Sarah Michelle Gellar Stuns in Fiery First Look on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Set

Sarah Michelle Gellar Stuns in Fiery First Look on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Set originally appeared on Parade.

Buffy’s back, and she’s traded her wooden stake for a killer red mini.

On Thursday, August 7, Sarah Michelle Gellar was spotted filming Hulu’s upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot in Los Angeles, marking her official return to the role that made her a ’90s icon.

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In the photos, the 48-year-old cult horror favorite rocks a figure-hugging red dress with a rose detail, matching stilettos, and a YSL bag—coffee in hand—looking every bit the stylish slayer.

It didn’t take long for the images to hit social media where the internet quickly weighed in.

“They could’ve at least put a black/brown belt around the waist to make that outfit more fashionable… y’know like the way Buffy is?” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“She still looks beautiful after all these years,” another said.

“The outfit screams Housewife and Old!! Buffy will never wear that outfit,” chimed in a third.

“For everyone saying Buffy would never dress like this, literally go back & watch the show, she wears dresses on several occasions, before she transitioned more to pants, also she’s allowed to get older & have her style grow more sophisticated yet sexy. Let mother, MOTHER,” someone else pointed out.

“This diva… it’s giving Gale Weathers vibes,” quipped another.

Some didn’t care about the wardrobe critiques—Buffy was back, and that was enough.

“AAHHH BUFFY!! I’m gonna cry I’m so happy. love that we get to see Buffy Summers again,” one commenter gushed.

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“I cannot believe it! After 22 years of hoping and praying for her return, Sarah Michelle Gellar is finally back as Buffy! This is a dream come true!!!” someone else added.

Gellar originally played the iconic role from 1997 to 2003, alongside Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz and the late Michelle Trachtenberg. In the reboot, she’ll ‘pass the stake’ to a new slayer, played by Firestarter star Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

The reboot—directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao and showrun by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman—has been in the works for a while.

In a February Instagram post, the Cruel Intentions star revealed the process started three years ago when her friend and mentor, Gail Berman, urged her to meet Zhao, 43, about a possible revival. Gellar admitted she went “mainly just to meet Chloé,” but what was supposed to be a quick 20-minute coffee turned into “a four-hour adventure” filled with laughter, tears, and a shared love for the original series.

Though she didn’t commit right away, Gellar said the conversations continued over the next few years, eventually bringing the Zuckerman sisters on board and leading to a concept they all felt was worth pursuing. “I have always listened to the fans… but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right,” she wrote. “We will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there.”

Now, the reboot is moving forward with tangible momentum—with a Hulu pilot formally ordered, according to Deadline—but the streaming giant hasn’t announced a release date, and the series has yet to receive a full-season order. That said, filming is underway, the cast is taking shape, and fan buzz is building without spilling too much about which original characters may return.

Sarah Michelle Gellar Stuns in Fiery First Look on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Set first appeared on Parade on Aug 10, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.