Why Hulu Drove a Stake Into Chloé Zhao's ‘Buffy’ Reboot (And the Brutal Lesson for Creators)

There was not a show with more buzz coming out this year than the Buffy reboot. They were bringing Sarah Michelle Gellar back to mentor the new slayer (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao was helming the series, and was penned by writers Lilla and Nora Zuckerman (Poker Face, Agents of Shield).

It had so much star power that people were on the edge of their seats, anticipating.

In Hollywood, I felt like everyone my age was begging their reps to put them up for the job; the room sounded like it would be a blast.

But according to a recent report from Variety, Hulu has officially axed the highly anticipated Buffy reboot, titled Buffy: New Sunnydale.

How could that possibly happen?

Let's dive in.

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The Executive Guillotine

Speaking to the press after a recent SXSW premiere, Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't mince words about why the completed pilot isn't moving forward to a series order. She revealed that the revival was effectively staked by an unnamed Hulu executive who was openly "not a fan" of the original late-'90s series. Worse, Gellar claims this executive was actually "proud" of the fact that they had never watched it.

“Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming,” she said before calling out the irony of the timing of the news being delivered. “No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight. I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie. And it’s also the weekend of Chloé [Zhao] going to the Oscars as a best director nominee for Hamnet. For them to call us on the Friday of what should have been Chloé’s victory lap for an incredible film, and my world premiere of something that I worked very hard for is… That says something.”

Gellar continued, “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,” she said. “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 Chloé. So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn’t watch it.”

"Things Happen for a Reason"

While the news is devastating for fans like me, who have been clamoring for Buffy's return, the creative team is taking the setback with incredible grace.

Chloé Zhao, who was on the Oscars red carpet this past weekend representing her Best Director-nominated film Hamnet , told Variety that she was "not surprised" by the cancellation.

'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' Credit: The CW

“I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah [Michelle Gellar], with all the cast and crew doing this. And we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show,” she continued, “Our priority for Sarah and for us has always been to be truthful to the show, to be truthful to our fans. So, things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open, and we welcome the mystery. And what this might lead us to.”

The Takeaway for Filmmakers

Zhao’s zen approach is probably the healthiest way to handle the brutal unpredictability of Hollywood development.

But you also are allowed to be mad when someone tanks a project!

My advice is that if you're not a star with power, you keep that anger to your group chats and your reps. Mostly so you can seem easy to work with, but we've all been there.

And it's actually awesome to have an actor speak out, since they have more power.

When you are hired to reboot, adapt, or direct an existing property, you are stepping into a corporate battlefield. Sometimes, you'll be paired with executives who understand the assignment and want to serve the audience. Other times, you'll be forced to appease decision-makers without passion.

And even other times, your execs could be fired halfway through the process, and you have new people on who don't want to keep other people's projects alive.

In a much harder lesson, the death of Buffy: New Sunnydale proves that no one is immune to the whims of studio politics.

That carries the most weight overall.

Summing It All Up

What do you think of Hulu's decision to scrap the Buffy reboot? Have you ever had to deal with an executive or producer who didn't understand your project's genre?

Let us know in the comments below!