New Details Emerge About The Ill-Fated ‘Buffy’ Reboot

Fans of “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” are still in an uproar about Hulu’s decision not to move forward with the revival series, “Buffy: New Sunnydale.” This came after Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao helmed the pilot withSarah Michelle Gellar returning as the beloved character.

Now, following comments from both Geller and Zhao, a new report suggests that Hulu didn’t pick up the series for one big reason: they felt it was made for the wrong audience.

A New Report Says The ‘Buffy’ Reboot Had Problems

Hulu ordered a pilot episode for “Buffy: New Sunnydale” in February 2025. After that, Gellar, Zhao, and the rest of the cast and crew began production during the summer, with work on the test episode ending in September, per Yahoo Entertainment.

Now, regarding Hulu not ordering the “Buffy” reboot as a series, Deadline reports that one issue with the pilot was that executives thought the episode “played too young.” Notably, the actress cast alongside Gellar was Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was 15 at the time she was selected.

Additionally, Hulu’s higher-ups also reportedly felt the “Buffy” reboot was too “small.” This is despite the fact that, according to Deadline, the original idea for the reboot was to keep its scope similar to that of the original series, which was produced on a relatively small budget.

There Was A Rewrite For The Script

The script for the “Buffy: New Sunnydale” pilot was written by sibling duo Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. After hearing criticism about the episode, they reportedly conducted a rewrite to address the issues.

Per Deadline, the new script came in at about 90 minutes and was more adult in tone. Additionally, there was more Gellar in the episode, which was reportedly another issue Hulu had with it. The updated pilot is also said to have been described as more of a streaming series than a network show like the original “Buffy.”

Sources also told the outlet that both studios involved with the Hulu reboot, 20th TV and Searchlight TV, were satisfied. From there, internal talks about the show being picked up are said to have begun. The outlet went on to say that executives from both studios spoke daily the week leading up to the call to cancel the revival.

As reported by The Blast, Gellar gave an exclusive to PEOPLE, stating that one executive killed the reboot. The new report states that Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich ultimately decided not to order the series, with his reasoning unclear.

Fans Are Reacting To The New Information

“Buffy” fans were passionate about the revival series, and many want solid answers as to why the show didn’t move forward. One person said on X, “They rewrote the whole thing, and Hulu still said no. Craig Erwich really killed Buffy twice.”

Another disheartened fan said, “So they rewrote the entire show to fix every concern Hulu raised and still got cancelled anyway. Craig Erwich made up his mind before the rewrites even happened, and everyone in that room knew it. Sarah Michelle Gellar was fighting a decision that was already made, and nobody told her.”

Someone else suggested, “Sounds like they couldn’t figure out what the show wanted to be… focus on new characters or give fans the Buffy they actually want. No surprise it didn’t land.”

Lastly, another X user wrote, “I feel her frustration, but we really don’t need a Buffy revival in 2026. It’s old and done. We need new things to be excited about.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar Opened Up About Signing On For ‘Buffy’

Gellar has accomplished quite a bit in her career as an actress, with several roles that have resonated with audiences. However, the role of Buffy Summers is one of the most defining in her resume. Because of this, she was initially hesitant about doing a reboot. In fact, she’d firmly said she wouldn’t.

According to The Daily Mail, she opened up on Instagram in early 2025 about what changed her mind. Gellar said at the time, “So… you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven’t heard from me.”

The actress continued, “Three years ago, I got a call from my dear friend and mentor, Gail Berman. She told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential ‘Buffy’ revival. 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.”

After that, she discussed the process of finding writers for the show before saying, “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.”

The Show’s Anniversary Recently Passed

“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” premiered on The WB on March 10, 1997. In addition to Gellar, the show starred Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, Nicholas Brendon, and James Marsters. The series concluded in May 2003, but on UPN as The WB had gone defunct.

Nowadays, fans can stream the show on Hulu and Disney+ and purchase it from various platforms.