Sarah Michelle Gellar Explains How the New 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Series Fits in Franchise: 'Not a Sequel'

Sarah Michelle Gellar is setting the scene for her new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

The 48-year-old actress played the titular character in the original series, which aired between 1997 and 2003. Over two decades later, she’s involved with a new series called Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale.

She opened up about the show, how it fit into the larger Buffy universe and why it’s taking so long to come together in a new interview.

Keep reading to find out more…

While on the Shut Up Evan podcast, Sarah was asked if she would define the upcoming show as a “reboot.”

“It’s not a sequel. It’s not a reboot; it’s a continuation,” she explained, adding that the show is about “where is [Buffy] now in this world and what is this world that Buffy lives in with her and without her,”

She explained, “So it’s not a reboot. It’s not picking up with all of the same characters right away.”

Sarah said that the show’s title was “important” and that it set the scene: “It’s Buffy, but it’s also something else.”

Coming back to the series, the actress noted that she “learned a hard lesson in life” after previously refusing to revisit the iconic character.

“I will eat my words, and I’m okay with that,” she said. “I never saw how and why it could be as good. I’m not trying to be better. I just want to hold and honor the memory and what we created. I know sometimes that memory is conflicted for people about how they’re supposed to feel about it, but a lot of people put their blood, sweat, and tears into making what I think is an incredibly great show, and I’m incredibly proud of it.”

The new series has been in the works for a while. Why is it taking so long?

“I know this seems like it’s taking a long time, and it’s because unless we are sure that it is exactly what we set out to do and that it makes sense to do it, we don’t want to sell you the legacy by not. When I know it’s perfect, then it will be out there, but I won’t do it unless I know it can be that,” she explained.

The cast for the new Buffy show is starting to come together. Find out which star is confirmed not to return.