Sarah Michelle Gellar fought the undead for seven seasons on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But when Hulu drove a stake through Buffy: New Sunnydale — the long-awaited revival that paired Gellar with Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao — the actress couldn’t fight back.
Gellar broke the news to fans in March 2026, calling out executives she says never believed in the project. Keep scrolling for everything to know about the reboot’s cancellation:
A Phone Call Revealed ‘Buffy’ Reboot Was Not Moving Forward
In March 2026, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, who oversees Hulu Originals, called to inform the team behind Buffy: New Sunnydale that the project was not moving forward.
According to Deadline, the two studios behind the reboot — 20th Television and Searchlight Television — had been in constant contact with the project’s producers and creative team. A pickup for the pilot starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Kiera Armstrong seemed imminent after its writers, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, had done a rewrite.
Gellar broke the news days later via her Instagram account, wanting fans to hear it directly from her.
“So I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me – unfortunately Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale,” she said. “I want to thank [director] Chloe Zhao because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots and thanks to Chloe I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means not only to me but to all of you.”
She continued, “And this doesn’t change any of that. And I promise if the apocalypse actually comes you can still beep me.”
What Happened Next in the ‘Buffy’ Cancellation Saga
Sarah Michelle Gellar explained how she got the news during an interview with People published on March 16, 2026.
“I was just about to take the stage in front of all the fans,” Gellar recalled about the SXSW premiere of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. “Hulu had decided not to move forward with the Buffy revival. Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming.”
Gellar singled out an unnamed executive whom she blamed for standing in the way of the reboot from the start. (Deadline alleged she was referring to Craig Erwich.)
“We had an executive on our show who 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,” Gellar claimed during her People interview. “So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn’t watch it.”
Ryan Kiera Armstrong’s Response to ‘Buffy’ Reboot Cancellation
Ryan Kiera Armstrong also spoke out, posting an emotional Instagram Story on March 14, 2026.
“I’m sure many of you have already heard the news by now,” Armstrong said, getting emotional. “I wanted to come on here and say thank you for all of the support that you guys have given me and this show throughout the last couple months. It’s been really special.”
Filming the Pilot of the ‘Buffy’ Reboot
Sarah Michelle Gellar finished filming the reboot’s first episode in August 2025. Gellar exclusively told Us Weekly that month that it was “incredibly emotionally overwhelming” to be working on a new Buffy project.
“It’s just a place I didn’t know that I would find myself,” she admitted to Us. “While it was new, it was also incredibly familiar, and I feel very lucky.”
While the actress didn’t give away much about the upcoming show at the time, she revealed that the team “won’t change any of the DNA of the show,” including its campy vibes.
According to multiple sources cited by Deadline, Hulu’s main note was that the pilot played too young, with some indicating that the streamer also felt the show was too “small.” The original pilot was “not perfect”; some called it “not great,” the report alleged.
What Went Wrong for the ‘Buffy’ Reboot?
Deadline claimed there was no official news about why the show was canceled. One source close to the project compared the situation to completing a $3 million renovation only to find out that the house has foundation issues.
“Instead of fixing the foundation, you just walk away,” they told Deadline.
Disney Breaks Silence Over ‘Buffy’ Reboot Cancellation
“We have had a long and very successful relationship with Chloé [Zhao], Sarah [Michelle Gellar] and Gail [Berman] — their track records speak for themselves and they are incredible partners,” a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television said in a statement on March 18, 2026. “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.”
