Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 12:15AM 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Script In the Works, Joss Whedon Unhappy About It
Whedon penned the original 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film and created the spin-off television series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which ran from 1997-2003. However, he will have no involvement in this reboot.
Instead, 29-year-old actress Whit Anderson is writing the screenplay. Anderson told reporters that she "didn't really watch much television at all, but I always watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Producer Charles Roven (who also produced theatrical remakes of Scooby Doo, Get Smart and all three of Christopher Nolan's Batman films, as well as an upcoming Gilligan's Island film) told reporters: "'Generally, I wouldn’t have said, ‘Let’s revive this,’ but Whit’s take is pretty compelling and a lot of fun, and it’s interesting to see all of this reimagined."
I'm sure it's the script alone, and not the current popularity of vampire movies, that has Roven so excited for this project.
Roven went on to say: "It needs to be relevant to today too, and that is what Whit has found a way to do ... There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return ... While this is not your high-school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be."
After Buffy, Whedon went on to create Firefly, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Dollhouse and he is currently working on Marvel's Avengers movie. He's an incredibly talented guy that I would think you would want to consult first if you were planning on taking over his most beloved series. (Back in June, it was reported that Whedon's agent was contacted to gauge his interest in the project after the announcement that they were working on a new film had already been made.) Instead, Whedon has absolutely no involvement in the project, which he seems quite miffed about.
When the news broke, Whedon sent a somewhat tongue-in-cheek letter to E! with his thoughts on the project:
This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths - just because they can't think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself.
Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, "Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER." Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, "I'll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!" Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?
I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, AFTER. I don't love the idea of my creation in other hands, but I'm also well aware that many more hands than mine went into making that show what it was. And there is no legal grounds for doing anything other than sighing audibly. I can't wish people who are passionate about my little myth ill. I can, however, take this time to announce that I'm making a Batman movie. Because there's a franchise that truly needs updating. So look for The Dark Knight Rises Way Earlier Than That Other One And Also More Cheaply And In Toronto, rebooting into a theater near you.
Leave me to my pain!
Sincerely,
Joss Whedon
So there you have it, another remake of an established franchise ... and one that doesn't have the support of the creator, to boot. Maybe Anderson will be able to pull it off, but I'm not optimistic. I hope she and everyone else involved realize that rabid fans of the series will not settle for a cheap knockoff.
Reader Comments (2)
And it's not like Joss Whedon isn't still actually putting out new Buffy (and soon to be Angel) material on a near monthly basis through Dark Horse Comics. They're even porting the motion comic versions to DVD next year.
it'll be great as long as everybody is sparkly