"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Reboot Pilot Casts Ryan Kiera Armstrong in Lead Role

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The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reboot pilot at Hulu has found its new slayer — Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

Armstrong has been cast in a lead role in the pilot opposite returning star Sarah Michelle Gellar. The pilot was originally announced at Hulu back in February. Exact plot details are under wraps, but sources previously said the pilot will focus on a new slayer with Gellar appearing in a recurring role as Buffy.

"From the moment I saw Ryan's audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side," Gellar said. "To have that kind of emotional intelligence , and talent, at such a young age is truly gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room."

Gellar also shared a video on Instagram in which she tells Armstrong she got the role, which can be seen below.


Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman are attached to write, showrun, and executive produce. Chloé Zhao is attached to direct and executive produce under her Book of Shadows production banner. Gellar executive produces along with Gail Berman. Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui will executive produce via Suite B, while Dolly Parton will executive produce via Sandollar. 20th Television and Searchlight Television will produce. Berman, the Kuzuis, and Parton were all executive producers 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.

Armstrong most recently appeared in the Disney+ "Star Wars" series "Skeleton Crew." Her other TV credits include "Anne with an E" at Netflix, "American Horror Story," and the upcoming FX series "The Lowdown." In film, she led the "Firestarter" reboot opposite Zac Efron and has also starred in big budget films like "The Tomorrow War" and Marvel's "Black Widow." She first broke out in the feature adaptation of "The Art of Racing in the Rain."

Armstrong is repped by Linden Entertainment and Innovative Artist Group.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" originated as a film starring Kristy Swanson in the title role. Whedon wrote the film with Fran Kuzui directing. It was released in 1992. Five years later, the series version starring Gellar debuted on The WB. It would air on The WB for its first five seasons before airing its final two seasons on UPN. The cast also included Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, and James Marsters among others. Boreanaz would then head up the spinoff series "Angel" at The WB for five seasons.


I don't know the actress, she looks the part I guess if not a little young but Sarah Michelle Gellar was playing a 16 year old at 19..

What I do know is they need to fix the damn HD version of the original series because it's terrible.
Thoughts?
 
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The thumbnail for the article on tvline made her look a bit like Katie Holmes and when looking up to see what else she was in, some images look like Katie. Didn't realise it was the one from Skeleton Crew. Guess going younger for this Slayer and not going the older actor playing a teen route again.
Isn't the reason for using older actors in these kinds of roles so they can have more mature storylines as well as work longer/later hours, especially when a lot of this is likely to take place at night.
 
They need Jane Espenson back for this at least, and REALLY need Joss ghost writing in some capacity. Just keep him far from this Ryan girl.

Willow was a redhead, right? Imma just gonna place some bets on her casting :p

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The thumbnail for the article on tvline made her look a bit like Katie Holmes and when looking up to see what else she was in, some images look like Katie. Didn't realise it was the one from Skeleton Crew. Guess going younger for this Slayer and not going the older actor playing a teen route again.
Isn't the reason for using older actors in these kinds of roles so they can have more mature storylines as well as work longer/later hours, especially when a lot of this is likely to take place at night.
She has a pretty decent resume and she has worked with horror in the past, so there's potential there.


And yeah hollywood has been casting more younger actors in teen/high school roles this generation, which honestly makes some of the stuff that characters like Buffy and Spiderman go through seem to hit even harder because it makes you remember they're just kids.
 
They need Jane Espenson back for this at least, and REALLY need Joss ghost writing in some capacity. Just keep him far from this Ryan girl.

Willow was a redhead, right? Imma just gonna place some bets on her casting :p
I'm surprised they didn't do a swap. I wonder how the rest of the cast will turn out.
Unless you guys know something I'm not aware of, everything states that this is a continuation/soft reboot with Gellar still starring as Buffy.

That means anything goes with the newer castings as Buffy might take the mentor/veteran role.
 
Funny. When I saw her in Skeleton Crew, I already got the feeling that she could become quite famous in a few years.
Great casting!
 
If wood spikes don't work she can just headbutt vampires to death.

