Eternals director Chloé Zhao was a major creative force behind Hulu’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival.
Her passion for the series, along with her pitch and genuine fandom, ultimately convinced Sarah Michelle Gellar to return to the role after years of turning down similar offers.
While promoting her new drama Hamnet, the Oscar-winning filmmaker briefly reflected on her love for the original show, sharing whether she sided with Team Spike or Team Angel and offering a fun anecdote from the final day of filming on the revival.
When commenting on what episode from the original TV show was her favorite, Zhao revealed, "I would say the prom episode is one of my favorites. Actually, Sarah told me she didn't keep the umbrella."
"So on the last day of the wrap, we made a replica of that and then I memorized the speech. So I went up there... and we presented her with the class protector. It was amazing. Some of the crew members, they were like, "What's happening?' But the ones that know...yeah, I had such a good time doing that."
Moving on, Zhao then revealed that when she was originally watching the show in her younger years, she was a big Buffy and Spike shipper but in the years that have passed, she's slowly come around to appreciate Angel more, and even Riley.
"I was a massive Buffy and Spike person, in my younger years. When I was a teenager to ealry-20s. Now that I'm in my 40s, when I rewatched it, I understood why Buffy and Angel was...I wouldn't say healthier, as he's got his own problems. But the thing with Angel, he's a runner. He just runs. Which is very frustrating...But in my 40s, I actually appreciate Riley more. When I was younger, I thought he was kind of boring, I prefer Spike but now I'm a little older, perhaps a little less Spike and a little more Riley."
Buffy talk starts around the [08:50 ] mark via @DCFilmGirl.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired in 1997 and concluded in 2002 after 144 episodes across 7 seasons. The show actually continued on in comic book form, thanks to a run of comics from Dark Horse, but it's believed that the upcoming continuation for Hulu will ignore those developments.
Sisters Nora and Lila Zuckerman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Poker Face) will serve as co-showrunners with Zhao directing the pilot and executive producing the show.
Gellar is also listed as an executive producer along with the original executive producer of the show, Gail Berman.
In addition to Gellar as Buffy, the full cast for the revival includes Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) as Nova, this generation's current slayer, along with series regulars Faly Rakotohavana (Unprisoned), Ava Jean, Sarah Bock (Severance), Daniel Di Tomasso (Dynasty, The Republic of Sarah) and Jack Cutmore-Scott (Tenet, Oppenheimer).
Additional cast members include Chase Sui Wonders, Merrin Dungey, Audrey Hsieh, and Audrey Grace Marshall.