Sarah Michelle Gellar Blames an Unnamed Hulu Executive For Killing the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Reboot
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans got some devastating news yesterday when it was reported that Hulu has canceled plans for a reboot of the series.
Initially announced last year, Buffy: New Sunnydale promised to tell the next chapter in Buffy’s story and would have seen Sarah Michelle Gellar reprise her iconic role as the titular hero.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
Joining her was Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Skeleton Crew) as a new slayer.
Why Was ‘Buffy’ Canceled?
While Hulu has yet to officially comment on the demise of Buffy: New Sunnydale, a report from Deadline indicated that the streamer pulled the plug on the series after determining the pilot was not working.
Source: cheatsheet.com
There was also speculation that director Chloe Zhao was not the right fit for the project.
Gellar Breaks Her Silence
As fan speculation about what went wrong for Buffy: New Sunnydale continued to spread, Gellar broke her silence and pointed to an interesting factor behind the cancellation.
Photo: People
Before getting into the details, Gellar took issue with the timing of the decision.
“No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight. I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come),” Gellar said.
Photo: ABC News
“And it’s also the weekend of Chloé [Zhao] 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.”
Who Killed ‘Buffy’?
Continuing on, Gellar then laid the demise of Buffy at the feet of an unnamed Hulu executive.
Hulu
“We had an executive on our show who 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,” she said.
“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. 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.”
Photo: Fox News
While Gellar did not name the Hulu executive who seemingly killed Buffy: New Sunnydale, Deadline reports that it was Greg Erwich, who oversees Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment.
Parting Words
While Gellar admitted to being disappointed by the Buffy news, she ended her comments with a moment of optimism.
Photo: Amazon Prime
“That hurts. Saddened at how it was handled and when it was handled,” she said. “But ‘Buffy’ is timeless. And the one thing I do want all these fans to know is that legacy is still there and this doesn’t diminish it. It doesn’t change it. That legacy is still there — for them.”
Photo: MickeyBlog
