Long story short, Hulu thought the show was trash and didn't want to move forward with it.
I don't think there's anyone to "blame" here, it was a business decision. It seems like the pilot is already done so hopefully they can pitch it to other streaming services with more success.
88
Suchgallbladder2 days ago
+52
Sarah Michelle Gellar asked fans to not watch the pilot ever so maybe it’s unwatchable bad.
52
Zord_boy1 day ago
-1
Or mby it's harder to see if leaked
-1
General_Kick6882 days ago
+21
Disney owns the rights through Fox, which is why it was a Hulu production. It likely can't be shopped around.
21
Briscotti2 days ago
+9
It absolutely can be shopped around - plenty of 20th Century Television shows air on other networks/streamers, the issue is we’re in a period of brand synergy and vertical integration. A streamer has to think a project will bring in enough new subscribers to make it worth it, and not having a vertically integrated set-up means the cost to license/produce it needs to be low enough knowing you don’t actually own the asset you’re licensing.
9
PastimeOfMine2 days ago
+8
A revival is virtually never shopped. I can't think of one that was. Also if they thought it was going to be successful Disney isn't going to be the one not collecting the paychecks. They also aren't going to want someone else to take it if it isn't successful bc it harms their IP. And another studio isn't going to want to make the entire show on a temporary licensing agreement.
Edit: condensed
8
thereverendpuck1 day ago
+1
Fraiser
1
PastimeOfMine1 day ago
That's not a shopped revival pilot, they're shopping a show that was already airing & cancelled after 2 seasons - so they were already aware of their costs and IP impact
Though fair to point out it's a shopped revival.
0
FamiliarPotential5502 days ago
+5
But Hulu wants to keep the Buffy IP they've already stated they plan to try for another show (probably a reboot) in a couple of years.
5
ACW11292 days ago
+1
Shit, f****** Zaslav shops everything.
1
gzapata_art2 days ago
-2
Sadly 100% accurate
-2
Greatsnes2 days ago
-7
Yeah I’m gonna need you to explain why it can’t be shopped around because your comment makes no sense. I don’t think you know what you’re talking about tbh.
-7
General_Kick6882 days ago
+4
Disney will likely want to keep the IP in-house and not license it out to other studios. They might for the right price, but they haven't indicated that they're shopping it and the price might be too high for anyone to want to pay.
4
ultimate_bromance_692 days ago
-3
Disney will understand that if the sequel is a success it will uplift the original series, which is on their platform. It might be a nice riskless paycheck for them.
-3
MichaelMyersEatsDogs2 days ago
+3
And if it’s not it will damage the brand. They already think it’s too bad for them to air so obviously they don’t think it would be a success
3
leo-g2 days ago
+2
The underlying IP is still owned and distributed by the production studio. In regular situations, they would package it up together so that viewers can watch both the original and reboot. The issue happens is if they are both in conflict and Disney pulls the underlying IP. Whoops, suddenly expensive lawyers must be paid.
That said Disney or Netflix is not poor. They don’t have to do all that.
2
Doctor_Sore_Tooth2 days ago
HEY! you apologise RIGHT NOW
0
SwindlingAccountant2 days ago
+5
I've seen some snippets of the script and it did not look good.
5
jerslan2 days ago
+6
Specifically, the exec at Hulu the show was assigned to thought the OG show was trash and proudly proclaimed that to SMG and Chloe Zhao every chance he got.
6
purpleblossom2 days ago
+2
Pretty sure there is definite blame to be had here when the reason the executive thinks it's trash is a personal opinion. It had nothing to do with business, because if it had, this show would be moving forwards. There has been some level of hype over Buffy returning since the show was cancelled, and the hype only got bigger after COVID, where a whole new batch of fans watched the series. But the executive responsible for canning this revival? He proudly says he's never watched it and never wants to, which would be fine if he didn't also use his opinion to decide the show isn't airing.
2
Cool-Association34202 days ago
-4
That’s pretty spooky is Hulu thinks it’s trash! Have u seen some of the content on there? Haha
-4
arealhumannotabot2 days ago
+14
Projects get canceled or shelved all the time. Don’t get too attached to things that never materialized
14
NoTitleChamp2 days ago
+3
I'm not blaming anyone. Look across the tv landscape since the beginning, sometimes projects just don't work out.
3
Postsnobills1 day ago
+2
Traditional media is in such an odd place. The corporate side continues to try and reinvent the wheel in the shadow of social media, only to fall on its face with even the most profitable IPs. Had they committed to this series, given it time to work itself out the way show’s used to, we’d have something decent and worth watching week-to-week, year-to-year.
