Friday, December 31, 2010

Eliza Dushku Celebrates Her 30th Birthday By Raising $30,000 For Charity! Exclusive Interview!


December 30th, 2010

gifts, this Hollywood starlet opted to help others on her big day!

Eliza Dushku gets our vote for being one of Hollywood’s most charitable celebrities — if not the most — of 2010! The brunette stunner and star of Dollhouse, Tru Calling, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, turned the big three-oh on Dec. 30, but in place of planning a champagne-and-sparklers bash, she teamed up with Tonic.com and raised $30,000 to build a recovery center for former child soldiers in Gulu, Uganda! HollywoodLife.com spoke to Eliza on the eve of her birthday to discuss her incredible choice.

“I used to love my birthday but I didn’t want all this attention on me moving out of my twenties, so I wanted to take the attention off me and put it on something extraordinary,” says Eliza. “There were a few ideas of clubs in Vegas and Miami but I wanted to do something more meaningful.”

Eliza says she was inspired to help this specific cause after a trip to Uganda with her boyfriend, former NBA player Rick Fox, and her mother, Judith, a professor of African Politics at Suffolk University, to visit children who had been soldiers in the war-torn country. Eliza tweeted up a storm to promote her birthday wish and has been reaching out to fellow celebrities to get involved. Director Kevin Smith, whom she worked with on the film Jay and Silent Bob, even auctioned off a movie poster for $1,000 to help Eliza reach her goal.

“I met about five child soldiers, four of them were young women and had children and they had been raped and impregnated by rebel soldiers, abducted in the night and forced to kill their own family members,” she recalls. “I couldn’t believe it — it’s 2010 and with all the freedom and safety I have I can’t imagine fearing for that.”

Eliza got her birthday wish — she’s exceeded her goal by raising $30,420! If you want to donate or learn more about her mission, click here!

Hollywood Life

Monday, December 27, 2010

A role for Michigan in star-laden 'Avengers'?

Dec. 27, 2010

It looks like Michigan will play a supporting role in “The Avengers,” a hotly anticipated movie starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood as a team of Marvel superheroes.

Last week, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Marvel Studios announced that the project would be filmed primarily in New Mexico, which is one of Michigan’s main rivals in using tax incentives to attract movie productions.

But further down in the New Mexico press release, there was some good news for Michigan — the word that “parts of the film will also be shot in New York and Michigan.”

A spokeswoman for Marvel confirmed today that the information in the press release is accurate.

Beyond that, it’s easier to convince Thor to get a crew cut than it is to find details about Michigan’s involvement in the upcoming superhero adventure.

The Michigan Film Office said this in a statement: “Michigan has the diverse locations, talented workforce and infrastructure necessary should ‘Avengers’ decide to shoot here in the state. However at this point our office has not received an application for the project.”

The movie will be the biggest feature film ever made in New Mexico. Pre-production has started and filming is set to begin in April. Its expected release date is May 2012.

“The Avengers” will be directed and written by Joss Whedon of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame. It will star Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner (the Hulk), Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Michigan recently was the site of filming for part of another potential blockbuster, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” which shot scenes earlier this year in downtown Detroit.

Freep

Demi Lovato in Marvel’s The Avengers? – Rumor


December 27, 2010 at 10:30 am

Well, it is up to Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator, Joss Whedon, to deliver the type of movie comic book fans everywhere have waited decades to see. He is directing Marvel’s The Avengers and filming has already begun in New Mexico.

What’s so exciting about The Avengers? Actors we already know and love as certain heroes will all appear together in one film. That means Iron Man, Robert Downey, Jr. will consult with Chris Hemsworth as Thor (from the Thor movie), Chris Evans as Captain America (from Captain America: The First Avenger), and Scarlett Johansson as The Black Widow. You can bet Samuel L. Jackson will be there to call the shots as Nick Fury and we also hear Jeremy Renner (The Town) and Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are Alright) will portray Hawkeye and the Incredible Hulk, respectively. But there’s still plenty of room in the cast for others.

In fact, ComicBookMovie.com reports an interesting rumor that Disney’s Demi Lovato may be suiting up to appear in The Avengers film. Can you picture her with this cast? Lovato (Camp Rock) might not win a role in the upcoming action adventure, but it is fun to speculate. She does, after all have strong ties to Disney and the media giant has obtained The Avengers.

