Fans of 90s cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been given an exciting new update
Sarah Michelle Gellar has given Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans a huge update on the well-loved series’ reboot.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Gellar was in talks to reprise her role of Buffy Summers in the 90s cult classic TV show, which drew to a close in May 2003.
It’s since been confirmed that Hulu is developing a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which Gellar is indeed attached to.
But this time round Buffy will act as a mentor instead of the lead slayer, meaning producers were on the lookout for their new lead.
It’s now been confirmed who will be cast as the front-woman of the reboot, and it’s sent fans into a frenzy.
Taking to Instagram yesterday (May 15), Gellar — who has been happily married to fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr. for 23 years — shared a video of a conversation she had with an actress called Ryan Kiera Armstrong.
Ryan Kiera Armstrong has been cast in the Buffy reboot (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
While only 15 years old, Armstrong has already worked with some of the biggest names in the film industry including Zac Efron, Chris Pratt, Nicolas Cage, and Jude Law in projects such as Firestarter and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
In the video call between Armstrong and Gellar, the Buffy alum asks the up-and-coming actress: “How do you feel about helping me save the world? Do you want to be my chosen one?”
Armstrong then becomes overcome with emotion as she graciously accepts Gellar’s offer.
“From the second we all saw your tape, there was nobody else in our eyes that could do it and that [we] wanted to do it with,” she went on to tell Armstrong.
“I’m so excited to stand by your side and have you be my partner on this journey.”
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Gellar captioned the sweet video shared to social media: “I want to introduce you to @ryankarmstrong From the moment I saw Ryan’s audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side.
“To have that kind of emotional intelligence , and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room. Welcome to #NewSunnydale.”
Buffy fans have since expressed their excitement at the huge news. One person replied to Gellar’s post: “Crying! this is so exciting.”
“Omggggg this is so real now and i’m so so excited,” echoed another.
A third said: “This is heartwarming, Sarah you’re so lovely and supportive. You made her and all of our days!”
Others were quick to congratulate Armstrong on her exciting new role.
It isn’t thought that the Buffy reboot has started production yet.Featured Image Credit: Disney
Topics: Film and TV, News, Instagram, Celebrity
Updated 08:24 27 Feb 2025 GMTPublished 08:15 27 Feb 2025 GMT
Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars mourn death of ‘little sister’ Michelle Trachtenberg
Tributes are pouring in for Michelle Trachtenberg after the actress died at the age of 39
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars have shared tributes mourning the death of their ‘little sister’.
Trachtenberg was tragically found dead at the age of 39 by emergency services at One Columbus Place, New York, at around 8am on Wednesday (February 26), the NYPD has confirmed.
Police said her death is not being treated as suspicious and an autopsy will determine her cause of death.
In a statement, Trachtenberg’s representatives said: “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss.”
Tributes have since been flooding in for the TV star, who joined the fifth season of the supernatural drama as Dawn Summers, Buffy’s younger sister.
Emma Caulfield shared this snap of her former co-star (Instagram/@emmacaulfieldofficial)
Emma Caulfield, who starred as Anya Jenkins, said the cast had ‘lost a little sister’ in a post on Instagram.
Caulfield wrote: “I’m so sorry your bright light died so young. Our Buffy family lost a little sister today.
“Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved.”
Actress Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow Rosenberg in the show, also shared some nostalgic snaps of Trachtenberg including pics from when they shared scenes together.
Hannigan said: “I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing.
“She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends.
Meanwhile, James Marsters, who played the British vampire Spike, shared a selfie of the pair and described his co-star as a ‘beautiful soul’.
“My heart is heavy today,” he wrote. “We have lost a beautiful soul.
“Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person. She died much too young and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her.
“My heart goes out to her family who are good people and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear.
“I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time. Godspeed Michelle. You are missed.”
James Marsters shared this selfie with Trachtenberg (Instagram/@realjamesmarsters)
Other famous celebs who worked with Trachtenberg have also penned heartbreaking tributes, including her Gossip Girl co-star, Blake Lively, who described her old friend as ‘kind’ and ‘electric’ who ‘laughed the fullest’.
Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass on the hit American teen drama, added he was ‘sending prayers’ after learning of her death.
Sex and the City star, Kim Cattrall, who shared a photo of the two from the film Ice Princess, wrote: “Rest in peace sweet Michelle.”
US comedian, Rosie O’Donnell, who starred in the 1996 movie Harriet the Spy with Trachtenberg, said her death was ‘heartbreaking’.
“I loved her very much,” O’Donnell said in a statement to People. “She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
The tragic news comes as Buffy actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, 47, teased on social media that she is ‘on the path’ to reviving the show with a team of ‘four unbelievably talented women’.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Trachtenberg in 2008 (Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage)
Trachtenberg rose to fame from the young age of three, appearing in Nickelodeon television series Adventures of Pete and Pete which aired from 1994 to 1996, followed by the 2004 movie, Eurotrip.
