By: Joe Cardoso
Reboots come and go, with most being a waste of time and just plain bad. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a TV classic that was on the now-debunked WB Network/UPN from 1997 to 2003, and it starred Sarah Michelle Gellar along with a solid cast. For almost all 90s and early 2000s kids, the show was a must-watch. Being an old head, I can remember having to record episodes on VHS and exchange tapes with my boy Joe Milstead every week. The show touched on issues like fitting in at school, gaining self confidence, and also showed us something we didn’t see a lot at the time, a strong woman kicking ass.
All of this while fighting off demons, school tests, and big bads season after season. Spinoff shows came down the line with David Boreanaz’s character Angel getting a show, along with Charisma Carpenter, and shocker, the spinoff was GOOD. This series introduced us to a young actress gone way too soon in Michelle Trachtenberg. So when I heard a reboot was in the works, I had a ton of questions. Of course, until the first episode drops, we won’t know if this will stick, but what do we know so far?
She has starred in movies and other shows, but this show has been the defining moment for Gellar’s career so far without question.
The pilot episode should drop sometime in 2026 and will be streamed on Hulu. A reason to have high hopes for the series is that Sarah Michelle Gellar will be directly involved with the show as she is one of the producers. Oscar winner Chloé Zhao is directing the pilot, written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. After years of saying no to any reboot, for her to say yes to this idea should be a good sign to BTVS fans, new and old. Will any of the old cast be involved? Nothing has been said yet. The cast will come into shape, but the new slayer has already been named as Ryan Kiera Armstrong of Firestarter got the role. Armstrong is excited for the iconic role as seen in SMG’s recent post where she let the actress know she landed the role.
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One thing is for sure Gellar won’t let this be some rush job her recent comments in an interview with People say as much.
“We’ve set up our offices, which means things are progressing probably faster than I’d anticipated,” she said. “But it’s going to be a process, I think.”
“To do it the way it needs to be done, everyone has to be patient with all of us, because this isn’t something that [will just happen],” she added.
With support from past cast members and a fan base starving for a comeback, we have to wait and see if this is the type of show fans want. And can a new generation of fans jump on the Sunnydale train. I, for one, am interested to see the final product because.
“In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer.”
