Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a monster-hunting fantasy series that ran from 1997-2003; it's been over a for a long time now, but in an age of constant reboots and revivals, it's surprising that it's never come back in one form or another. "Into every generation a slayer is born," we're told in the intro. It's been over 20 years. Where's the next one?
Well, there actually was a reboot in development at one time, executive produced by original Buffy creator Joss Whedon with Monica Owusu-Breen serving as showrunner. But so far as we can tell, it's dead. Why? Well, it might have something to do with Whedon being excommunicated from Hollywood after allegations of his toxic workplace behavior surfaced, with multiple stars on his shows and movies — among them Justice League star Ray Fisher and Angel star Charisma Carpenter — coming forward. Sarah Michelle Gellar, the original star on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, weighed in on the situation as well. "While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to forever be associated with Joss Whedon," she posted in 2021. "I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out."
With that kind of press, it makes sense that the Buffy reboot didn't got off the ground. But never say never. Gellar, who is currently starring in the Dexter prequel series Dexter: Original Sin on Showtime, seems more open to the idea of a revival than she has in the past. “I always used to say no because it’s in its bubble, and it’s so perfect,” she said on a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. "But watching Sex And The City and seeing Dexter, and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.'”
She's referring there to the Sex and the City sequel series And Just Like That... on Max. I don't know if And Just Like That... and Dexter: Original Sin are the first things that come to mind when you hear the words "successful revival," but clearly And Just Like That... is working for some people; its third season is coming later this year.
If there was a new Buffy show, would it be a prequel, a sequel, or a reboot of the original series with a new cast of actors playing the characters? Right now, nothing's certain, but the fact that Gellar is open to the idea is at least one small step forward. “It makes you realize that in this world, we need those heroes, I think, more so than ever," she said.
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h/t The A.V. Club