Officially, a spinoff series for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel is being developed. Hulu, one of the top streaming platforms, has ordered a pilot for one of the greatest TV shows ever, and after years of speculation, the show is finally on the verge of a reboot.
When it was revealed in February that Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be returning after 20 years, there was initial talk of a reboot series. During the announcement, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face) were revealed as the show’s writers, while Oscar winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) was appointed the show’s director.
The next major concern was whether Buffy Summers’s character, Sarah Michelle Gellar, the slayer herself, would be making a comeback. In summary, Gellar will indeed be returning to Sunnydale and becoming an executive producer, but what about the original production team of the show?
Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed the original ’90s show, was charged in 2021 with fostering a toxic work environment on the production of both the show and its offshoot series, Angel. Consequently, it has been confirmed that Whedon will not be coming back to work on the Buffyverse’s next chapter. That being said, Dolly Parton (yes, the Dolly Parton), Fran Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui, and Gail Berman, the original producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will all be returning.
Although the spinoff’s development is still in its early stages, we’ve been keeping up with all the latest information on the program. Here is all the information we currently know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s upcoming chapter.
Full spoilers follow for Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons 1-7.
Release dates speculation
An exact release date has not yet been decided, despite the fact that the pilot is presently in the early phases of production and a new lead slayer has been cast. IMDb states that it will be released the following year, but as no formal announcement has been made, 2027 is not ruled out.
Predicted cast
Sarah Michelle Gellar will be returning to her role as Buffy Summers in addition to taking on the job of executive producer. Buffy won’t be the main character in the remake this time, though. Instead, the spotlight will be on a brand-new slayer, who has been located, and Buffy will be a recurring character.
It was announced back in May that the second series would feature young actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong in the starring role. ‘Welcome to the new Sunnydale’—a probable reference to the show’s title—was the first thing Gellar said to Armstrong after making the announcement in an Instagram post.
Armstrong began her career in productions from some of the top streaming sites, such as the Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Netflix’s Anne with an E, before landing the part of this generation’s next slayer.
The only names currently associated with the confirmed cast of the spinoff are Armstrong and Gellar. However, while we wait for more identities to come to light, Gellar has told Vanity Fair Italia that she wants to bring back characters from Buffy’s history. “I want to bring back everyone who has passed away, but there will also need to be room for new stories.”
There are other people from Buffy’s history who may be brought back to life if Gellar’s fantasy comes true, but there will undoubtedly be fan favorites. Joyce Summers, who passed away in season five, is one of the front-runners.
Other names that might come up include Tara, who was shot in front of her lover Willow in season six, Jenny Calendar, who died heartbreakingly at the hands of Angel in season two, and even Anya, who passed away in the closing moments of the season finale. Even while this seems fantastic, it hasn’t been verified.
Plot rumors
Like its premiere date, we don’t know exactly where the show’s plot will go, but according to Deadline, the relaunch has been dubbed “the next chapter in the Buffyverse.” The relaunch “will be lighter than the last few seasons of the original,” Sarah Michelle Gellar also disclosed to Vanity Fair, adding, “We will try to find a balance between new and old characters.”
However, it doesn’t give away much about the plot direction of the reboot. Having said that, TV Line revealed information on a potential plot outline, which for the time being we’re taking lightly.
The publication claims that rather than adopting Buffy’s fierce, combative persona, the new slayer will more closely resemble Willow, her shy but smart sidekick with a talent for witchcraft. Additionally, TV Line suggested that the new slayer might be called Nova, though it acknowledges that this could just be a stand-in name until further information is disclosed.
The new slayer’s group of pals is another source of conjecture. According to TV Line, they would resemble the original series’ “Scooby gang,” which included Buffy, Xander, Willow, Buffy’s watcher Giles, and other recurrent characters based on the season. According to TV Line, the new “Scoobies” will be “Gracie, a young vampire expert who is an acolyte of Gellar’s Buffy, and Hugo, an out-and-proud nerd who comes from money.”
On the other hand, the plot might go in a different path. Even while it’s generally accepted that there can only be one slayer at a time, the Hulu relaunch might go against the grain and consider the possibility of several slayers, as demonstrated in the season seven finale. However, this is only a personal theory.
Where to watch
Do you want to learn everything there is to know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer before its spinoff series premieres? Although only one season is available for streaming on Disney+ in Australia, there are other venues where you can watch all seven seasons, such as Hulu (US), Disney+, and Paramount+ (UK and AU).
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