Buffy The Vampire Slayer Rebooted With Original Star: Here Are 3 Other Cult Series With Successful Reboots

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer is returning from the afterlife! With Sarah Michelle Gellar!

To begin with, it appears that Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to return as Buffy, Chloé Zhao might be helming the pilot episode, and Hulu could potentially air the series. However, a release date has yet to be announced.

The upcoming “Buffy” revival is being referred to as “the next phase of the Buffyverse.” Notably, Joss Whedon will not be part of this reboot. As for whether other original “Buffy” actors might make a comeback, that remains uncertain for now, but it’s thought possible.

Buffy joins the list of cult series that have been rebooted in recent years. Here are three others.

3. Dexter

A Universe Is Born

10 years following the thrilling finale of the initial series, Dexter: New Blood returned, featuring Michael C. Hall reprising his role as Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who targets other killers. A shift in location added a fresh feel to the show, which resonated favorably with viewers.

Although not universally loved, the show New Blood received a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was successful enough to spawn a prequel series called Original Sin in 2024, and another sequel series, Resurrection, is set to premiere in 2025. Uma Thurman has recently signed on to be part of the cast.

2. X-Files

A Few New Mysteries

The blend of a conventional police procedural’s weekly format with elements of the supernatural and mystery created a straightforward yet captivating premise that made The X-Files one of the most cherished series from the 90s. Spanning from 1993 to 2002, its enduring popularity led to the creation of two spin-off shows.

In 1998, a movie based on the hit TV show that was airing at the time earned an impressive $189 million globally. However, a sequel released six years after the series ended in 2008 struggled significantly, pulling in just $20.9 million in the U.S., $47.3 million abroad, and a total of $68.3 million. This was despite the main characters, Mulder and Scully, reprising their roles as leads.

In a usual scenario, such large numbers might discourage a studio from reviving a series for a reboot. However, this rule was broken when “The X-Files” returned in 2016. The tenth season resumed 14 years after the initial series ended. Once more, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were part of the cast. The six-episode run managed to attract viewers, with the first episode alone garnering a staggering 21.4 million viewers within its first three days, as per Nielsen. This number surpassed many episodes from the ’90s.

The fox network approved a second 10-episode season with generally positive reviews, but ratings unfortunately dropped significantly. The least-watched episode during Season 10 attracted 10.9 million viewers, while the most-viewed episode in Season 11 garnered only 7.49 million.

The show didn’t receive a Season 12.

1. Twin Peaks

A Master’s Final Masterpiece

The comeback of David Lynch to the world of Twin Peaks was quite significant for a variety of reasons. Primarily, the series is renowned as one of the most peculiar and perplexing productions ever created. Initially, Lynch was associated with it, then he wasn’t, then he re-joined the team, and even produced a prequel film titled Fire Walk With Me. Over 30 episodes and one movie, audiences found themselves both captivated and bewildered.

The second reason is that Lynch, who has just passed away, was an iconic filmmaker. His influential movies have left a lasting impact on contemporary cinema, regardless of whether you’ve watched them or not. Movies such as “Eraserhead,” “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Mulholland Drive” have all significantly contributed to the evolution of cinematic expression.

Since Lynch had last produced a film in 2006 and hadn’t revisited Twin Peaks since 1992, it came as quite a shock when Twin Peaks: The Return was announced in 2014, leaving everyone pleasantly astounded.

2017 marked the long-awaited release of our 18-episode series, which has been hailed as one of the best reboots in history. It boasts an impressive 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and made it onto nearly every year-end top-ten list, including those published by Rolling Stone, Collider, The Washington Post, The Ringer, and Esquire. Furthermore, it was nominated for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing at the Emmys in the category of Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Following the death of Lynch on January 15, 2025, “Twin Peaks: The Return” stands as his last grand creation – a testament to his artistic genius. This work could serve as a guiding light for any future remakes or revivals in the genre.

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2025-02-04 01:39