If Lovato was cast, who might she play? She could be Janet Van Dyne, a.k.a. The Wasp; The Scarlet Witch, daughter of Magneto, the X-Men’s arch nemesis; Jennifer Susan Walters, the She-Hulk; or even Maya Lopez, the deaf super heroine known as Echo. Want another rumor? The film, due out May 4, 2012, may see The Avengers fighting those infamous band of Marvel Comics aliens, the Skrulls or the Kree. When we learn more, you will, too!

BSC Review

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fans Are The Most Loyal Fans Says Seth Green


Dec 23 by Griff

According to Robot Chicken / Family Guy’s Seth Green he believes that fans of the cult TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer are some of the “kookiest and most loyal fans” there are.

In an interview with Metro, Green said that due to re-runs of Buffy, he has been getting recognized a lot more these days…

“I’m still excited there’s so much love for that show as I had such a good time making it. We have some of the kookiest but also most loyal fans – they look at you differently. People who get excited when they see you have usually had some emotional response to the work you’ve done and you never know how intimate that experience is. Even though Buffy is regarded as cult we all took it so seriously and it meant a lot to everyone who worked on it.”

I wouldn’t mind hearing what Seth Green makes of the upcoming Buffy movie reboot. Someone should ask him.


Nerdles

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Morris appeals for 'Buffy' role


Last Updated: December 22, 2010 3:04pm

Glee star Heather Morris is appealing to the makers of the new Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie to let her appear in the film even if she doesn't land the title role - because she is a massive fan of the show.

The popular TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the cheerleader-turned-vampire hunter, which started as a 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson, is being re-booted for a big screen outing and casting bosses are looking a new actress to tackle the lead.

Morris was recently rumoured to be in the running for the part of Buffy Summers, although movie chiefs denied any decisions had been made, and she's now spoken of her excitement at being considered.

The actress is even hoping if she doesn't land the lead, casting bosses will still give her the opportunity to join in anyway.

She tells Access Hollywood, "They're considering me! I found out and I almost peed my pants 'cause I was so excited! If they make Buffy when Glee is on hiatus, I don't even care what I do. I can just run through the shot and do nothing - even if I'm not Buffy!"

Toronto Sun

Who'll Be the New Buffy? Glee's Heather Morris? The Vampire Diaries' Candice Accola?


Tue., Dec. 21, 2010 11:29 AM PST by Kristin Dos Santos

Looks like believing in Santa really can get you what you want.

Heather Morris—aka Glee's Santa-believing cheerleader Brittany— is not only getting some same-sex "developments" she's been hoping for (get my Brittany/Santana romance scoop right here!), she says she's in contention for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie "reboot." So is this really happening? Here's the lowdown:

"They're considering me!" Morris tells Access Hollywood of the Buffy movie. "I found out and I almost peed my pants 'cause I was so excited!"

"If they make [Buffy] when [Glee] is on hiatus, I don't even care what I do," she added. "I can just run through the shot and do nothing—even if I'm not Buffy!"

A Glee source tells me the idea of casting Heather would only work out if the Buffy movie were to go into production during Glee's short hiatus, given the scheduling demands on all of the series regulars.

A Buffy movie source adds that the film is still in early stages of development and hasn't begun casting. They are still "quite a ways from starting production."

Despite many fans of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series being heavily against a big-screen reboot without the involvement of mastermind Joss Whedon (Joss told us he has "mixed emotions", while Nicholas Brendon called it a "mistake"), the project is moving forward, and it seems that the new Buffy Summers is certainly a coveted role among many a rising starlet—particularly those already working in the cheerleader or vampire genre.

When asked if she'd like to take a turn from blonde vampire to blonde vampire slayer, The Vampire Diaries resident ditzy-but-edgy blonde Candice Accola (Caroline) tells me:

"I never watched the show but I was so into the movie with Kristy Swanson! I loved it because she was so sassy and did her little flips and staked people in her crazy prom dress. I love that movie. So who knows? I love that they're doing a remake of that. I think that it's a fun girl-power thing."

Anyone else you'd love to see in the role of the New Buffy? Or are you hoping the whole blasted movie thing just goes away if Joss is not involved?

Follow @kristindsantos on Twitter for scoop on Buffy, Glee, The Vampire Diaries and more.