She hit global success for her roles as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl and as Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the latter of which saw her nominated for three Saturn Awards and bag a Young Artist Award.
Trachtenberg also voiced the character of Judy Reilly in American adult animated comedy series Human Kind Of which premiered on Facebook Watch and starred in movies such as 2005’s Ice Princess and appeared in 17 Again (2009) alongside Zac Efron.
LADbible Group has contacted NYPD and Michelle Trachtenberg’s representatives for comment.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email info@grievewell.com.Featured Image Credit: Online USA via Getty
Topics: Michelle Trachtenberg, Film and TV, US News, New York, Celebrity, Hollywood
Updated 19:53 4 Feb 2025 GMTPublished 16:54 4 Feb 2025 GMT
Fans ask the same questions as Sarah Michelle Gellar ‘to return’ for Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel
Not everyone was enthusiastic about the new project
Sarah Michelle Gellar is reportedly in talks to reprise her role as Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a sequel of the hit cult show.
It’s been 22 years since the star last graced our screens as Buffy Summers in the popular TV show, which ran from 1997 to 2003.
Created by Avengers director, Joss Whedon, Gellar starred as Buffy, a slayer destined to battle supernatural entities, enlisting the help of her faithful friends along the way, all while trying to be a normal teenage girl.
Ben Affleck In Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Credit: Twitter/@karaoklee
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Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, Nicholas Brendon, Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters also starred alongside Gellar for its seven-season run.
It even had a few famous guest stars, including Pedro Pascal, Amy Adams and Ben Affleck – though his one line was dubbed over without his knowledge.
The franchise also spawned a spin-off show in the form of Angel, focusing on David Boreanaz’s character.
For people who grew up in the noughties, Gellar is the quintessential Buffy, so when Variety reported that a Buffy sequel is ‘nearing a pilot order’ at Hulu, with sources claiming Gellar is in ‘final talks’ to return to her iconic role – as well as executive produce – people were delighted.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven sevens between 1997 and 2003 (Warner Bros/Getty Images)
Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao is set to direct the new project, while Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’s Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman will serve as writers, showrunners and executive producers.
But the untitled project would see Gellar potentially feature in a recurring role rather than the lead, with a new slayer being the focus of the series, Variety further claimed.
But even the most die-hard fanatics appeared to have one simple question: Why?
Taking to social media, fans were quick to share their thoughts on the potential reboot.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is reportedly in ‘final talks’ for a Buffy return (Getty Images)
One person posted to X: “Imo some things – like Buffy – are sacred and should be left as they were. Everyone involved in this could have the best of intentions…but please leave her be!”
A second agreed: “If [Sarah Michelle Gellar] is not the main role then cancel it I’m so serious,” adding that they want to see ‘Buffy in her 40s still kicking ass.’
A third agreed, pleading producers to ‘keep the show centered around her.’
Ironically, back in 2023, Gellar herself shut down rumors of a Buffy revival, claiming it ‘doesn’t need to be done.’
Meanwhile, others were curious as to whether Whedon would be involved in the new project.
The director has faced allegations of abusive behavior and workplace harassment from his colleagues, ex-wife and even a few Buffy cast members, including Carpenter.
Fans want Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy to be the focus of the sequel (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
In February 2021, the star claimed the show creator had made passive-aggressive comments toward her while filming Angel, allegedly calling her ‘fat’ when she was four months pregnant, and accusing her of ‘sabotaging the show’ before ‘unceremoniously fired [her] the following season’, according to The Independent.
Whedon has denied the allegations made against him, and in an interview with Vulture, he said: “If I am upsetting somebody, it will be a problem for me.”
He also told New York Magazine (via Deadline) that his experiences with Carpenter were ‘delightful and charming’.
He said: “She struggled sometimes with her lines, but nobody could hit a punch line harder than her,” adding that he ‘did not call her fat’.
Whedon is noticeably absent from the sequel’s creative team and doesn’t appear to be at all involved.
Should the Buffy reboot go ahead, it’ll join Prison Break as the latest series to be revived on Hulu.
UNILAD has contacted Hulu and 20th TV for comment.Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros
Topics: Hulu, Film and TV, Nostalgia
Published 17:03 25 Apr 2025 GMT+1
Sarah Michelle Gellar reveals the one ‘simple secret’ to her happy 23-year marriage with Freddie Prinze Jr.
The couple met in their 20s while on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer
Sarah Michelle Gellar has lifted the lid on the ‘simple secret’ to her happy 23-year marriage with Freddie Prinze Jr.
The couple first met way back in the 90s, while on the set of the 1997 teen thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer.
In their early 20s, Gellar and Prinze went on to star alongside each other in movies in the early stages of their relationship, including the 1999 romcom, She’s All That, followed by the 2002 comedy Scooby-Doo, and its sequel, Monsters Unleashed in 2004, after they tied the knot in 2002.
