“I believe the fandom is so essential to us. We would like the fandom to see themselves mirrored within the unique fandom,” Zhao mentioned. “And naturally, we would like new followers to affix, and it’s very a lot about each generations.”
Titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, the sequence will each revisit the beloved franchise and transfer it into a brand new period. The revival—sorry, sequel—follows the story of a brand new slayer performed by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, with Gellar reprising her position because the well-known Chosen One. Whether or not meaning she’ll take over as a Watcher for the brand new slayer (or slayers, keep in mind, unique Buffy sequence finale “Chosen” basically activated all the potentials on this planet, taking out the concept of 1 woman in all of the world meant to face in opposition to the darkness) stays unknown, however there’s one thing intrinsically interesting in regards to the thought of Buffy absolutely embracing her Giles period.
Such a twist would additionally monitor with Zhao’s in-depth information of the sequence’ historical past and longtime private fandom. The director herself is an admitted Buffy lover, who watched the unique “religiously” in her faculty days.
“I used to be at Mount Holyoke. We might all collect — I believe it was each Thursday or Tuesday — and we might watch, since you solely get one episode and also you’re ready per week. It’s such a ritual,” Zhao mentioned. “I keep in mind the final episode ending, and we sat there; everybody was crying, and we had been all holding fingers. I keep in mind trying on the display screen, tears streaming down my eyes, and I mentioned, “Good luck to you, Buffy Summers, good luck to you.” Seeing Sarah in actual life was most likely one of the vital irritating moments of my life.”
Given all this, the promise of extra unique forged members popping again into this universe is definitely a tantalizing one, although Zhao is tight-lipped about what that may imply. There are additionally, after all, varied real-life constraints concerned, together with the tragic loss of life of unique star Michelle Trachtenberg and Nicholas Brendon’s authorized points and struggles with drug abuse. (There’s additionally the pretty inconceivable process of convincing anybody that former stars like David Boreanaz and James Marsters are someway nonetheless ageless immortals. I imply that final bit with affection! I swear!)
However there’s definitely no motive somebody like Alyson Hannigan’s Willow or Anthony Stewart Head’s Giles couldn’t pop again up. And though Eliza Dushku has modified careers within the years because the unique Buffyverse wrapped up, it’s arduous to think about a world the place she wouldn’t leap on the likelihood to play Religion once more, even when just for a short cameo.