2
Key_Reaction_53272 days ago
+21
I think it died because it didn't need to happen and wasn't good. That's fine and there's no loss. The original show was perfect and a complete story and that era is gone.
21
Working_Original_2002 days ago
+4
Nothing in entertainment needs to happen.
4
Key_Reaction_53272 days ago
thank you so much for this observation 🙏
0
MichaelMyersEatsDogs2 days ago
+1
Then why try to make that point ?
1
purpleblossom2 days ago
-3
Are we really going to take the opinion of an executive who proudly admits to never seeing the original and hating the show's concept when he says the reboot was bad? Sounds rather biased to me.
Also, the original also wasn't complete at all, that's why there's multiple "seasons" worth of comics continuing it, plus demand for a reboot since it was cancelled.
-3
IKnowThisOne12 days ago
+3
It is straight up mad how many posts now say they never wanted the series now it’s been cancelled, when all I was reading before hand was how much everyone wants the show to succeed! Like, there is obviously going to be different peeps, of course, but I bet there is loads of people who have now changed their minds. Isn’t it ok to be disappointed?
3
nothatsmyarm2 days ago
+2
You can want it to succeed even if you know in your heart it’s a terrible idea.
2
Extension-Fail-19172 days ago
+14
It was cancelled because the Buffy reboot was without Buffy.
She had a cameo at the end. And without all the original actors. And the producers realized no one would watch it.
14
HackDaddy852 days ago
+15
They apparently retooled it to add more of her in it, but also, that’s just the pilot. She was going to be in it after the pilot introduced the new cast. And she had already asked multiple of the original cast members back.
15
Sporkedup2 days ago
-7
She never should have been anything more than a cameo. At least in my opinion. Other characters, sure, but I think Buffy has earned her rest.
-7
HemingwaySweater2 days ago
+20
Okay but the show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer lol
20
[deleted]2 days ago
-10
[deleted]
-10
-Nightopian-2 days ago
+7
And that's exactly why nobody was interested in it lol.
7
Historical-Mix88652 days ago
+3
Exactly. It's almost as ludicrous as making 24 without Jack Bauer
Oh wait, they did that. And no one watched it, and it was cancelled.
3
nothatsmyarm2 days ago
+1
Exactly. Buffy has an interesting enough world, but you’re there for the characters: for Buffy and Willow and Xander and Giles and Dawn and Tara and Anya and Spike. And a few others.
There’s a reason everyone’s least favorite part of the last season is the Potentials; they’re taking time aware from the established characters we care about. This whole show was basically “Potentials: The Series” and people aren’t interested in that.
Principal Wood can stay though.
1
-Nightopian-2 days ago
+3
Dawn...
R.I.P. Michelle
3
foreseethefuture2 days ago
+1
I thought the last season was "Spike: Souled Vampire"
1
foreseethefuture2 days ago
+2
She was actually still in the title.
2
spaten782 days ago
+2
Blame both. They were not on the same page creatively.
2
jerslan2 days ago
+4
How can you be on the same page creatively with someone who A) never watched the original show and B) was proud about that because he hated the concept?
4
schmoopy_meow2 days ago
+4
I love Buffy but some things don't need a re boot and I was worried about the re boot
4
Royd1 day ago
+1
Don't blame Chloe or Conan
1
Fullblowncensorship1 day ago
+1
I don't think Hulu is to blame here, they've paid for some crazy dog shit shows, they often take chances and it's run by a lot of free spirited people.
The show must have been absolute dog shit.
1
TheHumanTarget842 days ago
-1
Can't I blame both?
-1
whichwitch92 days ago
+4
No, because if Hulu wanted to go forward, it's not unusual to redo and even recast after a pilot. Pilot episodes can be very different. Instead, they burned a major bridge with Gellar, which makes it unlikely to be revisited.
4
Cute_Source54172 days ago
-1
we're still talking about this?
-1
kryptonmoon2 days ago
+1
don’t blame conan
1
ivyentre2 days ago
-8
Does it really have to be said?
Clearly it does.
Smack the ass of the elephant in the room.
Without Joss Whedon, there is no well-written Buffy.
-8
Excellent-Durian-5092 days ago
+6
Maybe 15 years ago, but his writing style is dated now.
6
astrobagel2 days ago
+6
It is dated, but it’s also the writing style that makes Buffy itself, and that’s kinda a problem.
6
HeavySpec1al2 days ago
+5
are you a bot or just daft
5
89colbert2 days ago
+3
I'm actually watching through it for the first time right now. Personally, well-written is not something that has come to mind when I'm watching. Maybe it gets better after season 2.
