The long-awaited Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival is taking shape and director Chloé Zhao has confirmed that the pilot has wrapped filming and that the new series will jump forward 25 years.
“I just wrapped the pilot on the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, which is set 25 years later,” Zhao revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “The fandom is so special to me, and I’m excited about how that’s going to go into the world.”
If the series premieres on Hulu in 2026 as expected, it will mark 23 years since the original show ended in 2003. That timeline perfectly aligns with the revival’s contemporary setting.
The time jump also sets the stage for the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar, who will reprise her iconic role as Buffy Summers in some capacity.
While the plot is still under wraps, the new series will introduce a fresh slayer named Nova, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Skeleton Crew). The ensemble also includes Faly Rakotohavana as geeky Hugo, Ava Jean as well-meaning Larkin, Sarah Bock as devout Gracie, Daniel Di Tomasso as Nova’s single father Abe, and Jack Cutmore-Scott as Sunnydale teacher Mr. Burke.
Chase Sui Wonders (I Know What You Did Last Summer) has also joined as Shirley, a character “believed to be a vampire.” That setup hints at the possibility of another Slayer-vampire dynamic reminiscent of Buffy and Spike, where the line between enemy and ally gets dangerously blurred.
The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer debuted in 1997 and ran for seven seasons, following Buffy Summers as she balanced teenage life with her destiny as a chosen slayer. Alongside friends Xander and Willow, and under the guidance of watcher Rupert Giles, she faced the forces of darkness in Sunnydale. Judging from the new cast lineup, the revival appears to be drawing some direct parallels with that original crew.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival doesn’t have an official release date yet, but with filming on the pilot complete, it’s only a matter of time before fans return to the Hellmouth.
