BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Revival Casts Ryan Kiera Armstrong as The New Slayer Joining Sarah Michelle Gellar — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant

15-05-2025

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is coming back, and this time, the stake-wielding mantle is being passed to a new generation. Ryan Kiera Armstrong ( Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Firestarter ) has been officiually cast as The Slayer in Hulu's revival series, joining original star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who will reprise her role as Buffy Summers and serve as executive producer.
Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao is helming the pilot, which was written by Poker Face creators Nora and Lilla Zuckerman.
Details about the storyline are still being kept under wraps, but Hulu describes the project as 'the next chapter in the Buffyverse.'
Armstrong's character is said to be an introverted high schooler, an echo of Buffy's own teenage beginnings, but with fresh stakes (pun intended) for a new era.
There's also a kind of poetic symmetry in Armstrong's casting. Not only do her and Gellar's names share a rhythmic cadence, but the emotional resonance she brought to her audition left a serious impression. Geller says:
'From the moment I saw Ryan's audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side. To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room.'
In a heartfelt moment captured on video, Gellar surprised the 15-year-old Armstrong with the news she'd landed the role. Through tears, Armstrong responded:
'I'm so honored, thank you for trusting me.'
The Zuckerman sisters, who co-wrote the script and are also executive producers, said:
'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.'
Joining Gellar, Zhao, and the Zuckermans on the producing team are Buffy veterans Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, and Kaz Kuzui, as well as Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar Productions backed the original series. The show is being developed by 20th Television and Searchlight TV, where Zhao holds a first-look deal.
As for Armstrong, since breaking out at age eight in The Art of Racing in the Rain , she's carved out a resume that includes IT: Chapter Two , Black Widow , The Tomorrow War , and American Horror Story: Red Tide .
On the TV side, she's appeared in Anne with an E , starred alongside Jude Law in Skeleton Crew , and will soon be seen opposite Ethan Hawke in The Lowdown .