Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is out next month...
ADVERTISEMENTIt’s been 20 years since Buffy The Vampire Slayer ended.
Let’s take a moment to let that sink in and bemoan the inexorable march of time.
If you’ve missed the seminal TV drama as much as we have here at Euronews Culture, here’s some good news that will bring you back to the good old days of Hellmouth-sitting Sunnydale: the show (which originally aired from 1997 to 2003) is getting a sequel, with several actors set to reprise their roles for the project.
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, is a brand new audio series coming to Audible on 12 October.
It will see iconic character Spike as the hero, with James Marsters reprising his role, alongside Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), Anthony Head (Giles), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Amber Benson (Tara), James Charles Leary (Clam) and Danny Strong (Jonathan).
The plot synopsis, courtesy of an Audible press release, sounds promising. The story picks up a decade after the Buffy finale:
“Spike (James Marsters) has gone deep undercover in Los Angeles, convincing the forces of darkness that he’s back to his evil ways. When his cover is compromised by 16-year-old Indira Nunnally (Laya DeLeon Hayes), Spike finds himself on baby-slayer-sitting duty once more. While he attempts to track down a watcher for his eager new protégé, their paths collide with the veteran Slayer of a parallel reality where Buffy Summers never existed... a reality where Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) is the one-and-only Slayer. She needs Spike’s help with a classic big bad terrorizing her world… his old flame, Drusilla (Juliet Landau).”
The project was completed before the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and while some fans will be disappointed that the new series is audio-only - as there had been rumours that a live-action reboot was in the works, with writer-producer Monica Owusu-Breen at the helm - it does mark the first time that the cast has collaborated on a Buffy project since the conclusion of the spinoff Angel in 2005.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who previously stated that she’s done with Buffy, will not be taking part; but it is worth mentioning that Slayers is co-written and co-directed by original cast member Amber “Tara” Benson.
Speaking on returning to the Buffy universe, James “Spike” Marsters has said: "I'm ecstatic to be back with my dear friends for this next chapter in the Buffyverse, as we take listeners on a familiar but unexpected journey chock full of horror, passion and mischief. I’m excited for old and new fans to experience this beloved world of vampire slaying like never before, brought to life through immersive audio storytelling."
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story premieres on Audible on 12 October.
