It was revealed over the weekend that a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was in the works from original creator Joss Whedon, who’s serving as executive producer, and showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen. Details are scant on the project but we do know that the lead will be a young black actress, which is news that was met with a lot of controversy, as many fans didn’t take to the idea of their favorite series being remade.
Now, Owusu-Breen’s come forward to respond to the backlash and in doing so, hinted that we might’ve got the wrong idea about the Buffy reboot. The writer explained in a post on her Twitter account that she’s a massive fan of Whedon’s masterpiece and wouldn’t dream of recasting the original cast of characters on the show. Not only that, but she ended the message by teasing that we should expect to see a new Slayer.
“For some genre writers it’s Star Wars. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my Star Wars. Before I became a writer, I was a fan. For seven seasons, I watched Buffy Summers grow up, find love, kill that love. I watched her fight, and struggle and slay,” she wrote. “There is only one Buffy. One Xander, one Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Oz, Tara, Kendra, Faith, Spike, Angel … They can’t be replaced. Joss Whedon’s brilliant and beautiful series can’t be replicated. I wouldn’t try to. But here we are, 20 years later … and the world seems a lot scarier. So maybe, it could be time to meet a new Slayer … And that’s all I can say.”
Though Owusu-Breen can’t say too much about the project as it’s only in its earliest stages right now, it definitely seems that the plan is for the new Buffy to be a reimagining rather than a straight-up remake. Going by her comments, we can rule out the reboot simply telling the same story with the same characters as the original, too. In fact, seeing as she’s such a fan, it’s possible the new show will be more of a continuation than a reboot, following on from the continuity of the first series.
From what we understand, the Buffy revival is being pitched to cable and streaming networks this summer, so if one of them bites, then things could move forward on the project over the next few months. We’ll keep you posted should we hear more, but at least now we know that it won’t trample on the memory of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s iconic character.
