Buffy The Vampire Slayer Revival Wraps Pilot With Massive 25-Year Time Jump

Buffy fans, breathe. The new Buffy is actually real, the pilot is in the can, and yes, it’s basically set now. There’s a new Slayer, some familiar archetypes, and a certain iconic vampire killer is back in the mix.

What just wrapped (and what didn’t)

Director Chloe Zhao told the LA Times she just finished the pilot for the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and that it’s set 25 years later. Emphasis on pilot — that’s what wrapped. The full season hasn’t filmed (yet).

"I just wrapped the pilot on the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, which is set 25 years later... The fandom is so special to me, and I’m excited about how that’s going to go into the world."

Timeline check

The original series ended in May 2003. If this new show is set 25 years later, we’re talking late 2020s. If it ends up premiering in 2026 — which is the hopeful chatter and the likely Hulu landing spot — that’s 23 years after the finale. Either way, it’s present-day enough for smartphones, nostalgia, and midlife vampires.

Yes, Sarah Michelle Gellar is back (in some capacity)

Sarah Michelle Gellar is returning as Buffy Summers. How much we’ll see her is under wraps, but she’s in it, which matters.

Meet the new Slayer and the crew

The show centers on a new vampire slayer named Nova, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong ('Skeleton Crew'). Plot specifics are locked down, but per Deadline, here’s who else is moving into the Buffy-verse:

• Ryan Kiera Armstrong is Nova, the new Slayer
• Faly Rakotohavana plays Hugo, a geek
• Ava Jean is Larkin, a do-gooder
• Sarah Bock is Gracie, ultra-religious
• Daniel Di Tomasso is Abe, Nova’s single father
• Jack Cutmore-Scott is Mr. Burke, a Sunnydale teacher
• Chase Sui Wonders joins as Shirley, who is believed to be a vampire

That lineup sure sounds like it echoes the classic formula: the Slayer, some brains, some heart, a guiding adult, and a wildcard bloodsucker who might be friend-or-foe. And yes, the description says 'Sunnydale teacher' — make of that what you will.

Quick refresher on the OG series

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' premiered in 1997, ran for seven seasons, and wrapped in May 2003. It followed Buffy Summers, a new kid in town who just happens to be the Slayer, moving to Sunnydale with her single mom. She linked up with Xander and Willow and got a Watcher, Rupert Giles, which is when the nightly dustings really kicked in.

Release date?

No official date yet. The hope is 2026 on Hulu, but nothing is locked. For now, we’ve got a finished pilot, a present-day setup, a new Slayer named Nova, and Buffy herself stepping back into the fight. Not a bad start.