‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Reboot With Black Woman as Lead on Hold
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is “on pause.” The series, in development since 2018, was set to feature a Black woman in the leading role. But executive producer Gail Berman said that the reboot has halted development for the time being.
Berman shared the news with The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV’s Top 5 podcast on Friday, August 19. Monica Owusu-Breen (Midnight, Texas) was set to serve as writer and showrunner on the revamped series with original series creator Joss Whedon set to executive produce. Owusu-Breen and Whedon previously worked together on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Berman, Joe Earley, Fran Kazui, and Kaz Kazui were also set to executive produce the reboot.
When first announced in 2018, the Buffy reboot was described as “contemporary, building on the mythology of the original,” per Deadline. “Like our world, it will be richly diverse, and like the original, some aspects of the series could be seen as metaphors for issues facing us all today,” the producers said in a statement at the time. They intended to pitch the revival to streaming and cable networks that summer. There have been few updates on the new iteration in the years since, leaving fans doubtful it would come to fruition. It seems those doubts are confirmed, at least for now.
Sarah Michelle Gellar became a household name thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The supernatural series put The WB on the map as it ascended to the pop culture phenomenon level. It debuted on The WB in 1997 and spent its last two seasons on UPN, coming to a close in 2003.
In July, Buffy was named the best show of the ’90s on our 90 Best Shows of the ’90s list, and it’s 41 on our ranking of the 50 Greatest Shows of All Time. The show’s scary nature and savvy writing changed the game of teen dramas forever, leaving behind countless memorable moments and episodes that defined a generation of TV lovers.
Buffy Summers remains one of television’s most beloved heroes. In our current reboot fever culture, it seemed all but inevitable that someone would want to bring her back to the small screen.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Streaming, Hulu