E Online

Vampire Diaries’ Candice Accola for Buffy?


December 22, 2010 at 2:34 am

Vampire Diaries‘ Candice Accola is excited about her name being thrown around as a potential contender for the role of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the upcoming theatrical reboot of the popular movie-turned TV show. According to Accola, she never watched the TV show–blasphemy, Buffy fans say–but she is a huge fan of Kristy Swanson’s take on the character, and the original movie on which the show is based.

She’d better hope that’s enough to satisfy all the fans intently watching this develop. She may have some competition out of Glee‘s Heather Morris. Then again, the brutal demands of Glee shoots may make it impossible for the cheerleading sensation to make the leap to vampire slayer. Only time will tell, but according to E! Online, the timeframe would have to be very specific in order for Morris to work it out with her schedule. The producers are admittedly in the planning stages and have not gotten as far as casting yet, so you’re welcome for the non-news item, readers.

BSC Review

'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' casting controversy--'Glee' star Heather Morris


December 21st, 2010 3:26 pm ET

With the recent popularity of vampire-themed movies and television shows, it is no huge surprise to learn that a remake of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" is in the works. Warner Brothers made the announcement back in November, but controversy quickly followed with the realization that Joss Whedon, the master mind behind the iconic TV series, would not be involved.

As the casting process begins to unfold, a number of fans and critics are judging the frontrunners for the part of Buffy.

"Glee" star Heather Morris made headlines this week as she revealed that she is being considered for the lead. As a ditzy yet adorable cheerleader on the Fox's hit comedy, Heather's comedic timing could be a perfect fit for the movie. But will she be enough to change the minds of diehard "Buffy" fans?

"They're considering me!" Heather told Access Hollywood about the Buffy movie. "I found out and I almost peed my pants 'cause I was so excited!"

"If they make [Buffy] when [Glee] is on hiatus, I don't even care what I do," she added. "I can just run through the shot and do nothing—even if I'm not Buffy!"

But given that casting has not even begun, Heather would not have much time for the shoot. Even when "Glee" is on hiatus for the summer, Heather will be on tour with the "Glee Live" tour.

Do you think Heather Morris would make a good Buffy?

Examiner

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Project Details

The producers are aiming for a 2011/2012 theatrical release.

Producer Charles Roven had this to say about Whit Anderson's script: "Whit’s take is pretty compelling and a lot of fun, and it’s interesting to see all of this reimagined. This is a completely new reboot. Tone is extremely important, and you want the audience to realize what is at stake and the peril is real, but at the same time what’s going on should be fun and inviting and keep everyone engaged. It needs to be relevant to today too, and that is what Whit has found a way to do." adding... "While this is not your high-school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be"

Apparently, despite previous reports of "restarting the storyline" rumors indicate that Sarah Michelle Gellar was going to return to the project, but Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) would be a fresh new character that would star along-side Sarah. Vanessa, however, turned down the role.

The producers are aiming to restart the Buffy storyline while not "trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon."

Creator Joss Whedon will not be involved.

Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with Fran Rubel Kuzui (original director) and her husband, Kaz Kuzui (producer) on this project.

The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie that would, of course, have franchise potential.

The film will have no connection to the hit television series, nor will it feature any of the popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike

A "reboot" of the original 1992 horror-comedy.

Up Coming horror Movies

Saturday, December 18, 2010

'Glee' Star Heather Morris Is Indeed Considered for 'Buffy'


December 18, 2010 07:56:44 GMT

Being considered in the movie project about her favorite heroine, the blonde actress gushes that she would take the job no matter how small her role is. 

Heather Morris is apparently still circling "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Despite the fact that screenwriter Whit Anderson had debunked a previous news linking her to the reboot project of the 1992 film, the actress herself confirmed that she is being considered for the movie.

"They're considering me!" she told Access Hollywood when met at an event for FLIRT cosmetics, for which Morris is a paid spokesperson, in Los Angeles on Thursday, Decemeber 16. She further shared, "I found out and I almost peed my pants 'cause I was so excited!"

Morris, who stars on FOX musical series "Glee", additionally admitted that she is a fan of the story's heroine Buffy, that she would take any role in the upcoming film. "If they make ['Buffy'] when ['Glee'] is on hiatus, I don't even care what I do. I can just run through the shot and do nothing - even if I'm not Buffy!" she declared.

