Ryan Kiera Armstrong (left) tearing up as Sarah Michelle Gellar announced the casting news. Credit :
Sarah Michelle Gellar/Instagram
- Sarah Michelle Gellar shared the moment she asked Ryan Kiera Armstrong to star alongside her in the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot
- Gellar will be reprising her role as Buffy Summers in the unnamed Hulu project, which was announced in February, two decades after the original series ended
- Armstrong is just 15-years-old and has previously appeared in Anne with an E, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Firestarter
Buffy Summers is bringing in some new backup!
After news that Hulu ordered a pilot for a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer earlier this year, the first new cast member has been announced.
In a touching Instagram post on Thursday, May 15, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is reprising her iconic role as Buffy, captured the moment she offered Ryan Kiera Armstrong to be her right-hand slayer.
“I know this process has been hard, and there’s been so many parts,” Gellar, 48, began, noting she had been out of the country. “There was just sort of one part of it that I just wanted to ask you, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay with: How do you feel about helping me save the world?”
Shocked, 15-year-old Armstrong hesitantly replied, “Good.”
“You want to be my chosen one?” Gellar asked. “Will you stand by my side and save the world?”
Armstrong then broke out into tears while the Cruel Intentions actress continued.
“Ryan, we all love you, and from the second we all saw your tape, there was nobody else in our eyes that could do it, that we wanted to do it with,” she revealed. “And I am so excited to stand by your side and have you be my partner on this journey.”
As Armstrong whispered under her breath, “This is so exciting,” Gellar teased, “I hope it’s a yes!”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Armstrong exclaimed. “For sure, yes. Thank you. I’m so excited.”
“Welcome to new Sunnydale,” Gellar noted, referring to the town where the original series took place.
Armstrong went on to thank Gellar for “trusting me” to be such a big part of the upcoming revival, which remains unnamed.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (left) as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Frank Ockenfels/WB; Monica Schipper/WireImage
“Ryan, you earned it,” Gellar insisted. “There’s nobody else in any of our eyes. You are our chosen one.”
“I’m so honored,” Armstrong gushed before Gellar told her to call her dad over to celebrate.
“I just kind of overheard what was happening here, and I know that this is exactly where she’s supposed to be right now: With you on this insane, insane new journey,” he said.
In the caption, Gellar confessed that she “knew there was only one girl” perfect for the part once she saw Armstrong, who has previously appeared in Anne with an E, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Firestarter.
“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. Welcome to #NewSunnydale #btvs” she captioned the post.
Sarah Michelle Gellar on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Getty
In February, PEOPLE confirmed that a new chapter in the Buffyverse was in the works nearly two decades after the popular drama first came to an end. The pilot will be directed and executive produced by Chloé Zhao, a self-proclaimed Buffy fan, and Nora and Lila Zuckerman are slated to write, showrun and executive produce.
Gellar is also set to serve as an executive producer, along with the original series’ executive producers, Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui. Dolly Parton, who was an uncredited producer on the hit ’90s show through her company Sandollar Entertainment, will also return.
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The Buffy reboot series is expected to begin filming soon. The original series is currently available to stream in full on Hulu.
