Some things are better off dead.
That was my feeling when I saw the news yesterday that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, Buffy: New Sunnydale, from actor Sarah Michelle Gellar and Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, was passed on by Hulu, which had originally greenlit a pilot with much hubbub. Many longtime fans were vocal online, criticizing Hulu’s decision and urging another streamer, like Netflix, to pick up the show. Considering that Hulu is a part of Disney, which owns the Buffy property via its purchase years ago of the 20th Century Fox assets, a Netflix deal won’t be happening anytime soon. And we’re probably all the better for it.
For everyone wondering what happened, here’s something to consider. There’s obviously value to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer intellectual property. Books are published, comics have continued (including a canon continuation that was written and overseen by series creator Joss Whedon), and there’s merchandise on sale at Hot Topic. There’s little doubt in my mind that Hulu would want a new Buffy series to stream, because they would make money off of it, and that’s what those executives are in the business of. For them to pass on a high-profile reboot/sequel to a valuable IP, the end result of this pilot would have to have been…not good.
I’ll pause while readers who take offence to that notion get red in the face.
That’s right, maybe Buffy: New Sunnydale just turned out to not be very good. Or note quite right. Sure, having an Oscar-winner attached to the project would have been enticing to anybody, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, who has always been wary about revisiting her most iconic character. But has Chloé Zhao made a film that demonstrated in any way, shape, or form that her sensibilities would jive within the Buffy-verse? Her most mainstream movie, Marvel’s Eternals, was gorgeous to look at and had some amazing concepts, but also moved at a very deliberate pace that didn’t land with audiences. There’s no questioning her talent, not at all, but maybe, just maybe, her cinematic sensibilities weren’t right for a streaming teenage drama with vampires.
This is all conjecture, of course. But its conjecture worth considering after so much hype around a Buffy television resurgence.
And then there’s the other key aspect of Buffy that was missing, in the form of its creator, Joss Whedon. While he may be persona non grata in Hollywood because of his extremely problematic behind-the-scenes actions, not just on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but also when he stepped into Zach Snyder’s shoes to complete Justice League for Warner Bros., few can argue that Whedon wasn’t the reason for Buffy’s success. Sarah Michelle Gellar was the face of the show and did amazing, timeless work that can’t be diminished, but it was Whedon’s vision that was on display for nearly seven seasons. And when he stepped away somewhat to work on other projects (Firefly being the one I’m thinking of), the series suffered for it. I don’t think anyone considers the final two seasons of Buffy the high points of the series. For anybody to take on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and for anybody to hope those efforts would match the original vibes, well, I think it’s unlikely.
Joss Whedon, for all his troubles, was a creator with a distinct voice and view, regardless of how much of it may have been artifice. If people want a new world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or its mythos, Whedon would be the person best set to guide it, at least in terms of mythology and tone. That won’t happen, though, and maybe it shouldn’t, since few could ever again take Whedon seriously as a voice for female empowerment following his multiple affairs with actors.
So, with all these circumstances surrounding it, perhaps the final television image of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, featuring Buffy with a smile on her face and a world of possibilities facing her, is exactly the right ending for the character.
Because some things are better off dead.