Earlier report mentioned Heather Morris as the possible depicter of the title character in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" which is being developed by Warner Bros. Pictures. "Heather Morris' comedic timing is a perfect fit for Buffy Summers, and that her background as a dancer and a gymnast will be greatly utilized (sic)...," an insider told Movieweb at that time.

The new "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" will not present "high school Buffy". Instead, she will be seen "just as witty, tough, and sexy as we all remember her to be." Charles Roven, Steve Alexander, Fran Rubel Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui, Roy Lee and Doug Davison team up to serve as producers. 




Thursday, December 16, 2010

Megan Fox “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” Movie

 

June 11th, 2009 by Castina

Have you heard the rumor that Transformers
star Megan Fox is being lined up for the role of Buffy Summers in the upcoming big-screen remake of the 1992 film, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Actress Kristy Swanson played the role in the original Buffy movie. In 1997, Sarah Michelle Gellar revived the character for a starring spot on The WB TV drama of the same name.


Pop Crunch

Buffy the Vampire Slayer heads to Portland State University


By Shawn Estes
from Salem Weekly, Section Screen
Posted on Wed Dec 15, 2010 at 09:48:09 AM PDT

Before there was a Team Edward and a Team Jacob, there was Team Angel and Team Spike. The mastermind behind "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Joss Whedon creates worlds that people are easily sucked (pardon the pun) into.

Whedon has amassed a cult following that wear "Joss is my God" t-shirts, attend charity screenings of "Serenity" (the film spawned from "Firefly") and follow every interview he obliges, hoping to figure out what he's going to do next.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" aired from 1997 to 2003, with its spinoff "Angel" running until 2005. It was bounced from WB to UPN, was the first show to air a lesbian sex scene on network TV, and launched the career of a number of its stars. It's also spawned a graphic novel series picking up where the TV series left off. Afterward, he moved to the short lived series "Firefly" and most recently "Dollhouse," which starred Buffy alum Eliza Dushku. He's currently working on the big screen adaptation of The Avengers for Marvel.

Hollywood is looking at rebooting the franchise, but what they've forgotten to take into account is that Whedon is solely responsible for making his ideas come to life. Apparently, they didn't learn much from the failed movie starring Kristy Swanson. The fandom isn't supporting a teen killing vampires; they are instead supporting the heart and soul that comes with a smartly written piece of fiction.

Allison Higginbotham hopes to bring Whedon's brand of metaphor and wit to the classroom. She's going to be teaching a class at Portland State University titled "Exploring 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'" She was gracious enough to answer some questions about the class and the show in general.

Salem Weekly: What moved you to develop a class on the television series? What was the process like, getting the class approved?

Allison Higginbotham: Shockingly, I'm a huge fan of the series. Last year I was rewatching Buffy (it was my first time I had rewatched it since I started university) and found myself wanting to look at the more academic side of Buffy. I started checking out books on the series and reading Slayage online. Portland State University has this great program called Chiron Studies which allows students to develop a course (syllabus and all) and teach it. I had taken one on Jane Austen in Film a few terms ago and loved how personal the class was. It was great to have discussions with people who were passionate about the subject matter and not just trying to get requirements out of the way. I thought mixing the show with the academic readings would make a really interesting class for fans, who haven't really looked at the academic side of Buffy. A big hurdle was choosing which episodes to watch.

The process started with me creating a syllabus and submitting a proposal to the Chiron program along with getting a faculty sponsor. I think I first submitted my proposal in February for spring semester 2010. My class actually got rejected twice. Some of it had to do with only a limited number of Chiron courses being taught, but I also had to change some of the course around. I kept getting the critique that they didn't feel it was "academic" enough. I won't get into how I feel about that. Anyway, in October I resubmitted my proposal and it finally got accepted.

SW: One of the things that appeals to many is the feminist stance and the metaphors that Whedon uses in most of his work (ie: drunk college kids turn into Neanderthals in the episode "Beer Bad"). Can you talk about how that fits into the class syllabus?

AH: The metaphors behind the monsters are actually one of my favorite things about the series! Along with looking at things like production, we will spend a few classes on metaphors. One class we will be looking at Buffy through a feminist lens (while also discussing some of the arguments AGAINST the series as being feminist.) Another week is the over-the-top after-school special episodes, in which I almost included Beer Bad, but thought it would be too cruel to the students. The metaphors are how many find the series relatable, so it's a big part of the course.

