Here’s Your First Look at Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy Reboot

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Sarah Michelle Gellar didn’t say she’d never slay another vampire.

On August 7th, the actress once more stepped into the shoes of the legendary Buffy Summers, reviving her character in the fresh adaptation of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on Hulu.

In photographs captured on the Los Angeles set of the show, Sarah donned a mini red dress with long sleeves, and accessorized it with matching red high heels. At 48 years old, she carried a coffee cup while her signature golden hair cascaded down as she moved.

For the first time since the original series concluded in 2003, fans get a glimpse of Sarah reprising her role as Buffy. Despite whispers of revivals throughout the years, it wasn’t until acclaimed director Chloé Zhao joined the project that Sarah, mom to Charlotte (15) and Rocky (12) with husband Freddie Prinze Jr., felt ready to step back into the character.

She confided in Vanity Fair back in June that for quite some time she had declined the possibility of bringing back the series. She felt reluctant about resurrecting something that had already been shown to audiences. However, she patiently waited for the perfect moment to arrive. Eventually, Chloé, a devoted Buffy fan, pitched the project to her and she agreed.

The actress from “Cruel Intentions” shared that it took them three years to prepare for this project. She mentioned that the upcoming reboot will have a more lighthearted feel compared to the latter seasons of the original series.

Sarah explained, “I’ll strive to create a harmonious blend of fresh and familiar faces. While I wish to resurrect all the deceased characters, there must also be room for new narratives to unfold.

Sarah, along with Chloé, is aiming to give the series a contemporary twist. Their work will center around exploring the sensation of being an outcast amidst a society heavily influenced by social media.

Sarah hasn’t yet revealed which other original ‘Buffy’ stars could show up in the remake, but she did disclose that Ryan Kiera Armstrong is now part of the cast for the rebooted series.

Sarah, in a video she posted on Instagram in May, posed this question: ‘Would you join me in our mission to save the world?’

Ever since I laid eyes on Ryan’s audition, I felt an instant connection and knew without a doubt that I wanted her right beside me.

Ryan struggled to hold back her joy, expressing through tears, “I feel truly privileged, thank you for having faith in me.

While we eagerly anticipate the release date for the revamped “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” let’s delve into some entertaining tidbits about the initial series instead. Enjoy!

1. Warner Bros. really wanted the show to be called Slayer. Creator Joss Whedon refused.

2. Among the other actresses who tried out for Buffy Summers were Katie Holmes, Selma Blair, and Charisma Carpenter; it was actually Sarah Michelle Gellar who initially auditioned for the part of Cordelia, but ended up being chosen to play the leading role instead.

In the original, unbroadcast pilot episode, the character Willow was initially portrayed by Riff Regan, who later was replaced by Alyson Hannigan. This 25-minute presentation, however, turned out to be a source of frustration for Whedon, as he himself admitted it to be “terrible” in an interview with IGN.

4. Initially, Ryan Reynolds might have taken on the role of Xander, but he decided against it and since then, there hasn’t been any news about him regarding this project.

In 1996, Nathan Fillion tried out for the role of Angel, but it was David Boreanaz who landed the part as Buffy’s initial vampire love interest. However, Fillion eventually portrayed the sinister priest Caleb in season seven and went on to become a frequent collaborator with Joss Whedon, starring in his popular series Firefly.

7. As a devoted fan, I’m sharing that it was through the captivating melody of “Nerf Herder” that Whedon found the iconic theme song, thanks to Hannigan playing it for him.

In a different turn of events, James Marsters initially attempted an audition with a Southern accent, portraying Spike as a vampire from the South. However, the producers opted for a British twist instead, with his English counterpart Anthony Stewart Head (portraying Giles, Buffy’s watcher and father figure) guiding him through the character development process. Initially slated to be written off after five episodes by Angel, Spike eventually evolved into the central male character in subsequent seasons.

For nearly six years, Marsters needed to bleach his hair approximately every two weeks to keep the famous hairstyle of his character, Spike, intact.

9. Oz wasn’t Seth Green’s debut as Hannigan’s boyfriend; they had previously portrayed a romantic pair in the 1988 film, “My Stepmother Is an Alien.

10. However, Hannigan eventually found real-life love on set with Alexis Denisof, who joined the show in season three as Buffy’s new watcher Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Later, he starred in the spinoff of Angel. The pair got married in 2003 and have two children together.

