Even though Hulu scrapped its Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, some fans may still be curious to see what might have been. Sarah Michelle Gellar hopes they don’t. In an exclusive interview with Page Six Radio, the former Slayer was asked if she wanted the pilot to leak. “I hope it doesn’t. I actually hope it doesn’t,” she said.
While it may be surprising that Gellar doesn’t want fans to see the project she was so passionate about, the actress has her reasons.
What Happened to New Sunnydale
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale was conceived as a continuation of the original universe. Gellar was set to return as Buffy. However, she would mentor a new Slayer, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. A pilot written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman and directed by Chloé Zhao was filmed.
Chloé Zhao at the BFI London Film Festival 2025 – BFI, YouTube
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To Gellar’s surprise, Hulu ultimately decided not to move forward with a full series order. Sources who spoke to Deadline after the project was scrapped described the result as “not perfect.” Variety reported that the pilot was undershot, lacking coverage, and would have required extensive reshoots, adding that actors playing new characters failed to make strong impressions.
Gellar acknowledged that the first episode needed work. “Pilots are not finished. It wasn’t done,” she said. “There are things you learn from it. And there are things you fix,” she explained. “Usually, a pilot doesn’t air in its entirety, ever. So you use that information as a learning tool.”
Fans of the original show may remember that Buffy’s unaired, half-hour pilot is significantly different from the rest of the series. It featured several different actors in key roles—including Willow—and had a campier tone, along with cheaper special effects. “It was a very different show,” Gellar recalled. “But those are learning tools, and that’s what a pilot is.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the opening credits of the Show – YouTube, MagerMunson
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That history makes Gellar’s concerns easier to understand. An early version of Buffy’s test episode eventually made its way to DVD, but the New Sunnydale pilot is unlikely to get an official release. Still, an allegedly leaked script has circulated online.
Why Gellar Doesn’t Want It Seen
According to the pages making the rounds online, Buffy does not appear until near the end of the episode. Some have suggested that the dialogue feels clunky and that Gellar’s character is diminished. Gellar called the script leak “unfortunate” and urged fans not to engage, saying, “if you see scripts, if you see [the pilot] leaked, don’t watch it. Because you’re not getting our visions.”
Ultimately, whatever Gellar and Zhao envisioned for New Sunnydale will never be fully realized. In a separate interview with People, Gellar suggested an executive at Hulu created a barrier to the reboot’s success. She said he “was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg as Buffy and Dawn Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer – YouTube, Buffy & Spike Channel
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A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson responded saying, “Our decision not to move forward with a series order is not a reflection of our respect and admiration for the creative team, including Lilla and Nora.”
A Final Word on the Buffy Reboot
Gellar ended the interview by encouraging fans to stream the original and go see her new movie, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. “That’s what you can do right now,” she said. “That’s all we can do right now.”
Given the track record of recent revivals, the safest way to keep Buffy alive may be to leave it in the past.
Given the chance, would you watch the New Sunnydale pilot? Let us know in the comments!
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“Urges Fans Not to Read Script”
Is this reverse psychology? She wants her fans to read the script. It’s like a button saying, “Do not press me”.
Actually, I think she just doesn’t want people to find out how bad it is.
Chloé Zhao : Looks like we’ve found the worlds first surviving Denisova hominin. 😃
Modern Asians are partly descended from Denisovians, in the same way Whites are partly descended from Neanderthals (There are three main subspecies of humans extant on this planet).
Cheap tactic to drum up some interest in her show.