Has the Hellmouth frozen over?
In a move no one expected, Deadline has announced that a rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series is brewing over at Fox 21 TV Studios, the cable/streaming division of 20th Century Fox TV who produced the original Buffy series. Franchise mastermind Joss Whedon will be back to executive produce alongside new showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen; the two previously collaborated on ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
According to Deadline, “20th TV and the original series’ producers started discussions last fall about rebooting Buffy. After much deliberation and a lengthy back-and-forth, everyone involved agreed the time was right contingent on finding the right writer with the right take.”
Early rumors suggest the next Slayer will be African American; this could reflect efforts to correct what was often regarded as the original series’ Achilles’ heel: Its lack of diversity. Though often cited as an early example of female empowerment in horror, the show did a poor job representing ethnic minorities.
The rebooted Buffy will be pitched to various cable and streaming service this summer. We’ll keep our ears to the ground in order to bring you additional Buffy news as details emerge. Stay tuned! In the meantime, take a trip down Memory Lane by giving the original intro and synopsis a spin below. Enjoy!
Synopsis:
Sarah Michelle Gellar takes on the role of Buffy Summers in this TV version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” based on the film of the same title, which starred Kristy Swanson. Buffy is a Slayer, one in a long line of young women chosen for a specific mission: to seek out and destroy vampires, demons and other forces of darkness. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy establishes a group of supportive friends who aids her in her battles with evil, including Willow, Xander and Cordelia. Her battles with evil are frequent, since Sunnydale, where Buffy and friends live, sits atop a gateway to the realm of the demons.
Words: Josh Millican (@josh_millican)
