We recently got confirmation that a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot/sequel series is moving forward at Hulu, and the project has found its new Slayer in 15-year-old Star Wars: Skeleton Crew breakout Ryan Kiera Armstrong.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who will return as Buffy Summers in a supporting role to mentor the next "Chosen One," surprised the young actress with a call to inform her that she'd landed the part.
"I know this process has been hard," Gellar prefaced in the clip, before asking Armstrong, "How do you feel about helping me save the world? You wanna be my chosen one?"
"I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side," Gellar added. "To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room."
Armstrong's character has not been officially named, and is simply described as "an introverted high-school student" in Deadline's report.
Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman are attached to write, showrun, and executive produce, with Eternals director Chloé Zhao set to helm the pilot and executive produce under her Book of Shadows production banner. Gellar will also executive produce along with Gail Berman. Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui will executive produce via Suite B, while Dolly Parton will executive produce via Sandollar. 20th Television and Searchlight Television will produce. Berman, the Kuzuis, and Parton were all executive producers on the original Buffy series.
Not too surprisingly, Joss Whedon will not be involved.
There's been talk of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot in some form or another for over a decade at this stage, but last year, we learned that the latest attempt to revive the franchise featuring a Black lead from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. scribe Monica Owusu-Breen had been put on pause.
Gellar recently took to Instagram to share the following message with her fans.
"So….. you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven’t heard from me. Three years ago, I got a call from my dear friend and mentor, Gail Berman. She told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential “Buffy” revival. I was blown away that Chloé even knew who I was, but, as I’ve always done, I told Gail that I just didn’t see a way for the show to exist again. We’d always been aligned on that, but this time I heard something different in her voice. I eventually agreed to go (mainly just to meet Chloé) and our twenty minute coffee quickly turned into a four hour adventure. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us. While I didn’t agree to anything at that meeting, I did shock myself by agreeing to continue the conversation.
These conversations did, in fact, continue over the next few years and eventually we added the incredible Nora and Lilla Zuckerman to our little tribe until ultimately, one day, we landed on an idea. 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. 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. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you."
It remains to be seen if any other members of the original cast will return, but Charisma Carpenter recently said that she does hope to get the call to reprise her role as Cordelia Chase. "
"From what I understand, there isn’t even a pilot at the moment, so I hope — if I am involved — I hope so in some fashion it’s more in a substantive way. That would be my dream."