Hulu Getting Close To Giving “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” Revival A Pilot
Disney loves to revisit its bag of established franchises for new movies and shows, especially following the purchase of 20th Century Fox.
The next franchise to be given a new lease of life is going to be “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, as 20th Television is prepping the supernatural drama series for a potential pilot order for Hulu.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is a comedy-action series that chronicles the adventures of Buffy Summers, a teenage girl who is gifted with the strength and skill to hunt vampires.
The franchise debuted in 1992 with a film starring Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, and Luke Perry. It returned in 1997 with a TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan, which ran for seven seasons.
The new series is going to be a continuation of the TV series, and Sarah Michelle Gellar is expected to return as the Vampire hunter, though the new series will primarily follow a new slayer.
20th Television and Searchlight TV will produce the series. This new follow-on series will be directed by Chloé Zhao, who previously directed the Oscar-winning “Nomadland” and the Marvel film “Eternals.” Chloé has a first-look deal with Searchlight. The pilot will be written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, who previously worked on “Poker Face.”
According to Deadline, the writers’ room is set to begin soon, and it’s unknown if any of the other original Buffy cast members will be returning.
The new series will be executive produced by Gellar, Zhao, Nora, and Lilla Zuckerman, in addition to the original series’ executive producers, Gail Berman of the Jackal Group and Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B. Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar produced the original, will also executive produce the pilot.
As with any show currently in pre-production, it could still be a while before we see a revival of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” on our screens. Also Disney hasn’t officially announced the project, so things could still change.
Should the pilot get the go-ahead from Hulu, we will likely see it stream on Hulu and Hulu On Disney+ in the United States and on Disney+ internationally. The “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” series is available to stream on Hulu and Hulu On Disney+ in the United States and on Disney+ internationally, along with the original film.
Roger’s Take: Bringing back “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, over twenty years after the series ended does seem an interesting choice. With so much time passing, I would have thought they might have just done a full blown reboot, but a revival, will no doubt get much more attention from those who loved the show. Do we need a revival? I’m not sure.
Would you like to see the return of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”? Let me know on social media!