Huge foreh...downgrade compared to michelle gellar.
 
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Unless you guys know something I'm not aware of, everything states that this is a continuation/soft reboot with Gellar still starring as Buffy.

That means anything goes with the newer castings as Buffy might take the mentor/veteran role.
I'm sure there will be Zander, Cordelia, and willow analogies, as those are really just high school tropes/stereotypes. A nerdy best friend with magic is gonna be in there, ive little doubt. Redhead though....damn near extinct.
 
I'm sure there will be Zander, Cordelia, and willow analogies, as those are really just high school tropes/stereotypes. A nerdy best friend with magic is gonna be in there, ive little doubt. Redhead though....damn near extinct.
The great thing is that it could be, but it doesn't need to be. That's what was great about Cobra Kai's cast.

They were their own characters with their own personalities and problems, while they allowed the older cast to still be themselves, but older, with some of them making multiple cameos. That's what anyone should hope for with this new Buffy show.
 
The great thing is that it could be, but it doesn't need to be. That's what was great about Cobra Kai's cast.

That's about as optimistic a hope as possible.

But i think we will get the same 4-5 personality types, just in "modern diverse" bodies. The seasons long emergence of Willows homosexuality will be front and center. Cordelia as the bully/popular girl turned ally won't be nearly as nuanced. Zander as simp turned unlikely hero, unlikely he will be allowed such a path today.
They were their own characters with their own personalities and problems, while they allowed the older cast to still be themselves, but older, with some of them making multiple cameos. That's what anyone should hope for with this new Buffy show.
The real question is "what is the appeal of Buffy"? It's the popular superficial girl saddled with destiny that forces her to mature. The high school cesspit culture reflecting on "just who are the real monsters?" Nerds using book learning and the scientific process to defeat evil instead of pure brain (the film wasn't so into this aspect), the very "scooby gang" attitude.

I'm not sure they can pivot too far away and still keep the now quite aged audience. How much did Cobra Kai resonate with the under 40 crowd? How much will this show aim for teens/20 year olds versus folks looking back at 40 or even 50?

Taking the pov of Buffys mom dealing with teen angst might be a tactic. Or Buffy herself dealing with aging, motherhood and being relegated to Watcher status.
 
My ex got me into Buffy after months of begging me and boy did I love it along with the Angel spinoff, I'm currently rewatching Supernatural with my wee girl and this is next on our watchlist so I'm beyond excited to see where this goes, I'm glad it's a continuation than a hard reboot and the new slayer looks great and will hopefully appeal to a broader audience lol got complete dad vibes seeing her all excited to get the role
 
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I can't be the only one waiting for the big reveal...

Whatever the modern-day 2025 rebootism catch will be. The thing that proves they actually hate the source material and it's fans.
 
All the Joss rumours blew up when his wife sought divorce. Due to that I would not be surprised if a lot of what was said was BS.
I have a friend whose wife is in the music industry and knows a girl Joss macked on.

He was definitely a horn dog, but probably not any worse than most of the guys with the power to cast a hot young starlet. They alllllllll getting blown.
 
That sentence doesn't make him sound any better lol.
For real, but thankfully I think he is actually worse than most, which is what is needed here. He exploits women under the guise of making a girl-power show. Get Joss, rev up the ol' casting couch, and he'll probably kill off Buffy in the pilot and cast hot chicks and sexually frustrated nerds based on his high school days again. I can picture it now, Buffy Reboot pilot: The Body 2 -- some hot 20-year-old playing a high school junior finds her mom, Buffy, dead as a doornail. Easy. I'll let ol' Joss the perv figure out some reason she died. Maybe it can be a mystery. What's important is out with the old, in with the new.

But instead, we're getting whatever this is. SMG is probably going to abuse her executive producing powers to have her very-much-alive character muse about what it means to be a Slayer during menopause or some retarded shit. Can you imagine anyone other than a proper British dude filling the Giles role? God forbid they have SMG try to do it. My god this show needs as little of her as possible.

I ain't watching it. I know better. Me smart horse. Me fooled before.
 
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