It’s been a little while since we had any official news on Hulu’s planned revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But now the star of the original series, Sarah Michelle Gellar, has given a new update whilst appearing on an episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast with host Evan Ross Katz.
Before talking about where the new series is currently at in its development process Gellar went back to what drew her to returning to the world of Buffy after so many years:
“I never saw how and why it could be as good. I’m not trying to be better. I just want to hold and honour the memory and what we created… But Chloé Zhao came to me and she knew how to go in to the world. She knew what the world was and she knew the why.”
As for development on the series which shot a pilot presentation last year, Gellar was open about work continuing on finding the identity of the show and why that has mean no official news on when it might come to our screens:
We’re still working on the why and how [of what the series is]. I know this seems like it’s taking a long time and it’s because unless we are sure that it is exactly what we set out to do and that it makes sense to do it, we don’t want to sully the legacy by not. When I know it’s perfect, then it will be out there, but I won’t do it unless I know it can be that.”
On where the new series, which is referred to in the interview as Buffy: New Sunndydale, sits and it’s status as return to the world Gellar says:
“It’s not a reboot, it’s not a sequel. It’s a continuation. Where is she now in this world and what is this world that Buffy lives in with her and without her. So it’s not a reboot, it’s not picking up with all of the same characters right away.”
In the current streaming landscape where Buffy: New Sunnydale finds itself seasons are no longer 22 episodes like they were in the 90’s. Interestingly Gellar is still an advocate for finding a happy medium between longer seasons and the current industry move towards 6-8 episode seasons.
“I don’t feel that six is enough. Studios will tell you that 6-8 is the sweet spot but I don’t know where their algorithms come from. I’m of a different generation… I still put my phone down when I watch something and I’m intently watching.”
Watch the full episode of Shut Up Evan with Sarah in the player below. The full conversation touches on Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and – of course – Scooby Doo. But there’s plenty of deep cut Buffy trivia for fans to enjoy.
Buffy: New Sunnydale is set to star Gellar who returns as OG series slayer Buffy Summers and Ryan Kiera Armstrong who stars as the new slayer Nova, an introverted high-school student who discovers she is a Slayer. Also starring are series regulars Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott as well as guest star/recurring Kingston Vernes.
