Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot featuring Sarah Michele Gellar reportedly nearing reality
Sarah Michelle Gellar might be appearing in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. (Marleen Moise/WireImage)
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is reportedly nearing reality, and fans of the series might be getting more Sarah Michele Gellar goodness.
The original series starred Drag Race guest judge Gellar in the lead role and aired for seven seasons between 1997 and 2003. The supernatural coming-of-age drama blended multiple genres: horror, comedy, romance, melodrama and even musicals, and became a pop culture juggernaut – thanks in part to its queer-coded moments – launching spin-offs in books, TV, podcasts and games in its wake.
After a lot of talk about a follow-up from the series producer Dolly Parton and former lead actress Gellar herself, it seems that fans might finally have the answer that they’ve been hoping for.
According to a report from Variety, the much-loved teen drama is getting ever closer to receiving a pilot order from Hulu.
The outlet reported that Gellar would be executive producing alongside Parton, while Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman are set to write, show run, and executive produce the series.
However, Joss Whedon, who was behind the original series’ seven-season run, is not a part of the upcoming reboot’s creative team. The outlet reported in 2021 that Whedon was accused of fostering a toxic work environment on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel.
Charisma Carpenter, who played the self-absorbed, whip-smart teen Cordelia Chase on Buffy and Angel, accused Whedon of “repeated” abuse against her. Among the allegations, Whedon “abused his power” and created “hostile” and “toxic” workplace environments before “unceremoniously firing” Carpenter after she gave birth.
The allegations came after Justice League star Jay Fisher described his conduct as “gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable” and Gal Gadot said he “threatened” her on set.
However, in 2022, Whedon vehemently denied the accusations in a New York Magazine article. He said he never “threatened” anyone.
“I yelled, and sometimes you had to yell,” he said of Carpenter. “This was a very young cast and it was easy for everything to turn into a cocktail party.” He added that he believed he was “one of the nicer showrunners that’s ever been”.
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