In a dramatic real-life twist, the cast of the upcoming horror sequel Ready Or Not 2 faced an unexpected evacuation during their Paris press junket on Wednesday. Stars including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, and Kathryn Newton were among approximately 400 people forced to exit the luxurious Le Bristol Hotel after a fire broke out in the kitchen.
Emergency Evacuation During Promotional Interviews
The actors were in the midst of conducting press interviews to promote the horror movie when fire alarms sounded at 11:00 am local time, according to reports from TMZ. Multiple emergency crews rushed to the scene as guests and staff evacuated the premises as a precautionary measure.
Three individuals received medical treatment for injuries sustained during the incident, though specific details about their conditions were not immediately disclosed. The hotel spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail that the fire had been "fully contained and extinguished" by Wednesday afternoon.
Hotel Operations Resume After Safety Assurance
"The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority," stated the hotel representative, adding that evacuated individuals were "gradually returning to the hotel under fully safe conditions." The establishment has reopened to guests with the exception of its restaurant facilities.
Remarkably, just hours after the evacuation, Kathryn Newton shared Instagram posts appearing to show her back inside the £1,800-per-night hotel, suggesting a swift return to normalcy for the cast members.
Connection to Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Cancellation
The Paris incident occurred against the backdrop of Sarah Michelle Gellar's recent disappointment regarding the cancelled reboot of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The actress revealed she was "really sad" about Hulu's decision to scrap the highly anticipated project, which she claims was axed by Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich.
According to multiple sources speaking to the Daily Mail, Erwich made the "executive decision" to cancel the reboot, leaving the cast and crew "devastated" and in "complete shock." An insider described Erwich as having "rolled his eyes whenever it came up" and not believing "it was any good."
Production History of the Scrapped Buffy Project
The reboot had been in development since February 2025, when Deadline reported that Gellar would reprise her role as Buffy Summers in a Hulu pilot. Hamnet director Chloe Zhao, a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, was set to direct the pilot episode, with 16-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong tapped to play Sunnydale's newest vampire slayer.
Sister screenwriting duo Nora and Lilla Zuckerman had written the pilot, with original executive producers Gail Berman and Fran and Kaz Kuzui attached to the project. Gellar had been updating her five million Instagram followers throughout production, including sharing photos from a table read last July.
The actress received the cancellation news via phone call on March 13 while attending the premiere for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which is also produced by Searchlight. Despite the setback, sources suggest Gellar hopes to take the show "elsewhere" to give fans the reboot they've awaited for over two decades.
About Ready Or Not 2
Ready Or Not 2 serves as the sequel to the 2019 original film, a comedy thriller in which Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Ursula of the Danforth family—another "High Council" family with unimaginable riches and powers fighting for increased control. The Paris press junket was intended to build anticipation for the film's release before being interrupted by the unexpected hotel emergency.
