Sarah Michelle Gellar Says You Can Jump Into Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale—No Homework Required

After years of rumors and one false start, Buffy is officially back. Not a reboot this time — a straight-up revival with Sarah Michelle Gellar returning as Buffy Summers and Chloe Zhao directing the pilot. The new title floating around: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale.' And if you skipped the original? Gellar says you won’t need a crash course.

Quick rewind: the reboot that wasn’t

Almost seven years ago, a Buffy reboot was announced with Monica Owusu-Breen (co-creator of 'Midnight, Texas') set to write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner. It was pitched as contemporary and built on the original mythology. It never made it past development. Cut to earlier this year: the plan shifted to a revival instead, with Gellar back in the stake-wielding lead and Oscar-winner Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals) directing the first episode.

What is 'New Sunnydale' actually doing?

Gellar told Variety the show is built to work whether you grew up on the original series or you’ve never touched it.

"This is a show that will cater definitely to the [original fans]... but we also want to introduce it to people that maybe haven’t seen the show."

She also admitted stepping back into Buffy felt surreal — especially after publicly saying she was done. What changed? Zhao’s pitch. Gellar says Zhao’s passion for the idea, and the timing, made the case: we could use heroes right now, connection matters more than ever, and the found-family core of Buffy still hits.

The new slayer and the class roster

Teen actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong ('Firestarter') plays Nova, an introverted high schooler who also happens to be a brand-new slayer. The show piles in a mix of regulars and guest stars around her:

• Faly Rakotohavana ('Unprisoned') as Hugo, a privileged, likable high-school geek.
• Ava Jean ('Law & Order: SVU') as Larkin, a chronic do-gooder.
• Sarah Bock ('Severance') as Gracie, the ringleader of a church-going student group.
• Daniel Di Tomasso ('CSI: Vegas') as Abe, Nova’s single dad and a photojournalist.
• Jack Cutmore-Scott ('Frasier') as Mr. Burke, a popular high school teacher.
• Kingston Vernes ('The Survivor') as Carson, Nova’s crush — a Junior Olympian and popular New Sunnydale Academy student who starts noticing her after a life-changing event. He’s a guest star in the pilot with plans to recur if the show goes to series.
• Chase Sui Wonders (listed as 'I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025' — yes, that credit is as oddly labeled as it sounds) pops up as a guest in the pilot.
• Merrin Dungey ('The Lincoln Lawyer') appears as Ms. LaDuca, the Academy’s college counselor.
• Audrey Hsieh ('Found') and Audrey Grace Marshall ('The Flight Attendant') play Keiko and Jessica, students in the school’s Evangelical Christian group.

Who’s making it (and where it might land)

Zhao, a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, is directing the pilot from a script by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman ('Poker Face'). The revival is a 20th Television and Searchlight TV production; Zhao has a first-look deal at Searchlight TV. Deadline says the show is starting a writers room soon, which usually means Hulu and the studios think this is headed to series. No word yet on other returning cast from the original, but the expectation is that some will likely show up.

The team is calling this 'the next chapter in the Buffyverse.' Executive producers include Gellar, Zhao, the Zuckermans, original series EP Gail Berman (The Jackal Group), and Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui (Suite B). Dolly Parton is also executive producing the pilot — her company Sandollar was behind the original Buffy, so yes, Dolly has been quietly in the Buffy mix this whole time and she’s back again.

One more thing you’re probably wondering

Joss Whedon is not involved. He hasn’t worked in Hollywood in any official capacity since misconduct allegations surfaced in 2021.

That’s the lay of the land: new slayer, old Buffy, fresh city with a very familiar name. If they stick the landing, 'no homework required' might be the smartest move they could make.