Honestly, we never thought we’d see the day Sarah Michelle Gellar would return to her most iconic role — one of the most iconic in popular culture — but here we are, with a new era of Buffy the Vampire Slayer finally upon us.
On 7 August, the Emmy winner was spotted on the set of the Buffy reboot — reportedly subtitled New Sunnydale — wearing a bright red, long-sleeved dress with a deep V-neck and floral embellishments. In other shots, Gellar was seen alongside an unidentified actor who sported a similarly business-inspired look.
Corporate Buffy is something we never thought we’d see, especially after her failed consultation with a loan director in the season six episode ‘Flooded’ (where she wore a suit in the same red, we should add). Undercover Buffy, perhaps?
News of the reboot/revival/continuation was announced by Hulu in February, with Oscar-winner and Buffy superfan Chloé Zhao attached as director, and Poker Face showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman on board as writers.
Gellar was also confirmed to reprise her iconic role as the titular slayer, as well as executive producer. However, it has been stated that Buffy will appear in a “recurring” capacity and will not be its “central focus”.
FIRST LOOK AT SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR AS BUFFY SUMMERS IN THE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER REVIVAL SERIES pic.twitter.com/kPVAEceHh6
— ໊ (@buffys) August 8, 2025
She later told Deadline: “From the moment I saw Ryan’s audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side. To have that kind of emotional intelligence and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room.”
Joining Armstrong will be Kingston Vernes (So Cold the River), Sarah Bock (Severance), Jack Cutmore-Scott (Tenet), Daniel di Tomasso (Dynasty), Ava Jean (Law & Order: SVU) and Faly Rakotohavana (Unprisoned).
Although details on the reboot remain scarce, Gellar previously told Vanity Fair Italia that it will be “lighter than the last few seasons of the original” and that it will “try and find a balance between new and old characters”.
While she expressed interest in “bringing back everyone who has died”, she said “space will have to be made for new stories as well”.
Since airing between 1997 and 2003, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been lauded as one of the greatest shows of all time. Various episodes have been acclaimed as some of television’s best, particularly ‘Hush’, ‘The Body’ and ‘Once More, With Feeling’.
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It influenced countless series within the same genre, such as Charmed, Once Upon a Time, Orphan Black, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Wynonna Earp and Wednesday — pretty much any show that followed with a strong female protagonist at the helm.
Buffy also made history for queer representation, with Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) blazing a trail as the first long-term lesbian relationship on American television. Additionally, season seven included television’s first-ever lesbian sex scene.
Stay tuned for more news on the highly-anticipated Buffy reboot.
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