Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Firestarter’s Ryan Kiera Armstrong to lead the sequel series

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer legacy sequel series is coming together a lot faster than expected. Indeed, Deadline is reporting that Ryan Kierra Armstrong has landed the coveted role of the new Slayer opposite returning star Sarah Michelle Gellar. The fifteen-year-old Armstrong, despite her young age, is already a Hollywood vet, having played the title role in the Stephen King adaptation, Firestarter, in addition to one of the leads in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney+. 

To note, Armstrong is much younger than Gellar was when she started playing the role back in 1997, which makes me think this reboot is going for a somewhat more realistic depiction of teenage life. Back in the nineties, it was commonplace for adult actors to play teen roles, with the practice still in effect in shows like Euphoria. However, other shows like Stranger Things started the practice of casting age-appropriate actors, to great effect, and that is the road this sequel series is going down as well.

Gellar posted a video on Instagram of her breaking the news of her hiring to Armstrong. Check it out

The new series is set for Hulu, with Chloe Zhao signed to direct the pilot, which Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, the showrunners of Poker Face, will write. To note, they once worked with original Buffy showrunner Josh Whedon on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, but he’s not expected to have any involvement with the sequel series.

Regarding Armstrong’s casting, Gellar wrote the following on social media: “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. Welcome to #NewSunnydale #btvs”

There is no news yet on when the show might debut, but it certainly has the potential to be a major, generation-spanning breakout hit. Here’s hoping David Boreanaz makes an appearance as Angel! 

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