Sarah Michelle Gellar Says It’s ‘Incredibly Nerve-Wracking’ Working on “Buffy” Sequel: ‘You Have to Do It Right’ (Exclusive)

Despite its wise-cracking titular heroine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is no joking matter — not to Sarah Michelle Gellar.

After years of rejecting the idea of a Buffy reboot, the actress, 47, recently changed her tune, jumping aboard the series’ untitled sequel project at Hulu as both a star and executive producer — and she’s determined to do things the “right” way.

Speaking with PEOPLE at the 12th Annual Makeup Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards on Saturday, Feb. 15, the Scooby-Doo star said that fans’ response to news of the forthcoming reboot, though “exciting,” has brought on a wave of nerves.

“I wish there was a better word than overwhelming. It's heartwarming and exciting and also incredibly nerve-wracking at the same time,” she told PEOPLE at the ceremony at Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, Calif.

Related: Sarah Michelle Gellar Teases Possible Buffy Reboot After Years of Shutting Down Interest: 'We Need Those Heroes'

It’s “nerve-wracking,” Gellar explained, “because you have to do it right” — though she’s convinced that the group assembled to tackle the series is the right one for the job.

“And I think we have this team in place that is legendary, from Chloé Zhao to the Zucks [Nora and Lilla Zuckerman], to Gail Berman,” she added. "And I think people are going to be pretty impressed."

Zhao, 42, is set to direct and executive produce Hulu’s Buffyverse pilot — which comes more than two decades after the show wrapped — and the Zuckermans are attached to write, showrun and executive produce, Deadline and Variety previously reported.

In addition to reprising her role as titular slayer Buffy Summers, Gellar is also set to executive produce the series, along with Berman, Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui, all of whom were executive producers on the original series.

Dolly Parton — who was an uncredited producer on original series through her company Sandollar Entertainment and has long been attached to a potential Buffy reboot — will also return to the Buffyverse to executive produce.

Related: Sarah Michelle Gellar Has an Unexpected Reaction to Seeing Her Former Buffy Enemies Reunite

Unlike the original show, the Hulu project — which is nearing a pilot order, PEOPLE confirmed earlier this month — will not center on Buffy, but rather a new slayer, with Gellar appearing in a recurring role.

After news of the upcoming Buffy sequel broke, Gellar confirmed the news — and her involvement — on Instagram, sharing a lengthy and heartfelt statement to fans.

“So….. you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven’t heard from me,” the I Know What You Did Last Summer star began the post, before revealing that the sequel started with a phone call from Berman, her “dear friend and mentor,” three years ago.

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“[Berman] told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential ‘Buffy’ revival. I was blown away that Chloé even knew who I was, but, as I’ve always done, I told Gail that I just didn’t see a way for the show to exist again,” Gellar wrote. “We’d always been aligned on that, but this time I heard something different in her voice. I eventually agreed to go (mainly just to meet Chloé) and our twenty minute coffee quickly turned into a four hour adventure."

The trio "laughed" and "cried" together, "but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us," the actress recalled.

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Nothing concrete came out of the initial meeting, but conversations about the project continued until “one day, we landed on an idea,” Gellar said, noting that she has “always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit Buffy and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right.”

“This has been a long process, and it’s not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there,” the star continued. “I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love ‘Buffy’ as much as I do. And as much as you do."

"Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this," Gellar concluded. "This will be for you.”

Read the original article on People