Sarah Michelle Gellar has shared reasons behind Hulu's decision not to order the Buffy: New Sunnydale pilot to series, blaming a specific executive unfamiliar with the original show. She expressed additional frustration over the timing of the news, which arrived just before her South by Southwest appearance.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was set to reprise her role as Buffy Summers, told People that an unnamed executive contributed significantly to the project's failure. 'We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn't for him,' Gellar said. She noted the challenge this posed for a beloved property, especially given pilot director Chloé Zhao's involvement. 'That's very hard when you're taking a property that is as beloved as 'Buffy,' not just to the world, but to me and [pilot director Chloé Zhao].' Gellar added, 'Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming.' The Buffy: New Sunnydale pilot featured Ryan Kiera Armstrong as new slayer Nova training under Buffy, along with Faly Rakotohavana as Hugo, Ava Jean as Larkin, Sarah Bock as Gracie, Daniel Di Tomasso as Abe, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Mr. Burke, and Kingston Vernes as Carson. Gellar learned of the cancellation via a phone call on Friday, March 11, moments before taking the stage at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas, for Ready or Not, a Searchlight Pictures production. 'No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight,' she stated. The timing coincided with Chloé Zhao's attendance at the Oscars as a Best Director nominee for Hamnet. Despite the decision, People reports that Hulu retains 'a lot of love for the IP' and is considering next steps.
