All articles tagged with #chloe zhao
Hulu has canceled Buffy: New Sunnydale, the Chloe Zhao–led reboot with Sarah Michelle Gellar, after a leaked pilot reportedly showed undershot direction and weak performances, with showrunners rewriting but producers deciding reshoots weren’t worth it; Gellar blamed an anonymous Hulu executive, effectively ending the project and leaving fans disappointed.
Hulu has canceled Buffy: New Sunnydale, the planned Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot produced with Chloé Zhao and Sarah Michelle Gellar, after a pilot was deemed unsalvageable. Variety reports the original script centered on a new, younger Slayer and that Zhao’s direction and the performances were criticized, with a named executive ( Craig Erwich ) cited as not supporting the project. Gellar urged fans not to read leaked scripts, while Disney/Hulu issued damage control and left open the possibility of reviving the revival with a new creative team; the Buffy IP is not expected to move to another platform, at least for now.
Hulu canceled the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale reboot after a pilot directed by Chloé Zhao that sidelined Buffy; Sarah Michelle Gellar blamed a skeptical Hulu executive, while insiders say Zhao’s cinematic approach and a weak rewrite made the TV adaptation untenable, leaving the project in development limbo despite interest from other distributors.
Sarah Michelle Gellar says Hulu/Disney’s Buffy: New Sunnydale was canceled by an executive who disliked Buffy and reportedly hadn’t watched the original; Disney TV Group president Craig Erwich was the ultimate decision-maker, with sources noting the pilot wasn’t strong even after a rewrite, leading to no reshoot or series order. Gellar and Zhao remain disappointed but acknowledge Disney owns the Buffy IP, so the project can’t be shopped elsewhere, and Gellar also praised the on-set performance of Ryan Kiera Armstrong.
Buffy: New Sunnydale, Hulu’s planned reboot executive-produced by Chloé Zhao and directed by her, has been canceled; Deadline notes the pilot was deemed not perfect, but Hulu remains bullish on the Buffy IP and may shop the concept elsewhere, with Zhao saying she’s not surprised and that they’ll welcome the mystery of what comes next, potentially with Sarah Michelle Gellar leading any revived version.
Chloé Zhao said she wasn’t surprised Hulu canceled the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot after a pilot was shot, stressing a commitment to staying true to the original. She and Sarah Michelle Gellar indicated the door remains open for Buffy in some form and suggested the IP could be shopped elsewhere, while the project’s fate underscores the evolving future of the Sunnydale revival.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s planned reboot, led by Chloe Zhao and Gail Berman and featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar, will not move forward after Hulu passed on the project; it remains unclear whether the revival will be shopped to another streamer.
Hulu has canceled Buffy: New Sunnydale, with Sarah Michelle Gellar revealing the news on Instagram; the reboot—directed by Chloe Zhao and featuring Gellar in a recurring role—had been filming in Los Angeles when the project was shuttered.
Hulu has shelved the Buffy reboot project, with Sarah Michelle Gellar confirming on Instagram that Hulu will not move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale. The pilot, directed/executive produced by Chloé Zhao and announced in 2025, would have cast Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new Slayer while Gellar reprised Buffy in a recurring role. Joss Whedon was not involved, and although the reboot won’t move forward, the door remains open for future Buffy IP iterations.
Sarah Michelle Gellar announced that Hulu will not move forward with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, Buffy: New Sunnydale, which was in development since 2025 with Chloé Zhao set to direct; Hulu is reportedly weighing next steps, but the project is effectively dead for now.
Chloé Zhao’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale revival has been canceled at Hulu before it airs, with Sarah Michelle Gellar confirming the news in an Instagram post. The pilot, directed by Zhao and featuring Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new Chosen One, was reportedly completed, but it remains unclear if it will ever air, leaving fans to rewatch the original series.
Hulu has decided not to move forward with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot starring and executive produced by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a pilot ordered last year titled Buffy: New Sunnydale with Chloé Zhao directing from a Nora and Lilla Zuckerman script. Zhao’s vision was described as not a perfect fit, leading Hulu to regroup and potentially pursue a new incarnation of Buffy’s IP, with Gellar continuing to be associated with the project.
Sarah Michelle Gellar says she initially declined Chloe Zhao’s Buffy reboot multiple times, but after years of talks and timing aligning with the era, she’s open to returning to Buffy, highlighting the lesson to never say never.
The 78th Directors Guild of America Awards unfolded at the Beverly Hilton with Kumail Nanjiani hosting, honoring directing across feature films and television. In film, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Guillermo del Toro, Josh Safdie, and Chloé Zhao won directing prizes for their latest works, while Hasan Hadi led the First-Time Directing category and other film awards were handed out. The night also spotlighted TV directing across drama, comedy, limited series, movie, documentary, and more, with a slate of winners across categories and service honors going to David Charles and Gregory G. McCollum.
At Sundance's tribute gala for late founder Robert Redford (who died in September at 89), emotional tributes from peers including Ethan Hawke and Chloé Zhao celebrated his legacy of nurturing new talent; Zhao received the Trailblazer Award and Nia DaCosta the Vanguard Award, with Redford's daughter Amy praising him as the festival's final Park City edition.