3
katikaboom2 days ago
+6
It absolutely does
6
Key_Reaction_53272 days ago
+2
lol oh honey, season 1 is famously its own thing (it's intentionally campier to be similar to the teen film that it's based on). Keep going, and it consistently matures and gets darker and more serious as the characters grow up.
2
purpleblossom2 days ago
+1
Except most of the best writing for Buffy wasn't by Whedon even during the original'a production, and he even ruined some stories because they were doing better ratings than his own stuff. He's great with premise ideas or a movie now and again but the slog of a series makes his writing stand out as immature and needlessly cruel.
1
djalekks2 days ago
+1
Bad take
1
Doom_Corp2 days ago
Joss Whedon is one of a smorgasbord of amazing writers before he hit a stylistic wall. Camp is just not exactly what a lot of people want now (I watched Serenity 3 years after it came out at 18 and hated it because it was so tropey... I'd also watched Farscape, Lexx, Babylon 5, and a f*** ton of Star Trek). 90s broody is not the same as vampire diaries broody etc. I watched Buffy from the beginning. I had the Buffy and Angel dvd collection! But as I got older...I wondered why this charterer spends 5 minutes punching vampires before doing ludicrous somersaults and acrobatics before staking them. I waited for ages to see the first Avengers film and when I saw it...it had every. single. stupid. comedy trope JW likes to use. I wish I hadn't spent money on it.
0
MommaOfManyCats2 days ago
-2
I think it was more having a show called Buffy where Buffy was basically a glorified cameo.
-2
Educational_Leg73602 days ago
-3
i’ve seen “Eternals,” so i wouldn’t be surprised it sucked
-3
datknee562 days ago
-10
Who cares Joss Whedon sucks
-10
SirRichardLove2 days ago
+9
He was not involved.
9
CigarLover2 days ago
Why?
Im more curious as to why they changed their mind.
0
purpleblossom2 days ago
+1
An executive at Hulu for the project was very vocal he hated the premise of the show and never watched the original. You can extrapolate from there why they canned it.
1
CigarLover2 days ago
+1
I don’t get.
Did the executive greenlit it and then canned it? Makes no sense.
Is that not like hiring someone and then firing them the next day for something you knew during the hiring process?
1
purpleblossom2 days ago
+2
No, he didn't greenlight it, the project was given to him after it was greenlit.
2
CigarLover1 day ago
+1
So whole ever greenlit it was lower ranked in the company and then he canned it?
Back to this being weird….
1
purpleblossom1 day ago
+1
Not sure I would say it was lower ranked after being greenlit when it had an Oscar winning director attached to the project.
What is weird is that the higher ups allowed a single man to can it over a personal opinion (that he wasn't shy about sharing) meaning they lost money after having done the pilot already and knowing they had an audience already for this show.
1
AlanShore606071 day ago
Here’s a thought.
You have a pilot. Drop it and see how it does, and make your decision based on the responses
0
SmooshedLion1 day ago
+1
Here’s a thought.
They’d have to pay everyone something else since now they are releasing something they didn’t intend to do unless they picked it up to series. Now they have to pay X,Y,Z.
Why would it matter? It sucks.
1
Ignoranceincarnate2 days ago
-1
Why would I blame Chloe? I’m angrier now knowing that she was attached to it.
-1
[deleted]1 day ago
-4
[removed]
-4
V2Blast1 day ago
+2
Google is free.
2
Scared_Pen_65191 day ago
+1
WTF is google
1
ozgun14142 days ago
-5
if the series was about old buffy mentoring new buffy for new adventures, it wouldve been hit. hulu wouldve gone with it. but, as always, smg only wanted to use her name to promote it without being in it enough and doing the work. she probably was in it only for a couple of sentences and thought it would be easy money without doing any work and rightfully hulu called her out. cause they know it would be risk without her. she shouldve played a role in it at least the same amount of giles in original series, being the new mentor. but im sure smg didnt want to do that.
-5
jerslan2 days ago
+3
SMG came out and said it was cancelled because they had an exec who was ***proud*** of never having watched the original because he hated the whole concept.
3
ozgun14142 days ago
-1
what else could she say really? exes said she was barely in it, that resulted with some rewrites and even with changes she was barely in it. a buffy series without buffy. i dont blame them.
[https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/buffy-reboot-dead-hulu-sarah-michelle-gellar-chloe-zhao-1236692284/](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/buffy-reboot-dead-hulu-sarah-michelle-gellar-chloe-zhao-1236692284/)
83 Comments