Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar returned as Buffy Summers on Thursday, August 7, when cameras rolled on the Los Angeles set of Hulu's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reboot.

Images show the 48-year-old wearing a chic, long-sleeved, red mini dress accented with rose detailing, paired with matching stilettos, and carrying a Yves Saint Laurent "Sac de Jour" handbag as she sipped coffee. Additional photos capture her sharing smiles and casual conversation with crew members between takes.

Gellar originally played the role of Buffy Summers for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003, starring alongside Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, and the late Michelle Trachtenberg. In the upcoming reboot, she will "pass the stake" to a new Slayer-in-training, embodied by "Firestarter" star Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao directs the pilot, while sisters Nora and Lilla Zuckerman serve as showrunners and executive producers alongside Gellar and longtime "Buffy" executive Gail Berman.

The actress revealed on Instagram that discussions about a revival began three years ago when Berman arranged a brief coffee meeting with Zhao that unexpectedly turned into a four-hour creative session. "I have always listened to the fans... but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right," Gellar wrote, adding, "We will only make this show if we know we can do it right."

Reports note that Hulu has formally ordered a pilot, though no release date has been announced, and a full-season commitment remains under consideration. With cameras now rolling and key cast members in place, production is officially underway as the project moves toward a potential series launch.

Behind the scenes, the pilot's development unites Zhao and writers Nora and Lilla with executive producers Gellar, Berman, Fran and Kaz Kuzui, and Dolly Parton. Produced by 20th Television and Searchlight Television, the revival's reported logline follows 16-year-old bookworm Nova as she discovers her Slayer powers in a rebuilt Sunnydale split between classic and modern districts, culminating in a "Vampire Weekend" festival when undead adversaries emerge.

Fans have responded enthusiastically to the first images, with excitement building over Gellar's return nearly two decades after the original series concluded. The revival promises to blend legacy characters with new faces in a modern reimagining of Sunnydale's supernatural landscape. While details about the plot remain under wraps, the pilot's production marks a significant step toward bringing "Buffy" back to screens for a new generation of viewers.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the vampire slayer, Reboot, Photos