'Buffy' Reboot Showrunner Addresses Backlash

Fans of cult classic vampire TV drama, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ may have heard that a reboot is in the works. The new version will feature a black actress as Buffy. This development has made waves, and now, new showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen has addressed the backlash.

In a statement on Twitter, Owusu-Breen explains that it is time to “meet a new Slayer.” She said:

“For some genre writers, it’s ‘Star Wars.’ ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is my ‘Star Wars.’ Before I became a writer, I was a fan. For seven seasons, I watched Buffy Summers grow up, find love, kill that love. I watched her fight, and struggle and slay. There is only one Buffy. One Xander, one Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Oz, Tara, Kendra, Faith, Spike, Angel … They can’t be replaced. Joss Whedon’s brilliant and beautiful series can’t be replicated. I wouldn’t try to. But here we are, 20 years later … and the world seems a lot scarier. So maybe, it could be time to meet a new Slayer … And that’s all I can say.”

 

When plans for the ‘Buffy’ reboot were announced this week, the news was met with immediate backlash. While some fans were excited to see a new take on the show, others were disappointed that the original series was being replicated at all.

The ‘Buffy’ reboot does not have a script or a network yet, but we know that it will be set in present day and will build on the original series mythology. Talks for the reboot began last fall, and the decision to move forward was made after Owusu-Breen proved to be the best fit for the project.

Owusu-Breen and Whedon have worked together before on Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..’ While it is unknown whether Whedon will have any additional role other than executive producer for the reboot, Whedon and Owusu-Breen have been working closely together on the project. Gail Berman, Joe Earley, Fran Kazui and Kaz Kazui, who all worked with Whedon on ‘Buffy’ projects, will also serve as executive producers.

Owusu-Breen’s credits include the creation and showrunning of NBC’s ‘Midnight, Texas’. She has also worked on ‘Revolution,’ ‘Fringe,’ ‘Brothers & Sisters,’ ‘Alias,’ ‘Lost’ and ‘Charmed.’

Stay tuned for more news about the ‘Buffy’ reboot as it becomes available!