It's safe to say that anticipation had been growing for months around the planned sequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, which was first announced on February 3, 2025.
But according to original series star Sarah Michelle Gellar, the project will no longer be moving forward. In a message shared on her personal Instagram account, Gellar revealed that Hulu has opted not to continue with the series, despite earlier reports suggesting it was close to receiving a full series order after a pilot was filmed this past summer.
In her post, Gellar stated, "I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me. Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale."
“I want to thank Chloé Zhao, because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots. And thanks to Chloé, I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means not only to me but to all of you.”
Eternals and Hamnet director Chloé Zhao was the driving force behind the Buffy continuation series at Hulu, as her involvement, fandom, and pitch were what convinced Buffy actress Sarah Michelle Gellar to reprise the role after years of resisting similar offers.
Sisters Nora and Lila Zuckerman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Poker Face) were on board as co-showrunners with Zhao directing the pilot and executive producing the show.
The pilot began filming in August 2025 in Los Angeles with Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) set to play the newest Slayer.
In addition to Gellar and Armstrong, the revival was also going to star Faly Rakotohavana (Unprisoned), Ava Jean, Sarah Bock (Severance), Daniel Di Tomasso (Dynasty, The Republic of Sarah) and Jack Cutmore-Scott (Tenet, Oppenheimer).
Buffy fans, however, are now left with more questions than answers.
Was the pilot so poorly received that Hulu decided to pull the plug? Or did outside factors, unrelated to the series itself, ultimately lead to the project being shelved?
Sources speaking to several Hollywood trade outlets say that although this particular version isn’t moving ahead, Hulu hasn’t lost interest in the franchise. The streamer is reportedly still keen on the Buffy property and is exploring other ways the universe could return.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally premiered in 1997 and wrapped up its television run in 2002, producing 144 episodes over seven seasons. The story didn’t end there, though, its world continued in comic book form through an extended run published by Dark Horse.