Buzz had been building for quite some time about the sequel series for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, first announced back on February 3, 2025.
However, original series star Sarah Michelle Gellar has revealed on her personal Instagram that Hulu has decided not to move forward with the continuation, despite previous reports that the project was nearing a series order, following filming of a pilot 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).
However, Buffy fans are now left with a ton of questions and very few answers. Was the pilot so bad that Hulu decided not to move forward with the show? Or were there external reasons, unrelated to the project, that resulted in its cancellation?
Insiders tell multiple Hollywood trades that, while the current project isn’t moving forward, Hulu remains interested in the Buffy IP and is actively weighing its options.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired in 1997 and concluded in 2002 after 144 episodes across 7 seasons. The show then continued on in comic book form, thanks to a run of comics from Dark Horse.