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This revival will reportedly tell “the next chapter in the Buffyverse,” picking up where the original series left off. However, creator Joss Whedon has no involvement in the project. Executive producers include Gellar, Zhao, the Zuckerman sisters, and original series EPs Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui, and Dolly Parton.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has had a long circuitous road to this point — Whedon originally wrote it as a feature film, but he was dissatisfied with the movie version made in 1992. He re-worked the idea into a drama that aired on from 1997 to 2003, amassing a die-hard fandom in the process. Before the original series even ended, it was expanded in the spinoff series Angel, which aired until 2004. There are also numerous novels and comic books in the Buffyverse, and fans are excited to see it return to the screen.
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In spite of all this excitement, Gellar herself has generally been against a reboot or revival of Buffy. She finally responded positively to the idea for the first time in December, crediting her change of heart to the Dexter prequel Original Sin. Gellar is a special guest star in the new series, and during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, she said it helped change her perspective on reboots.
“It’s funny, I always used to say no, because [Buffy is] in its bubble and it’s so perfect, but watching Sex and the City and seeing Dexter, and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe,’” Gellar said. Asked if she thought Buffy should get a prequel, she continued, “No, it could be anything. It’s a universe. And it makes you realize that in this world, we need those heroes, I think, more so than ever.”
There’s no telling when we might learn more about this pilot order or how far it might go, but Buffy fans definitely have hope. For now, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming now on Hulu and Tubi. Angel is streaming on Hulu as well.
