Hulu cancels Buffy reboot after pilot and high-profile attachments

Hulu has cancelled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale after weeks of speculation and a finished pilot. Sarah Michelle Gellar publicly announced the news in an Instagram reel, leaving fans who had hoped to see a Gen Z Slayer on the Hellmouth disappointed. The revival had drawn significant attention: Gellar returned to the role with Chloé Zhao attached to direct, the pilot filmed in Los Angeles in August 2025, and a release window in late 2026 or early 2027 was expected.

Casting included 16-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new Slayer, with Chase Sui Wonders and Sarah Bock among other additions that helped build early momentum. Gellar said Craig Erwich, head of Hulu Originals, called to relay the decision, which came as she was at SXSW and Zhao was heading to the Oscars.

She described development as an uphill battle, singling out an executive who was openly dismissive of the original series; that executive was later identified as Craig Erwich.

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