While enjoying more than two decades of happy marriage together, they also share two children, Charlotte, age 15, and their son, Rocky, 12.
So, it’s fair to say they know the secret sauce to keeping their relationship happy and healthy.
The couple have been together for a staggering 23 years (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star is due to appear in the upcoming revival of the show, which she discussed while appearing on an episode of Today with Jenna & Friends as well as her husband’s role in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel.
But co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Tiffany Haddish were both keen to know what the ‘secret’ is to the couple’s long 23-year marriage.
The 48-year-old promptly replied: “Separate bathrooms. It’s that simple.”
The pair apparently agreed to use separate bathrooms years ago after Gellar cited having two loos in their home as a ‘secret’ to their marriage in 2017.
While on Harry Connick Jr’s talk show, Harry, she said: “I feel like there are certain things that should just be kept your own and they never need to know. Also maybe, possibly a separate shopping credit card? Or if you’re a guy, maybe a separate gaming card so I don’t have to see how much video games cost.”
The revelation comes as the pair seemed as happy as ever for their 22nd wedding anniversary in September last year – and after they both worked together again on the movie, Clerks III in 2022.
The pair starred in Scooby Doo the same year they got married (Warner Bros.)
The couple also told PEOPLE in 2020 that their first date was a happy accident and that they had built up a friendship before dating seriously.
“We were friends for a very long time,” Gellar said at the time. “We’d had many dinners before. And we were supposed to go with someone else, and the third person didn’t make it out, and we decided to still go…. We were just two people at dinner catching up. We had a long car ride and a long dinner and things just happened.”
Prinze added: “From our first date, I didn’t go on dates with other girls, nor did I even want to pursue dates with other girls.”
Although the couple have spent most of their adult lives in the spotlight, they share similar values when it comes to their kids.
Neither Rocky nor Charlotte will be allowed to even try their hand at acting professionally until they graduate high school, Gellar told The Hollywood Reporter.Featured Image Credit: Sean Teegarden/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Hollywood, US News
Updated 07:51 1 Mar 2023 GMTPublished 07:34 1 Mar 2023 GMT
Sarah Michelle Gellar shares throwback pic of Pedro Pascal in Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Pedro Pascal has been around for longer than you think.
Before Pedro Pascal became the internet’s daddy and Sarah Michelle Gellar became the internet’s mother, the two youngsters shared scenes together in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
And as you can imagine, fans are going absolutely wild after learning this information.
Yes, back before Pedro was tough enough to take on clickers, he was unfortunately attacked by a different kind of undead.
Back in season four of Buffy, Sarah’s titular character went to college and had a hard time making new friends.
That was until she met fellow freshman Eddie (played by Pedro), who become fast friends and promise to help each other get through the tough year ahead.
Erik Pendzich / Alamy Stock Photo
But, not long after their first run-in, Eddie is caught by a gang of vampires and turned into one himself.
When Buffy notices her new friend has gone missing, her hunting instincts know something’s up right away and she goes looking for him.
By the time Buffy finds him wandering around the campus grounds at night, she discovers that Eddie has been turned into a vampire, so she’ll have to kill her only college friend.
Eventually, when Buffy manages to stake him, poor Eddie turns to dust.
Pedro had a very short run on the hit sci-fi show, but Sarah Michelle Gellar remembered it all too well.
Sharing a snap from one of their scenes together to Instagram, she wrote: “When #Mother met #Father.”
The WB
If you’re a little lost on that one, fans that Pedro has earned throughout the years from roles in hit shows like Narcos and Game of Thrones are kind of, sort of madly in love with him.
But from the moment he first appeared as Joel on The Last Of Us, people couldn’t take it anymore and went pretty feral for him online.
Perhaps it was his father-like protection of a young girl as he tries to get her across uncharted territory, or his nearly grey-haired, but hella built look, but the nickname ‘Daddy’ stuck and Pedro just can’t brush it off.
Meanwhile, thanks to roles like Buffy and Daphne in the Scooby-Doo live action, Sarah Michelle Gellar has become a gay icon, and was recently branded ‘Mother’.
A definition for ‘Mother’ from the Gay Times, for those still not getting it, reads: “a cis-het women with a certain pop cultural cachet and demonstrable queer appeal.”
The WB
All this to say, when Sarah pointed out that she and Pedro had worked together as youngsters before they got their new fan-made titles, people went nuts.
Sarah’s followers even started brainstorming ideas on how they could get the two stars back together again.
“The Last Of Buff spinoff series when,” asked one follower, while another suggested:”Buffy the Clicker Slayer.”
“Imagining how amazing s4 would have been with Eddie as the love interest,” swooned a third.
*Sigh*, maybe in another life.Featured Image Credit: @sarahmgellar / Instagram / AFF / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV
