The upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot at Hulu has found its new lead. Ryan Kiera Armstrong will play the new slayer in the pilot episode. She joins original star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who will return in a recurring role as Buffy.
The pilot was first announced in February. Plot details are still under wraps. However, sources say the show will focus on a new slayer, with Gellar passing the torch. Gellar shared the casting news herself. She posted a video on Instagram, revealing to Armstrong that she got the role.
Strong Creative Team Behind the Project Elated For Ryan Kiera Armstrong
Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman will write, showrun, and executive produce the pilot. Chloé Zhao will direct and also serve as an executive producer through her Book of Shadows banner. Gellar will also executive produce, along with Gail Berman.
Fran and Kaz Kuzui will executive produce under Suite B. Dolly Parton joins as an executive producer through her Sandollar banner. 20th Television and Searchlight Television are producing the show.
Berman, the Kuzuis, and Parton all worked on the original Buffy series. “We are so overjoyed to have found this generation’s slayer in Ryan Kiera Armstrong, she absolutely blew us away — there is no question in our mind that she is the chosen one,” the Zuckermans said in a statement.
Armstrong’s Growing Career
Armstrong was most recently seen in Disney+’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Her TV credits include Netflix’s Anne with an E, American Horror Story, and FX’s upcoming The Lowdown.
In film, she starred in the Firestarter reboot opposite Zac Efron. She also appeared in The Tomorrow War and Marvel’s Black Widow. Moreover, first gained attention in The Art of Racing in the Rain. She is represented by Linden Entertainment and Innovative Artist Group.
Buffy’s Legacy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer began as a film in 1992. Kristy Swanson played Buffy, and Fran Kuzui directed. Joss Whedon wrote the script. In 1997, the series version debuted on The WB with Gellar as the lead. It ran for five seasons there, then moved to UPN for two more.
The cast included Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, and James Marsters. Boreanaz later starred in the spinoff series Angel, which ran for five seasons on The WB.
