Buffy, Michael Sheen & MacGuffins

The highly anticipated Buffy reboot at Hulu has been cancelled despite having an A-list team including Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao directing, Sarah Michelle Gellar executive producing, and experienced showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. The cancellation came shockingly late in the process, after a $17 million pilot had been shot. Hulu executives reportedly called it "unsalvageable" and "undershot," though the real issue may have been budget concerns and the show being deemed too small in scope for streaming.

• Hulu cancelled Buffy New Sunnydale despite Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao directing and Sarah Michelle Gellar's involvement
• The pilot cost approximately $17 million to produce before being rejected
• Hulu sources described it as 'unsalvageable,' 'undershot,' and lacking exposition and coverage
• Craig Erwich, a Hulu exec who wasn't a Buffy fan, rejected it then became head of 20th Century Television which produced it
• The cancellation happened remarkably late, just two days before the Oscars

Marina breaks down the extensive development process that Buffy went through before cancellation, illustrating how much work and money goes into a show before it ever airs. From initial pitch decks to pilot scripts to series Bibles, the process involves countless drafts, writer's rooms, and millions of dollars. The fact that Buffy got all the way to a completed pilot with such high-profile talent makes the cancellation even more remarkable and wasteful.

• Initial pitch involves creating a deck and shopping it to streamers, with multiple redrafts of pilot scripts
• A series Bible detailing all character arcs and future seasons is required alongside the pilot
• Writer's rooms work out all scripts for the season, not just the pilot episode
• By the time a pilot is shot, millions have already been spent and countless opinions have been incorporated