Sarah Michelle Gellar explains how new series 'Wolf Pack' uses monsters differently than 'Buffy'

Sarah Michelle Gellar just can't seem to stop fighting monsters. First it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then the two Scooby-Doo films, and now, Wolf Pack. Hailing from Teen Wolf mastermind Jeff Davis, the upcoming Paramount+ series (premiering in early 2023) reunites Gellar with the supernatural genre she knows so well. The show centers around a group of four teens who are suddenly drawn together after a California wildfire awakens a ravenous creature of the night (here's a hint: it's got fangs, shaggy fur, and howls at the moon). 

Recently chatting with Den of Geek about the project, Gellar (playing arson investigator Kristin Ramsey) explained how monsters can be used as metaphors for the human experience.

"Buffy utilized monsters to represent the horrors of adolescence," she said. "Now, we live in a very different world, and Jeff is using monsters to deal with anxiety and depression and isolation, and all those emotions that young kids and adults are already feeling. Add the pandemic, and it’s tenfold. And to me, that’s when scary stories work the best; when they’re really telling a secondary story [underneath]. What it’s like to be so isolated these days, and what does someone’s pack look like? Nowadays, it’s harder and harder to meet your pack because so much is digital. I loved that exploration. It really made me think."

Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld), Armani Jackson (Honor Society), Bella Shepard (The Wilds), Chloe Rose Robertson (Wildflower), Tyler Lawrence Gray (Feeling Randy), Bailey Stender (iCarly), Chase Liefeld (Chang Can Dunk), Hollie Bahar (Westworld), Lanny Joon (Baby Driver), Rio Mangini (Everything Sucks), Stella Smith (Stargirl), Zack Nelson (Loot) and James Martinez (Love, Victor), Amy Pietz (Caroline in the City), Bria Brimmer (Doom Patrol), John L. Adams (The Dead Zone), and Sean Philip Glasgow (Diary of a Future President) co-star.

"We spent a lot of time talking about the vision of the show and what it would look like," Davis remarked at New York Comic Con in October. "The very first goal was to make it look as cinematic as possible and also make it look like a streaming show. We wanted to set ourselves apart. This is a different show, this isn't something you would find on the networks. I told the directors and our DPs right off the bat, 'Have fun with this. Make it interesting, make it weird, make it cool. Everybody talks about how dark all TV shows are. Let's give them something to watch. Let's give them color and brightness and incredible angles.' I love the way this show is shot and it's also different from Teen Wolf. We didn't just want to do a carbon copy."

Produced under Davis's multi-year deal with MTV Studios, Wolf Pack is based on the book series by Edo Van Belkom and executive produced by Davis, Gellar, Joe Genier, Mike Elliott, Karen Gorodetzky, Jason Ensler, and Christian Taylor.

Wolf Pack arrives on Paramount+ Jan. 26, 2023. When asked about a potential second season, Gellar said: 

"I would like to! We have a really cool story to tell, and it’s different than this [season]. It’s almost like, in streaming—this [season] is almost like a prequel. We have to get everything here so you can go on and tell the story. But I’d be up for season two. Normally, at the end of a season, I’m so burnt out,  I’m like, 'Never again.' So it’s a good sign I’m saying I would do it."

Looking for more lupine antics? Season 1 of Wolf Like Me is now streaming on Peacock.