SW: What's your favorite episode? Why?

AH: My absolute favorite episode from a film major's point of view is "The Body". The way it tackles the subject death within the narrative is great, but Whedon's camera work and direction in that episode really provide the emotion for the episode.

As a Buffy fan, though, "The Prom" is probably my second favorite. It's great to see the other students acknowledge how important Buffy is, even though she's been an outsider throughout her time at Sunnydale High. I tear up everytime she gets the "class protector award."

SW: The class synopsis talks about the impact of fans. I saw the class originally on whedonesque.com (the unofficial blog for all that is Whedon). Can you talk about the reception among fans and students at PSU?

AH: When I started creating the course I sent the syllabus to a couple of my friends from high school who were Buffy fans. They seemed pretty enthused, but I wasn't prepared for how much students I didn't know would react. I've had a lot of people tell me that they're excited for the class and that Buffy is their favorite program. Though the most frequent response when I announce that I'm teaching the class is "For real?" I'll take it as they see the class as too good to be true.

SW: Portland also has an active community of "browncoats" (Whedon's "Firefly" fans) that I'm sure would jump at the chance of participating in a class on that show. Are there any plans to branch out into other TV shows or to continue the Buffy class into the future?

AH: I currently don't have any plans and the class is only being held next semester. The good thing about the Chiron program is that it provides a variety of classes each semester. However, I would love to see more classes on TV shows. There seems to be a bias in academia that television shows and pop culture aren't academic, but I hope to prove that it can be with my class.

SW: Is there still room available in the class? If so is it available to people not enrolled at PSU already?

Unfortunately my class is all filled up. Occasionally a spot will open up though, so keep checking. You do have to be registered to enroll, however.

Willamette Live

Original Buffy the Vampire Slayer Star Calls Movie Reboot a "Mistake"


Wed., Dec. 15, 2010 9:51 AM PST by Jennifer Arrow

So, in case you haven't heard, the fine people at Warner Brothers have decided to honor/profane the memory of our beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series with a reboot movie. We know what we think of that idea, and we know what Buffy's father Joss Whedon told us he thinks of that idea, but what about the show's original castmembers? One original Scooby just spoke out to us about it:

MORE: Joss Whedon Reacts to Buffy Movie News: "I Have Strong Mixed Emotions"

We just caught up with original series star Nicholas Brendon, who is currently showcasing his drama chops on Private Practice's critically acclaimed rape storyline as sexual predator Lee McHenry. In Xander Harris' typical fashion, his first reaction when asked about the reboot was to make a joke.

"I hope their vampires don't glitter," quipped Brendon, referencing, of course, the sparkling vampires of the wildly successful Twilight franchise. Then, appearing hesitant to speak out of turn but confident about his point of view, he continued, "You know, listen...I think it's a mistake, I think that it's trying to kind of—they have to reach a whole completely new fanbase. And we already have that fanbase. So it's going to really be hard to kind of do that. But you know, everyone: They remade The Flintstones. Twice, I think."

In short, just because they're making a reboot doesn't mean we have to take it seriously! Every semi-successful franchise in media history comes around for a "reboot" in due time, whether or not a remake is called for, necessary, or wise. Hmmm...any chance that if we don't freak about it, it will just go away?

The reboot, to be written by novice scribe Whit Anderson (you can find her on Twitter: @WhitAnd), is still in the development stage.

Meanwhile, you can see Brendon on Private Practice again this spring (spoiler alert!); he also has a recurring role as Kevin, Garcia's (Kirsten Vangsness) boyfriend and fellow geek, on Criminal Minds.

So, do you think the "Nuffy" movie will be better or worse than a Flintstones-Twilight mashup? Hit the comments.

TWITTER: Follow @KristinDSantos and @JenniferArrow for further news of the reboot.


Saturday, December 11, 2010

Glee Star Heather Morris Won't Be Appearing In New Buffy Movie

December 11th, 2010 at 9:13 PM

Glee actress Heather Morris, who is known for her role as cheerleader Brittany in the hit TV musical show, is not in line to star in the new Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie.

The 23-year-old was rumored to be playing the part originally played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, in a film remake of the 90s TV series (without creator Joss Whedon).

