old and new if it can’t have her back to star. But it should also be clear that any new Buffy series must involve Gellar in some capacity. She is the show, in a way, and while it could’ve found a way to move on from her, that still requires her participation. Hopefully, like Buffy herself coming back to life, there can be a way to bring this back.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on Hulu.
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