Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer received an exciting development from Sarah Michelle Gellar, as the upcoming reboot has completed its first table read.
Gellar, who is executive producing and starring in the series' pilot, gathered with the cast and crew on Monday, July 21, for an initial script reading. She shared several behind-the-scenes photos from the event on Instagram.
Sharp-eyed followers are now scouring those photos to uncover clues, using digital enhancement to try and identify potential character names featured in the script.
The behind-the-scenes images show Gellar’s copy of the script, labeled simply as Episode 101 "Pilot." Interestingly, the actual title of the reboot series was obscured in the pictures—raising questions about whether it still carries the Buffy the Vampire Slayer name.
Yet viewers are more focused on the back of the title page, which appears to contain a cast list. Buffy herself tops it as Buffy "Anne" Summers, followed by names including Poppy, Hugo, Gracie, and Mr. Burke.
Many of these roles had surfaced earlier in a leaked casting breakdown shared in March by entertainment insider Daniel Richtman.
According to earlier reports, Gracie is the best friend of the new lead, played by actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Gracie is also described as a Buffy superfan, aware of the legendary Slayer who repeatedly defended the world from supernatural threats.
Hugo was referred to as a "nerd from a wealthy family" smitten with Armstrong's character. Mr. Burke is reportedly stepping into the role of the new school librarian, a position famously held by Giles in the original series.
While the earlier leak identified the protagonist as "Nova," the new script suggests the name Poppy—which appears just below Gellar’s credit. Whether this reflects a last-minute name change or a deliberate codename used during production remains unclear.
Poppy The Vampire Slayer?
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"I love the name Poppy," shared one fan. Another replied, "Honestly, Poppy as a Slayer would be hilarious."
Regarding Buffy's listing as Buffy "Anne" Summers, viewers speculate she may be operating incognito again, adopting her middle name as a pseudonym—just as she did in the original series.
Gellar previously expressed a desire for the revival to include a return of the original ensemble—even "everyone who has died." Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on both Buffy and Angel, also told IGN she is optimistic about joining the reboot, despite her character's "unjust" ending.
