Sarah Michelle Gellar has asked fans not to read a leaked version of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot script, and emphasized that the project was still a work-in-progress at the time of its dramatic cancellation.
Hulu’s decision to ditch the Buffy reboot after a year of work sent shockwaves through the show’s loyal fandom, following a steady drip-feed of production details designed to build hype and expectation. The days since have seen several reports subsequently materialize featuring various perspectives on what went wrong — informed by sources close to both the show’s production team, as well as those involved within Hulu.
Now, details of the pilot episode’s script — and indeed, entire pages — are circulating online. In response to all that, and in anticipation of further leaks, Gellar has spoken out to remind fans that the series remained in development up to the point it was canned, and that anything fans read would not reflect a final, polished product.
“That stuff is really unfortunate,” Gellar said during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, via The Wrap. “And I ask fans, if you see scripts, if you see [the pilot] leaked, don’t watch it cause you’re not getting our visions and all of that.”
Asked whether she hoped the reboot’s pilot episode did leak so fans could finally see it, Gellar responded with a no — and said it was a very different situation from when Warner Bros. shelved its Batgirl movie in 2022 despite it being completed.
“I actually hope it doesn’t [leak],” Gellar replied, “because then everyone’s going to have an opinion on this and that. And pilots are not finished. It wasn’t done, right? It’s not like we did a season and finished it and then they shelved it.
“[Batgirl] was finished,” she added. “I want to clarify this, we made a pilot on purpose, because there’s some new characters… and you want to see how it goes… you learn from it and there’s things you fix.”
Fans will likely pore over these latest comments by Gellar amid reports that Hulu was unsatisfied with the quality of the original pilot. Indeed, an article published yesterday by Deadline revealed that the streamer had asked for a new draft of the script with more of an adult tone and far more involvement from Gellar as Buffy — something Gellar’s own comments about needing to fix issues seem to tally with.
“Usually, a pilot doesn’t air in its entirety ever,” she continued, referencing the original Buffy pilot which was reshot completely as improvements were made and the character of Willow was recast. “You use that information, it’s a learning tool.”
Various reports have suggested that the reboot’s original pilot script — the one that has now partially leaked — featured only a brief appearance by Gellar at the end of the episode. While her character was clearly being set up to appear in an expanded role in later stories (and it perhaps makes sense that the pilot focused on establishing its new cast) Hulu apparently balked at Buffy herself only getting a single line, and asked for a do-over with far more screemtime for Gellar.
With all this in mind, and the pilot’s revised script already completed at the time the show was canned, it’s perhaps not surprising that Gellar is now keen to suggest that the episode’s original screenplay would not have reflected the version audiences would have seen, had the project not been halted.
Overnight, a fresh report from Variety featured numerous further details from the leaked script, many of which are backed up by earlier leaks and set photos from the pilot’s filming. The episode would have centered on a whimsical Renaissance Faire-like “Vampire Weekend” in New Sunnydale, established the new lead character Nova, and given her a fresh Scooby Gang of high school allies.
The return of vampires would be explained by Nova’s own Slayer powers being awakened, while Buffy herself was set to be shown living elsewhere, apparently now working an office job while using her “Anne” alias. (This was something fans spotted a glimpse of during filming last summer, with the assumption that Buffy would ultimately have been revealed to still be saving the world while acting undercover.)
Speaking earlier this week, Gellar pinned the reboot’s cancellation squarely on a single executive who she claimed had boasted about never being a Buffy fan. Reports have suggested Hulu remains keen to try another attempt at a Buffy reboot in a few years, though how and when this may materialize remains to be seen.
Image credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
