Sarah Michelle Gellar explains why she won’t be involved in any reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Blending the supernatural with high school drama, the seminal series initially followed a teenage girl who has the responsibility of battling the forces of darkness alongside a group of loyal friends. Gellar played the title character from 1997 to 2003, becoming one of television’s most iconic protagonists. Given that kind of enduring popularity, there has always been interest in the actress revisiting her memorable portrayal.
Gellar’s thoughts on the possibility of returning to Buffy has shifted since the show ended its run. She was open to the idea in 2008, but when reports of a reboot emerged, her thoughts on the subject were more ambivalent. Gellar noted that she supports a Buffy reboot, but added that her part of the story was done. In recent remarks, she elaborated further on that view.
As part of an ON with Mario Lopez interview, Gellar was asked if she would be interested in reprising her role as Buffy Summers in a reboot. Though the actress understood why a continuation would be appealing, pointing to the themes that the show relied on, particularly in its early seasons, she stressed that fans shouldn’t expect to see her slaying vampires anytime soon. You can read Gellar’s quote below:
Wee bit, as they say, long in the tooth for that? You know, I think what Buffy was that, you know, the monsters represented? They were the metaphors, the horrors of adolescence. And I do think that story lends itself. It’d be interesting to see how a Chosen One would deal with that. I don’t think it’s me. I don’t think I would be the one doing it. And I’m also way too tired to put in that kind of work again, but I love that the story holds up, and that people are calling for that.
For the moment, considering the abuse allegations surrounding Joss Whedon, who created Buffy and was linked to the reboot as an executive producer, it seems unlikely that the continuation will move forward. News of the reboot has stalled, and even at the time, fans were skeptical of how successful a modern spinoff would be. While the presence of original cast members like Gellar would certainly add interest, her character has already experienced what many viewers would consider to be a satisfying conclusion. Summers could always return, for some episodes, as a mentor as other reboots have done. But even then, this approach would risk dampening the legacy of a series that is currently experiencing a fair amount of turmoil.
Setting Whedon’s problematic behavior aside, attempts to revive Buffy have previously floundered. Specifically, in May 2009, a Buffy movie was in development. The project was started with the hopes of rebooting the series and starting a franchise. However, cast members like David Boreanaz and viewers alike scoffed at the idea. After unsatisfactory scripts were presented, production on the reboot was halted. Gellar may ultimately be right to think that while Buffy the Vampire Slayer seems suitable for some sort of revisitation, it’d be a difficult task to pull off.
Source: ON with Mario Lopez