11. (Reformulated) Prior to her relationship with Denisof, Hannigan admitted she also had some romantic experiences with her fellow actor, Nicholas Brendon.

During a 2019 interview on “Watch What Happens Live”, Hannigan casually mentioned that there may have been an off-camera kiss between her and Nick. She further added, in a lighthearted manner, that he might have accidentally touched her chest area.

12. Sarah Michelle Gellar struggles with an intense fear of graveyards and being buried alive, which left her in tears following a scene where Buffy was interred. “I have an unreasonable dread of cemeteries and being entombed,” she confided to Rolling Stone. “Being a vampire slayer is challenging when you’re petrified of graveyards.” (A false graveyard was eventually constructed on the set.)

In the series, Joss Whedon considered leaving the show following criticism for Willow’s romantic relationship with Tara (portrayed by Amber Benson). David Greenwalt, a co-executive producer, disclosed a conversation he had with a Warner Bros. executive who expressed surprise about the storyline, asking, “Is he really going to explore this LGBTQ+ theme?” When asked to remove their first kiss, Whedon stated he threatened to leave the show. However, the executives responded by saying, “No, it’s alright. Keep the scene as is.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share an interesting tidbit about the show. Two potential guest stars who almost graced our screens were none other than Britney Spears and Freddie Prinze Jr., my dear love. If things had gone differently, Britney would have played April the robot in “I Was Made to Love You,” and Freddie would have brought Dracula to life during the season five premiere. Alas, fate had different plans for them!

15. Among the characters Whedon enjoyed crafting were Spike and Andrew (Tom Lenk), as the creator himself confessed during a 2012 Reddit AMA that Angel was particularly challenging to write, as he found it tough to create an engaging, handsome, strong hero who was also interesting, given his decent nature.

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but ponder over a few storylines that Joss Whedon might have wished could’ve been delved deeper. In an interview with The New York Times, he expressed his desire to explore Vampire or Hyena Xander more extensively since Nick delivers these roles exceptionally well. Furthermore, he regretted not being able to fully develop Dawn’s character in her third season.

It appears she took sides long ago: During a Reddit AMA in 2014, Gellar confessed her preference for Angel over Spike in the Angel versus Spike debate.

Upon being inquired about any items she held onto following the conclusion of the series, Gellar disclosed during the same Q&A that she had acquired some of Buffy’s costumes, as well as a cherished memento which remains near to her.

She mentioned that her favorite item, created by her makeup artist, was a unique talisman featuring a small vial of holy water. To this day, she still keeps it near her bedside.

19. During its seven-season span, it was only during season four that the episode titled “Hush,” which featured no dialogue, received a significant Emmy nomination. This was when Joss Whedon was honored with an award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.

Initially, the season five finale titled “The Gift” was penned as a series finale, where Buffy would give up her life to save the world. However, when the show was renewed by UPN, plans for the ending were kept for the seventh and ultimate season, which included the annihilation of Sunnydale.

21. In “The Gift,” Head’s character played his last recurring role, as the actor chose to scale back his involvement to devote more time to his family residing in the United Kingdom.

22. Gellar announced her departure from the series after seven seasons in 2003. 

Gellar shared with Entertainment Weekly that there’s often a concern about overstaying their welcome, particularly given the cult following they have. Last year, many were ready to criticize them severely. However, when this year saw such a strong resurgence, Gellar expressed that he would prefer to end on a high note, at the peak of their success.

The announcement caught her co-stars off guard, as Hannigan and Brendon shared with Entertainment Weekly that they learned about Gellar’s departure and the show’s conclusion from the magazine itself. Brendon admitted it was disappointing, stating, “It wasn’t ideal…but everything happens for a reason.

24. During that period, Whedon was working on a spinoff featuring some of the Buffy cast members. He told EW, “It will be an entirely new creature,” with Gellar agreeing to make multiple appearances. Unfortunately, this project never came to fruition. Another idea under consideration was a series centered around a school for potential slayers.

A separate series focusing on the tough character Faith, played by Eliza Dushku, was initially planned, but unfortunately didn’t materialize. In 2003, executive producer Tim Minear shared with IGN that he had proposed an idea for the show. He described Eliza as being courteous, lovely, and a joy to work with, but she felt ready for a fresh challenge. There were no hard feelings involved, but the project was essentially a blend of Faith and the television series ‘Kung Fu’.

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2025-08-09 20:47