Buffy the Vampire Fans have been excitedly awaiting more updates on the remake announced over a year ago—but the latest word was not a happy one. Hulu isn’t moving forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale, which would have seen Sarah Michelle Gellar return to slay vampires alongside a new character played by Ryan Kiara Armstrong.
Oscar-winning filmmaker and noted Buffy fan Chloé Zhao was aboard as executive producer and to direct the pilot, and since she was at the Oscars last night (this time a nominee for Hamnet), she was asked on the red carpet about Buffy‘s recent cancellation.
Speaking to Variety, Zhao quickly clarified her funeral attire was themed to Hamnet, not the Buffy news. But she also seemed to have taken the news in stride, saying she was “not surprised” that Hulu wasn’t moving forward with the reboot.
Chloé Zhao says she’s “not surprised” that the #Buffy reboot was canceled at Hulu.
The CNN & Variety Red Carpet Afterparty is now live on the CNN app and YouTube. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/BxGA31LpPl
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
“I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah, with the whole cast and crew doing this, and we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show,” Zhao said. “Our priority has always been to be truthful to the show and be truthful to our fans. So things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open, and we welcome the mystery for what this may lead us to.”
Variety asked if she would shop it to another network or streamer, and Zhao repeated, “Welcome the mystery.”
Deadline‘s piece reporting on the cancellation noted that “sources described [the pilot] as ‘not perfect,’ noting Zhao’s sensibility may not have been the perfect match for the reboot.” Additionally, “There had been talk about reworking the pilot as recently as earlier this week. In the end, Hulu opted not to proceed with it but remains high on the Buffy IP and plans to regroup and mull a possible new incarnation of the beloved franchise.”
That suggests “the mystery” might not be whether Zhao’s version moves forward elsewhere but whether Hulu might find a new creative team to try again. Here’s hoping if that happens, Gellar is once again front and center.
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