Buffy Reboot Set Photos Show the Return of an Iconic Sunnydale Location — Though Not as You Might Expect

Hulu’s new Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot will pay homage to a classic location from the original show, albeit with something of a humorous twist.

Set photos (originally from reddit) showing the ongoing filming of the new series’ pilot have revealed a familiar-looking corridor from Sunnydale High School, complete with lockers and a door to the Scooby Gang’s original hideout location: the library.

But zoom out a little further and it’s clear this set really is just a set — or more specifically, part of a haunted house that pays homage to Buffy’s OG vampire-infested place of education.

Indeed, the haunted house’s exterior is adorned with banners declaring it to be part of “Sunnydale’s Vampire Weekend,” an event that appears to be a knowingly kitsch celebration of the town being an undead hotspot.

On set, actors have been spotted portraying festival goers in fake vampire makeup (as opposed to the ‘real’ vampire makeup used for the series’ actual vamps). Other elements of the Vampire Weekend event include stalls selling magical items, and a circus sideshow dubbed Van Helsing’s Bloodbath.

As with fans’ first glimpse in 20 years of Sarah Michelle Gellar in-character as Buffy — though now wearing a corporate-looking suit — this appears to be the reboot once again upending expectations. The events of the original Buffy series now appear to have passed into memory, and the town’s status as the Hellmouth is now game for an event that looks as creepy as a renaissance fair.

Of course, the original Sunnydale High School was blown up during the events of Graduation Day, Buffy’s classic season three finale that saw the school unite to defeat the town’s mayor and a herd of vampires. Sunnydale High was then rebuilt, but destroyed once again alongside the rest of the town during the series’ finale, as the entirety of Sunnydale was consumed by a sinkhole.

All of this begs the question where the Buffy reboot series will be set, and whether what we’re seeing here is a new version of Sunnydale rebuilt from the ground up, celebrating its origins — just as the reboot is of its original run.

Earlier this week, Sarah Michelle Gellar was praised by one of her new co-stars for turning up on set every day to act as an advisor for the series’ lore. And yes, that includes describing exactly how people should look when they’re bitten by a vampire.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social