On Saturday, March 14, “All My Children” alum Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall Hart) took to social media to announce the cancellation of the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reboot that was set up at Hulu and produced by Searchlight Television.
“So, 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,’” shared Gellar in an Instagram reel. “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. And this doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.”
In an interview with PEOPLE, published on Monday, Gellar elaborated further on the show’s cancellation, giving a detailed breakdown of events while also alleging that an executive involved in the project was “was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him.”
“That’s very hard when you’re taking a property that is as beloved as Buffy, not just to the world, but to me and Chloé,” continued Gellar. “So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn’t watch it,” says Gellar.
According to the actress, who won an Emmy Award in 1995 for her role on “All My Children,” she first learned of the show’s demise on Friday, March 13, while attending the SXSW Film & TV Festival premiere of her first major film project in nearly 20 years, “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.”
“I was just about to take the stage in front of all the fans,” recalled Gellar, who spoke to the outlet via telephone. “Hulu had decided not to move forward with the ‘Buffy’ revival. Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming.”
In August 2025, filming began on a pilot for the reboot, which would have starred Gellar reprising her role from the original series that ran for seven seasons across The WB (Season 1-5) and UPN (Season 6-7) and followed Buffy Summers (Gellar), a high school student who discovers she’s the latest in a long line of “Vampire Slayers,” who are chosen by fate to save the world from vampires, demons and other dark forces.
“I’ve been asked since the day I left to return to Sunnydale,” stated Gellar, who last played the character in 2003. “And it never occurred to me that it was something I was going to do. Then four years ago, Chloé, the witch that she is — and I say that as a good thing — comes into my life. In one meeting, she makes me say ‘yes’ to something I never saw on my radar. That was because of the deep love and commitment and passion she had for this character. It was like I was stepping back in time.”
“No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight [Pictures],” said Gellar, referring to the studio that produced her new film “Ready or Not 2,” and was the lead producer for the intended “Buffy” reboot. “I got the call as we were stepping onto the stage for the premiere of their own movie. And it’s also the weekend of Chloé going to the Oscars as a best director nominee for ‘Hamnet.’ For them to call us on the Friday of what should have been Chloé’s victory lap for an incredible film, and my world premiere of something that I worked very hard for is… That says something.”
Had Hulu given it a series order, “Buffy: New Sunnydale” would have starred Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new slayer, with Gellar appearing as Buffy from the original in a recurring capacity. Additional cast from the pilot included Faly Rakotohavana as Hugo, Ava Jean as Larkin, Sarah Bock as Gracie, Daniel di Tomasso as Abe and Jack Cutmore-Scott as Mr. Burke.
At press time, Gellar’s initial Instagram reel has amassed more than 8.5 million views, nearly 400,000 likes and 50,000 comments, including from some very prominent soap stars, such as former “General Hospital” actor Adam Huss (ex-Nikolas Cassadine), who said, “@netflix let’s go! Do the right thing. This is such BS. I read that script and I loved it!!”
Annika Noelle, who plays Hope Logan on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” used a GIF of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence that went viral after her appearance on the “Hot Wings” podcast, in which she was quoted as saying, “What do you mean?”
Quantrell Colbert/CBS
“Nooooo. Damn,” stated “Beyond the Gates” star Mike Manning (Bradley “Smitty” Smith). “I was REALLY looking forward to this @chloezhao @sarahmgellar. @hulu ??”
“I wish there was a magic wand Dolly could wave. But don’t blame Dolly for this one!” Gellar noted in her PEOPLE interview, referring to the legendary Dolly Parton, who was an uncredited producer on the original series through her company, Sandollar Entertainment. “But the fans, they were the only reason we were doing this show in the first place. We were doing it because everybody loves it. So how do you do a show that’s beloved with someone that doesn’t love it?”
Fans hoping for another network or streamer to step in and revive the series elsewhere will have to accept that “Disney owns the IP,” according to a source close to the project, cited by PEOPLE. “As it stands today, it can’t go elsewhere. But that doesn’t mean the team behind the reboot, including Sarah and Chloé, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman [the screenwriters, showrunners and executive producers], can’t take their talent and ideas elsewhere.”
Watch Gellar’s Instagram reel below. You can also click here to read her full PEOPLE interview.