Filming for theBuffy the Vampirerelaunch has begun, and fans have gotten their first look at Sarah Michelle Gellar back in action as Buffy Summers thanks to some set photos. Many fans were shocked and delighted when the news broke in February 2025 that after years of false starts and stops, the long-running hit series would be returning with starSarah Michelle Gellarreprising the title role in a pilot for Hulu. Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao is directing the pilot, with Nora and Lilla Zuckerman serving as the series showrunners andSkeleton Crewstar Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new lead character.
Filming for theBuffy the Vampire Slayerpilot is underway, and the first photos of Sarah Michelle Gellar have been released via the X account@buffys, which you can see below. Gellar’s Buffy Summers is seen wearing a bright red dress, one that evokes the signature red top Gellar wore in theBuffy the Vampire Slayermusical episode “Once More with Feeling.” With no context to the images, it is unclear which scene Gellar is filming, though the formal dress suggests much has changed for the slayer since the events of the original series.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Return
Little is known about theBuffy the Vampire Slayerrevival, except that it will focus on Buffy Summers training a new slayer,played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. The series is a continuation rather than a reboot, with Gellar saying if the pilot is picked up by Hulu, the door is open for many of her former co-stars to return. In addition to Gellar and Armstrong, the cast includes Ava Jean, Faly Rakotohavana (Secret Society of Second Born Royals), Sarah Bock (Severance), Daniel di Tomasso (Witches of East End), and Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier).
One key creative from the original series that won’t be involved is creator Joss Whedon. Whedon’s reputation has gone through the wringer following multiple allegations of abuse on the sets ofBuffy the Vampire SlayerandAngel, as well ashis behavior on the reshoots ofJustice League. Whedon and Gellar famously clashed, and it was his involvement with the franchise that reportedly kept her from returning before. With Whedon not involved in the revamp, it not only opened the door for Gellar to return for the legacy sequel as a star, but also for her to be creatively involved in the series, serving as an executive producer.
Even though Hulu has only orderedBuffy the Vampire Slayeras a pilot for now, it’ll be somewhat surprising if it isn’t picked up for a series.Buffy the Vampire Slayeris a valuable IP whose return would certainly generate plenty of headlines and viewers.Hulu has already found great sucessus withKing of the Hill,another continuation of a 1990s/early 2000s property, soBuffy the Vampire Slayerwould be a perfect fit for the streaming platform.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
