Sarah Michelle Gellar Urges Fans Not To Read Leaked Script After Reboot’s Cancellation

Sarah Michelle Gellar has encouraged Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans to stay well away from any leaks that come out of the cancelled reboot.

Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao had been behind the planned revival of the cult show, which originally ran for seven series between 1997 and 2001.

However, Sarah Michelle bluntly revealed earlier this week that the project had been staked by the streaming platform Hulu, and would no longer be hitting our screens.

Appearing on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, the Cruel Intentions star – who played the original TV show’s lead – urged fans not to watch the pilot should it ever leak, with the same being said for a version of the script that’s doing the rounds.

“I actually hope it doesn’t [leak] because then everyone’s going to have an opinion on this and that, and pilots are not finished,” she explained. “It wasn’t done. It’s not like we did a season, and finished it, and then they shelved it. It’s not like when they made Batgirl the movie and then didn’t show it – that movie was finished.”

Sarah Michelle explained that pilots usually serve as more of a “learning tool” for TV shows, with the episodes rarely airing in their entirety, adding that “there’s things you learn from it, and there’s things you fix”.

“The original Buffy pilot was nothing to do with the show on the first time,” she pointed out. “It was a different Willow. I mean it’s a very different show, but those are learning tools and that’s what a pilot is.”

In the pilot episode of the Buffy reboot, a new character and vampire slayer was to be introduced, played by newcomer Ryan Kiera Armstrong, while Sarah Michelle’s Buffy was also to return.

The Emmy winner was equally keen for fans to avoid a version of the script that was doing the rounds, explaining: “It’s not actually correct.”

She added: “That stuff is really unfortunate and I ask fans if you see scripts, if you see it leaked, don’t watch it because you’re not getting our visions and all of that.”

Earlier this week, the Buffy OG gave her take on why the reboot wasn’t picked up, blaming one executive who made it crystal clear he wasn’t a fan of the show and hadn’t seen the entire original series.

In a candid Instagram post she also showed love to new “superstar” slayer Ryan, as well as director Chloé, thanking the filmmaker for reminding her “how much I love [Buffy] and how much she means not only to me, but to all of you”.

Sarah Michelle encouraged fans to show their support not by reading leaked scripts and pilots, but by watching the original show – which you can currently do on both ITVX and Disney+ in the UK.