'Nobody saw this coming': Sarah Michelle Gellar's devastating update for Buffy fans after reboot is axed

It was the show that officially cemented the success of the 'strong female hero' archetype, paving the way for countless more in its stead.

But for years following the conclusion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's original TV run, devoted fans continued to call for star Sarah Michelle Gella grand return to Sunnydale.

For a time, it appeared such a return was imminent. A reboot of the titular show had been picked up by Hulu – with its leading lady returning alongside Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao But then, she received a call that changed everything.

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While in attendance at SXSW Film & TV Festival for the premiere of her new movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come – Gellar's first major foray into film in 20 years – studio execs broke the news no actor wants to hear.

"I was just about to take the stage in front of all the fans," Gellar recalled of the moment in an interview with PEOPLE.

"Hulu had decided not to move forward with the Buffy revival. Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming."

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For several years, Gellar and Zhao had been working on a continuation of Buffy's story – even filming a pilot episode that would have served as the launching pad for a full series reboot.

"I've been asked since the day I left to return to Sunnydale," Gellar recalled, "and it never occurred to me that it was something I was going to do."

"Then four years ago, Chloé, the witch that she is – and I say that as a good thing – comes into my life. In one meeting, she makes me say 'yes' to something I never saw on my radar."

Gellar revealed she and Zhao had discussed the core of the character, and exactly where a continuation of her journey would lead, at length prior to her coming on board.

But all their progress unravelled in an instant, owing to the decision of one single studio exec.

"No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight [Pictures]," Gellar said.

"We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn't for him."

Gellar says it was this particular executive who was responsible for officially pulling the plug on the much-anticipated project.

"So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn't watch it."

News first broke that the reboot had been axed over the weekend, when the actress took to Instagram to update invested fans.

"So I'm really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me," she began in the video.

"Unfortunately, Hulu has decided to not move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale."

The reaction on social media was immediate and overwhelming, with fans coming out in spades to express their disappointment over the premature cancellation.

One comment in particular went as far as begging Dolly Parton – whose production company produced the original series – to intervene and save the doomed reboot.

Others urged streaming platform Netflix to "do their thing" and pick up the series in Hulu's stead.

But despite widespread outcry from fans, the question of whether the reboot will be plucked from the scrap heap – with Gellar reprising her role as the fan-favourite slayer afterall – remains up in the air.

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