Overview
- Hulu declined to order the Buffy revival to series after receiving a pilot directed by Chloé Zhao, a decision Gellar announced to fans over the weekend.
- Gellar criticized an unnamed executive for opposing the project, and trade outlets have reported that Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich made the call.
- Internal notes said the pilot played too young and felt too small, prompting a rewrite with a longer, more adult script featuring more of Gellar’s Buffy.
- Variety reporting says sources deemed the pilot unsalvageable and raised concerns about Zhao’s approach to a TV pilot, while Zhao told reporters she was not surprised by the outcome.
- Because Disney controls the Buffy IP, the pilot cannot be shopped elsewhere, though sources say the company is exploring future iterations of the franchise.