Sarah Michelle Gellar is reportedly deep into negotiations to reprise her role as a stake-wielding killer of the undead in a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” pilot series coming to Hulu.
The 47-year-old Upper East Side native would again play the Buffy Summers character she brought to life from 1997 to 2003 in her WB, then UPN series, according to Variety. But rather than portraying a high school student tasked with saving the world from evil, Gellar will reportedly have a recurring role in support of a new vampire slayer.
It’s not clear who that young slayer will be. Gellar said in 2022 that Zendaya, now 28, had her vote. A year earlier, Gellar told interviewer and actor Mario Lopez that as a middle-aged adult, she was no longer the right candidate for that role.
The new show would be produced by Gellar and previous “Buffy” producers Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui, as well as singer Dolly Parton, according to Variety. Hulu hasn’t confirmed that report.
Parton told Business Insider in January 2024 that a “Buffy” reboot was in the works.
Despite being a creative force behind the original “Buffy” series, Joss Whedon doesn’t appear to be involved in the reported revamp. Several female performers who worked with Whedon, including Gellar, have distanced themselves from the famed showrunner since he was accused of contributing to a toxic work environment.
Whedon admitted to New York Magazine he was sometimes not well-mannered in his younger days and yelled on set because “sometimes you had to yell” when “Buffy” shoots turned into a party environment.
Whedon wrote the 1992 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” film that birthed the series. That movie starred Kristy Swanson in the title role and featured Donald Sutherland, Luke Perry, Paul Reubens and Hilary Swank.