Joss Whedon developing reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Sooner or later, everything gets remade, and the next to board the reboot train will be none other than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the beloved supernatural/drama which made household names out of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Joss Whedon. It's been announced that 20th Century Fox Television is developing a new take on the series which will be written by Monica Owusu-Breen (Midnight, Texas). Whedon is onboard as an executive-producer and has also been working with Owusu-Breen on the script.

Talk of the Buffy reboot reportedly began last fall, but once Monica Owusu-Breen came onboard, the choice was made to move forward. Casting for the central role of Buffy has yet to have been determined, but the reboot will find an African American actress stepping into the role. The project is still in the early stages at this point, so anything could change. According to sources, the news series will be "contemporary and build on the mythology of the original. Like today's world, the new Buffy will be richly diverse, with some aspects of the series, like the flagship, seen as metaphors for issues facing society today." Although Joss Whedon will be involved, it's not certain what his role will be as the potential series moves forward, especially considering that he's also currently working on his upcoming HBO series, The Nevers. 20th Century Fox Televsion CEO Gary Newman hinted at the reboot earlier this year, when he said that "[Buffy] is probably our most ripe show for a remake, it's something we talk about frequently." Newman added that the choice was ultimately up to Joss Whedon, so it's now clear that he's onboard with the Buffy reboot, despite previously expressing his fear at the possibility.

"I see a little bit of what I call monkey's paw in these reboots. You bring something back, and even if it's exactly as good as it was, the experience can't be," Whedon told THR last year. "You've already experienced it, and part of what was great was going through it for the first time. You have to meet expectations and adjust it for the climate, which is not easily. Luckily most of my actors still look wonderful, but I'm not worried about them being creaky. I'm more worried about me being creaky as a storyteller. You don't want that feeling that you should have left before the encore."

How do you feel about Buffy the Vampire Slayer getting the reboot treatment?