Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who had been set to front the new Buffy The Vampire Slayer revival, has spoken out after reports confirmed Hulu will not be moving ahead with the series.
The 16-year-old actor addressed the abrupt end to the project on social media, sharing her reaction directly with fans.
Interest in a return to the Buffy universe has simmered for years, with the original show making Sarah Michelle Gellar’s vampire-slaying teen a pop-culture fixture while she balanced monsters, friendships, and school in Sunnydale.
Although Gellar had previously been hesitant about revisiting the franchise, momentum reportedly shifted after filmmaker Chloe Zhao brought an idea to her that she felt excited about. Production then progressed far enough that filming had already taken place.
Despite that head start, the cast later confirmed the streamer had chosen to halt the project.
Armstrong appeared on her Instagram Story, becoming emotional as she thanked supporters and reflected on the experience.
“I’m sure many of you have already heard the news by now,”
“I wanted to come on here and say thank you for all of the support that you guys have given me and this show throughout the last couple months. It’s been really special.”
She said she was proud of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale pilot, while also acknowledging her disappointment that viewers won’t get the chance to watch it.
“It doesn’t take away from the amazing experience that I had,”
She also expressed gratitude to those who embraced the idea of a new chapter and supported her involvement, as well as the cast she worked alongside.
“I also want to say thank you to all the fans who believed in this new chapter, and who believed in me, so thank you guys,”
“Thank you to the cast I worked with. You guys are awesome.”
Armstrong ended on a hopeful note, suggesting the Buffy legacy still has room to continue in some form.
“I guess all I want to say is we brought this back for you guys and Buffy is such a big part of all of our lives. It’s not going anywhere! Who knows what the future will hold?”
Her comments arrived not long after she posted a photo of herself from the set.
Gellar also addressed the cancellation, saying she was disappointed and wanted fans to hear the update from her directly, while praising Zhao’s role in bringing her back to the character.
“So I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me – unfortunately Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale,”
“I want to thank [director] Chloe Zhao because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots and thanks to Chloe I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means not only to me but to all of you. And this doesn’t change any of that.”
Additional cast members previously linked to the series included Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott.