EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Firestarter) has landed the lead reverse Sarah Michelle Gellar within the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, which has a pilot order at Hulu. Armstrong will play the brand new slayer within the untitled Buffyverse undertaking, which Gellar government produces along with reprising her signature function as Buffy Summers.
Oscar winner Chloé Zhao is directing the pilot, written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. No further data has been offered in regards to the undertaking, known as the following chapter within the Buffyverse, which comes from twentieth Tv and Searchlight TV. The character performed by Armstrong is described in casting supplies as an introverted high-school pupil.
There’s some symbolism in Armstong’s casting as Geller’s religious successor — the actresses’ names, Ryan Kiera Armstrong and Sarah Michelle Gellar, share the identical cadence. But it surely was Armstong’s performing chops that received her the function, Gellar mentioned.
“From the second I noticed Ryan’s audition, I knew there was just one woman that I needed by my aspect,” she mentioned. “To have that form of emotional intelligence, and expertise, at such a younger age is actually a present. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room”
Gellar additionally recorded a video of her breaking the information to 15-year-old Armstrong that she received the half. (You’ll be able to watch it beneath.)
“I’m so honored, thanks for trusting me,” elated Armstrong mentioned via tears when Gellar welcomed her to new Sunnydale. She was then joined by her father, Canadian actor-producer Dean Armstrong.
Lilla and Nora Zuckerman used some Buffy terminology to reward Armstrong.
“We’re so overjoyed to have discovered this technology’s slayer in Ryan Kiera Armstrong, she completely blew us away — there isn’t a query in our thoughts that she is the chosen one,” they mentioned.
Nora and Lilla Zuckerman government produce the pilot alongside Gellar, Zhao through her Guide of Shadows banner in addition to the unique sequence’ government producers Gail Berman of the Jackal Group and Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui through Suite B. Additionally government producing the pilot is Dolly Parton whose firm Sandollar was producer on the unique. Buffy the Vampire Slayer studio twentieth Tv produces with Disney sibling Searchlight TV, the place Zhao is beneath a first-look deal.
Canadian-born Armstrong has been busy since her breakout function at age 8 within the function The Artwork of Racing Within the Rain reverse Amanda Seyfried. Following components in IT: Half Two, The Tomorrow Conflict, The Glorias and Black Widow, she performed the lead within the 2022 Firestarter, the co-lead reverse Nicolas Cage in The Wold Approach and a principal function in WIldflower.
On TV, she began off with a significant recurring function on Netflix’s Anne with an E. Armstrong first received on twentieth TV radar when the studio forged her as a part of the primary ensemble of FX’s American Horror Story: Crimson Tide. She has labored for Disney ever since with a starring function reverse Jude Regulation on Disney+’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and recurring reverse Ethan Hawke on FX’s upcoming The Lowdown. Armstrong is repped by Linden Leisure and Revolutionary Artist Group.
