Sarah Michelle Gellar Once Called a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Remake ‘the Stupidest Idea’
Sarah Michelle Gellar is known for her turn as Buffy Summers in the TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But when talk of a remake began circulating in 2011, Gellar wasn’t on board with the idea.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ premiered in 1997
Audiences got their first glimpse of Gellar as a vampire-slaying, demon-killing teen on March 10, 1997. Gellar’s character, Buffy, is a high school student living in the town of Sunnydale, California.
A hotspot for evil, Buffy balances schoolwork with her unorthodox extracurricular activities.
Buffy is among the biggest TV shows of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Even today more than 20 years since the show premiered, the drama still has a large and dedicated following. Plus, thanks to streaming services, the series continues to gain new fans.
Sarah Michelle Gellar hated the idea of a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ remake in 2011
According to Screenrant, talk of a Buffy reboot began in 2009. The project would be a remake of the 1992 movie that led to the hit TV series.
Joss Whedon, who created the show and wrote the screenplay for the Buffy movie, reportedly wouldn’t be involved. Instead, the remake would focus on a darker version of events and a new slayer.
During a September 2011 conversation with Vulture, Gellar didn’t hold back on her thoughts about a possible Buffy remake.
“Ugh, I mean honestly … I think it’s the stupidest idea,” Gellar said. “Buffy is Joss Whedon, so if you’re going to do a movie with other people, like, just make a movie about a girl who kills vampires, but that’s not Buffy.
She continued, saying, “I don’t mean to be so blunt, but it’s such a dumb idea, to be honest. I don’t think it’ll ever happen because without Joss, you don’t have Buffy.”
Turns out Gellar was right. The Buffy remake never came to be. According to Fandom, the people behind the movie weren’t happy with the script by Whit Anderson. Upon rejecting it, production on the remake stopped.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is now onboard with ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ getting a second life
During a 2019 interview with BuzzFeed News’ AM to DM about a Buffy reboot, Gellar had very different feelings compared to her 2011 comments. But one thing stayed the same. The actor is adamant about not appearing in a Buffy reboot.
“I’m all for them rebooting it. I think it’s an important story,” she said.
She continued, saying tweaks can ensure the plot isn’t the same.
“I think there’s a way to modernize it and tell a different story now,” Gellar said. I think the way we ended lends itself to it, but at the same time, I’m so proud of the show that we made.”
After commenting that the series still resonates with viewers, she posed the question, “So does it really need to be done again?”
While fans wait to see what happens with the latest remake, they can watch every episode of Buffy on Hulu.
