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Credit: 20th Century StudiosIn every generation, there’s a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reimagining of some kind. And now, there’s a new slayer in town. Well, sort of.
Talks of “revamping” the iconic ’90s television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been doing the rounds for what feels like forever. Since the show turned to dust in 2003, fans have wondered whether the property would ever be exhumed and given new life.
We had the spinoff series Angel to keep us going until 2004, but once that was dead and buried, there wasn’t a whiff of a Sunnydale vampire for a long time. At least not on our television screens.
In 2007, the series continued in the form of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic books, which were published by Dark Horse Comics and produced by the show’s creator himself, Joss Whedon. The run ended with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Twelve” in 2018.
The spinoff series Angel also got its own canonical comic book series under IDW Published and later by Dark Horse Comics. There are also several “Buffyverse” novels and novelizations.
More recently, we got the YA (young adult) novel aptly titled “In Every Generation” (2022) l from author Kendare Blake, which is designed as a sequel of sorts to Buffy but focuses on Willow Rosenberg’s daughter, Frankie, who’s both a witch and vampire slayer.
And in 2023, the audiobook “Slayers: A Buffyverse Story” was released, which is a “Multiversal” story set 10 years after the TV show and sees the return of several actors, including James Marsters (Spike), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), Emma Caulfield (Anya Jenkins/Anyanka), and Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), who also co-writes and co-directs.
Unfortunately, the series was canceled after just one season, never to see the light of day again.
Related: Yep, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Has Officially Been Rebooted!
Will Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ever Be Rebooted?
Apparently, after years of trying to resurrect the IP, there is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot may quietly be in the works. Nothing concrete has been confirmed, however, back in January, American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton (yes, the Dolly Parton), who was an uncredited producer on the original series, said that the producers were busy “revamping” it.
“They’re still working on that [a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot],” she told Business Insider, adding, “They’re thinking about bringing it back and revamping it.”
While Buffy Summers actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, has publicly distanced herself from Whedon, in separate conversations, she has revealed that she has no interest in reprising her role as Buffy, but adds that the show ended “perfectly for someone else to have the power.”
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While we wait for news of a reboot, there is a relatively new Buffy reimagining we can sink our teeth into: a children’s storybook titled “which was published by Quirk Books in 2018 and forms part of the Pop Classics series that reimagines several beloved franchises such as Home Alone, Back to the Future, and The X-Files in storybook form, is the most adorable thing we’ve ever seen.
Beautifully illustrated by Kim Smith, the book reimagines Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, and Xander Harris as eight-year-olds (told from the POV of a teenage, vampire-slaying Buffy).
When Buffy becomes frightened of noises coming from her closet, she invites her two best friends from Sunnydale Elementary over for a sleepover so they can investigate in true “Scooby Gang” style. Librarian Rupert Giles also makes an appearance, and there’s a few surprise cameos in store, too, which are sure to delight fans of the beloved TV series.
Here’s the official Penguin Random House synopsis for the book:
The cult classic TV show is now a charming picture book for the youngest fans in the Buffyverse!
In this new picture-book story brought to life with cute and colorful illustrations, young readers see what the world’s strongest vampire slayer was like back when she was a kid! Join not-so-brave little Buffy, Willow, and Xander as they investigate strange sounds coming from the closet, seek advice from their school librarian Giles, and encounter everyone’s favorite Buffyverse monsters. Charmingly illustrated by Pop Classics artist Kim Smith, this sweet, silly, and not-so-scary book borrows Joss Whedon’s beloved characters to tell an endearing bedtime story.
This storybook might lack the adult themes of the television series, but it’s so awesome that it feels like a script for what probably would have been one of the best Buffy episodes!
Related: The 5 Most ANNOYING Characters in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Angel’
Per Disney+, here’s the synopsis for Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a comedy-action series that chronicles the adventures of Buffy Summers, a teenage girl who is gifted with the strength and skill to hunt vampires.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer the series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Seth Green (Oz), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Eliza Dushku (Faith), and James Marsters (Spike).
Would you like to see a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot? Let us know in the comments down below!