Hulu pulled the plug on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot just a year after ordering a pilot, and director Chloé Zhao had a pretty straightforward take on it when asked at the Oscars. Here is everything that happened.
Chloe Zhao says she was not surprised
Chloé Zhao was asked about the cancellation on the Oscars red carpet and kept her response short, saying the decision did not catch her off guard. She did note that working with Sarah Michelle Gellar and the rest of the cast and crew was an experience she valued.
The project had been moving along since the pilot was ordered back in early 2025 under the working title of Buffy: New Sunnydale. However, according to sources familiar with the situation, the pilot had some issues, with some concerned that Zhao’s approach to filmmaking didn’t quite align with the material. Discussions about the project took place in the weeks leading up to the decision, but it was ultimately cancelled.
“I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah [Michelle Gellar], with all the cast and crew doing this. And we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show,” Zhao said. “Our priority for Sarah and for us has always been to be truthful to the show, to be truthful to our fans. So, things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open and we welcome the mystery. And what this might lead us to.”
Gellar, however, did not see it coming. She has been showing public support for the project, as evidenced by her attending the SXSW premiere of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come just hours before getting the news on Friday night.
“Thanks to Chloé, I was reminded how much I love [Buffy] and how much she means not only to me but to all of you,” Gellar said in a video posted to Instagram. “And this doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.”
The pilot episode featured Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new slayer, while Gellar reprised her iconic role as Buffy Summers. Other cast members of the show include Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel di Tomasso, and Jack Cutmore-Scott. The show was produced by 20th Television and Searchlight Television. The original creator of the series, Joss Whedon, was not involved in the show’s production. He left the industry in 2021 after facing misconduct allegations.
Hulu is still believed to have an interest in the project and is exploring other ways to revive it, so the door has not been entirely closed.
The original show ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2003, and it remains one of the most referenced genre shows of that time. Zhao has an Oscar appearance with Hamnet, which has secured multiple nominations this season.
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