Sarah Michelle Gellar looks forever young in Buffy reboot... but her iconic character gets drastic makeover
In exclusive photos obtained by DailyMail.com, the 48-year-old actress — who shot to fame playing Buffy Summers for seven seasons — was seen rocking a bold red power suit, bringing a corporate edge to the beloved character.
Still as stunning as ever, Gellar's chic top and matching skirt were a far cry from the teenage slayer's signature look back when the show ended in 2003.
Gone were the slinky tank tops, grungy layers, and wooden stakes — replaced by business-casual glam and a to-go cup of coffee.
With sun-kissed blonde highlights, a luxury designer handbag, and red heels to match her bold suit, it's anyone's guess what the former Sunnydale heroine is up to these days — long after all those exhausting vampire-slaying high school nights.
Just last month, Gellar hinted that something new may be brewing for the franchise, teasing that the reboot 'will be lighter than the last few seasons of the original.'
'We will try to find a balance between new and old characters,' she said of the series to Vanity Fair.
Gellar, who also serves as an executive producer, then shared a reveal that's sure to excite fans: 'My dream is to bring back everyone who has died, but space will have to be made for new stories as well.'
One face who sadly won't return for the reboot is Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away in February at the age of 39.
She played Buffy's younger sister Dawn Summers in the later seasons of the original series.
Gellar paid tribute to her longtime co-star on Instagram the day after the heartbreaking news broke, sharing throwback photos and a moving quote from the show: 'Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you.'
Despite the loss, Gellar hinted the Buffy universe still has room to grow.
'One of the surprising aspects of Buffy is that it's always been a crossover series,' she told the outlet, noting that they're exploring ways to bring the story into today's world.
'We're trying to figure out how to modernize the themes of the series, especially what it means to feel like an outsider in a world dominated by social media.'
She admitted she feels fortunate not to have dealt with that dynamic when she first took on the role.
'What we want to explore are the space-time boundaries that affect society today.'
Gellar also revealed why she waited so long to sign on for a reboot.
'I didn't want to reintroduce something we had already seen. I waited for the right time to come,' she said, adding that the idea came from the director, Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, a fan of the original.
'Zhao proposed the project to me, and I accepted.'
'The gestation was long. It's been three years, and we're still working on it,' she added.
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