Over 20 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended, the series is about to delight us once more (with feeling), as Sarah Michelle Gellar is coming back for a revived version of the show on Hulu. Fans of the vampire series are used to things not staying dead, but even in this modern era, where just about everything comes back in some form, the news of a Buffy reboot with Gellar was a major surprise, given she had long resisted the temptation to reprise the role. But that she is, with filming on the pilot episode having taken place earlier this year.
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With that wrapped, there’s now some updated information on when we might get to see the show, as a report from Variety says it is expected to release on Hulu in 2026. That’s perhaps not too surprising a timeframe given when the pilot was shot, but it isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. That’s because the reboot hasn’t actually been ordered to series by Hulu yet. While that will presumably happen and is likely just a formality at this point, we have seen high-profile pilots passed on before due to quality concerns (Game of Thrones‘ Long Night spinoff, Bloodmoon, is an example, despite it costing around $30-35m to produce that one episode), so it’s technically not a guarantee.
The Buffy Reboot Should Be A Major Hit For Hulu
It’s a good thing that Hulu is taking a more cautious approach with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. This is a beloved property with a passionate fanbase, and any continuation needs to take care to ensure it respects the legacy of the original series and can live up to it, even if it’s unfair to expect it to surpass that standard. That goes double for having Gellar involved: she’s the big reason the reboot is happening and why it is so exciting, but also means there’ll be even greater care in getting it right.
Assuming a series pickup comes in the next month or two, then a late-2026 release date still seems fairly likely. After all, the original Buffy used to run from September-May every single year, and that was with 22 episodes per season. A streaming revival would most likely have 8-10 episodes and, while we have seen production timelines shift drastically and things take longer than ever to make it to screen, there should still be time to make this a reality for next year. If not, then perhaps spring 2027 – when the show will celebrate its 30th anniversary – wouldn’t be a bad release time either.
Whenever it drops, it’s almost certain to be a guaranteed hit. The show has only grown in popularity since it ended, as new generations have been introduced to it, and so it feels right for the series itself to kick off its own new generation with the next Slayer (Ryan Kiera Armstrong’s Nova). If anything, that makes the more patient approach all the more commendable, because Hulu is sitting on a dead-cert ratings winner, and it’s rare to see that restraint when it comes to franchises and IPs nowadays. If it can capture even just some of the magic of the original, it’ll be worth it.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on Hulu.
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