Key Takeaways
- New Series: A sequel titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale is in production.
- Returning Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role, alongside new characters.
- Director’s Vision: Chloé Zhao emphasizes the importance of both original and new fans.
- Standalone Story: Viewers can enjoy the sequel without prior knowledge of the original series.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is coming back with Sarah Michelle Gellar set to reprise her iconic role in a new sequel series. The pilot wrapped this summer under the direction of Chloé Zhao (Eternals), who recently told Variety that we can expect to see a few other OG characters make appearances.
“It is not a reboot. It’s a sequel. You can never replace these characters. I would never allow that,” Zhao said. “And Sarah’s back. I love my cast, the new cast. We will bring back OG characters for sure. And it is a show that bridges two generations — it’s not just about the kids. I think the fandom is so important to us. We want the fandom to see themselves mirrored in the original fandom. And of course, we want new fans to join, and it’s very much about both generations.“
Zhao added that she was a massive fan of the original show. “I watched religiously. I was at Mount Holyoke. We would all gather — I think it was every Thursday or Tuesday — and we would watch, because you only get one episode and you’re waiting a week. It’s such a ritual,” she said. “I remember the last episode finishing, and we sat there; everyone was crying, and we were all holding hands. I remember looking at the screen, tears streaming down my eyes, and I said, ‘Good luck to you, Buffy Summers, good luck to you.’ Seeing Sarah in real life was probably one of the most stressful moments of my life.“
The sequel series, titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Firestarter) as the new young slayer, and the rest of the cast includes Faly Rakotohavana (Unprisoned), Ava Jean (Law & Order: SVU), Sarah Bock (Severance), Daniel Di Tomasso (CSI: Vegas), Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier), and Kingston Vernes (The Survivor).
Although the new show is a sequel to the original, it will chart its own path, and Gellar recently said that you won’t necessarily need to watch the original beforehand. “This is a show that will cater definitely to the [original fans],” she said. “There will always be Easter eggs because there was Easter eggs in the original…but we also want to introduce it to people that maybe haven’t seen the show.“
Which OG Buffy characters would you like to see appear in the sequel series?
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