Summary
Buffy The Vampire Slayeris finally making its long-awaited return, and now fans can put aside their doubts about the revival as the supreme authority on the franchise comes forward to vouch for the quality and good intentions behind the reboot.
Buffy The Vampire Slayerwas a massive success from its debut in the late 90s, chronicling the adventures of its titular character, a young woman fated to battle the supernatural against her better judgment, and her myriad allies as they saved their fictional hometown of Sunnydale and, often enough, the world. Despite the fact that it was initially slated to end after its protagonist sacrificed herself at the end of season one,Buffy The Vampire Slayerwould make it all the way to a season 7 conclusion, and fans still weren’t satisfied. Calls for a revival started up almost as soon as the show aired its final episodes in 2003, and the calls for its return have remained prominent ever since. Recently, the tides seemed to have shifted in favor of the show returning, and fans have been eagerly anticipating something concrete for months now.
Buffy The Vampire Slayerfans would finally get the big newsa few days ago, confirming that Hulu was closing in on closing a deal to revive the beloved show, with leading lady Sarah Michelle Gellar set to return to her titular role. While this was a long-held wish for the entire fandom, the announcement still caused an understandable feeling of unease in many who were worried that this new installment wouldn’t live up to the iconic series. Fortunately, fans need not worry about that, as reassurance has come down from the most trustworthy source possible: Gellar herself. Posting to herInstagramaccount with a still from the original show, Gellar acknowledged the recent news about the revival and resolved to add her own two cents. “I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit ‘Buffy’ and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right. This has been a long process, and it’s not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there.”
Fans will remember thatGellar recently hinted at a return toBuffy The Vampire Slayerin contradiction to her previous position of the original show being perfect and best left untouched in its own bubble. Her Instagram post explains what made her change her mind, as well as the multi-year process of actually getting a concrete idea together for a revival. She also took time out to appreciate the group of creatives that worked together to flesh out the idea of a revival this far, making mention of the sister duo Nora and Lilla Zuckerman in addition to Gail Berman and Chloé Zhao, who first approached her with the idea. “I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love ‘Buffy’ as much as I do,” Gellar says at the end of her caption before turning her appreciation to the fans. “And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you.”
Gellar’s words will mean everything to longtime fans of the franchise, as her love for the show has only ever been matched previously by her notably defensive attitude towards it. If she’s been convinced that a revival is worthwhile, then fans will likely agree. As for the actual business interest in bringing the show back, that’s also transparent. It’s pretty obvious why Hulu is interested in a revival, asBuffy the Vampire Slayeris still one of the best long-running shows in the streamer’s catalogdespite the show being older than some of the stars on it were at the time of filming. It would be the completion of a dream to have the original show live on the streamer alongside new episodes, and it wouldn’t be bad for Hulu’s business either.
While fans are absolutely right to be glad now, there’s still a lot that needs to be figured out before the revival can really live up to its potential. It’s clear thattheBuffy The Vampire Slayerreboot should take a page out ofScream’sbookand blend returning stars from the original show with new talent that could take things into interesting new directions and extend the show’s shelf life. With new stars, the franchise could even get more spinoffs in due time, passing on the torch to a new generation of characters when Gellar and her contemporaries finally hang up the vampire hunting boots for good.