But now her appearance has been denied by screenwriter Whit Anderson.

"We're not even thinking about casting yet," Anderson is quoted as saying by the Hollywood Reporter. "The script isn't even written!," he reveals.

OMG Music

Friday, December 10, 2010

Glee star as Buffy, The Vampire Slayer!?

by Alicia Malone (Saturday, December 11th, 2010 at 3:23 am)

Heather Morris, of “Glee” fame (as opposed to “I gave birth to Caffeinated Clint” fame), is said to be the favourite to grip the stake in Warner’s “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” movie remake.

MovieWeb were in Nashville this past week and had the chance to ask an associate of Sandollar productions, who are producing the movie, who the studio were envisioning as their new Buffy Sommers.

Says the site, “The source indicates that Heather Morris’s comedic timing is a perfect fit for Buffy Summers, and that her background as a dancer and a gymnast will be greatly utilized in the skill set that Buffy is supposed to have as a Slayer. In this new reboot, Buffy will no longer be in high school, but instead facing the same hardships that a lot of young college graduates have today in struggling to find a paying job and a healthy relationship. Though she plays a teenager on Glee, the 23 year-old-actress is actually the right age for this newly rebooted take on the character.”

The new “Buffy” film is being written by Whit Anderson.

Previously…

We “Buffy” buffs smashed beer bottles and dropped ducts when it was announced last week that Warner Bros would be rebooting the Joss Whedon created series – as a feature – without it’s creator.

Whedon soon responded to the news, noting that although it’ll hurt to see ‘his’ Slayer stomping about on someone else’s Sunnydale, he’s OK with it.

And now we know why he’s OK with it : He passed on being involved.

Says Heat Vision, “According to studio insiders, he was approached last year after Buffy rightsholder Fran Rubel Kuzui and husband Kaz Kuzui began developing a remake with Vertigo. After presented with the opportunity, Whedon decided he’d rather work on other projects (he’s making Marvel Studios’ The Avengers). Producers then began searching for a writer and late last year hired actress-turned-scribe Whit Anderson. The unknown Anderson, with only bit film appearances to her credit, came up with a take on the Buffy myth that was strong enough after a couple of drafts to lure Atlas, which partnered with Vertigo to set it up at a studio.

Fox, distributor of the 1992 movie, had first crack, but passed, so Warners slid in, betting that Whedon or no Whedon, Buffy can still slay at the box office.”

Now I can only imagine that Whedon passed because the “Buffy” that Vertigo, and then Warners, wanted to make wasn’t his “Buffy” – as in, it wasn’t going to be a feature-film version of the TV series that people know and love. Whedon couldn’t…wouldn’t… want to be involved in a reboot without his cast… it’d not only seem disrespectful, but he’d be caught up in the ostensible imminent backfire too. He needs his fans – they keep him employed.

Meantime, Whedon’s surrogate, Whit Anderson (She’s a woman), tells The LA Times that she’s a die-hard fan of the ’90s series, “[it] was the one show I would watch when I got home. I just loved this character. I was the same age as Buffy, and it was so rare to have a female lead character on TV in those days who was strong and capable and smart but also allowed to be feminine.”

“The thing that was so wonderful about ‘Buffy’ is what made it special was so timeless,” Anderson said. “The deep struggle she had with duty and destiny, that tug between what you’re supposed to be doing and what you want to be doing. The fate of the world is on her shoulders, but some days she wakes up, and she just doesn’t want to do it. And are we doomed and destined to love someone? That conflict was very interesting to me. Those are the things I loved about her and her world. She also represents — like all the heroes — something empowering for us. She reminds us of what we could be if we were in our top form, the best of us if we were at our very best, and even then we still see the vulnerability and doubts she has inside. That’s where we all connect.”

Hmmm.

Movie Hole

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Give Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot a Chance

Author: Jon Sobel — Published: Dec 08, 2010 at 5:57 am

I've been thinking about the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot (because now and then I've just got to stop thinking about Republicans and Democrats) and I just can't seem to get upset about it like so many of the Slayer Faithful.

In case you hadn't heard, there's a movie in development with no participation by Joss Whedon, the creator of the character. Like just about all the commenters at this report, my initial thought was: Buffy without Joss? Why bother? (Click here for Whedon's own, hilarious response to the news.)

But Buffy doesn't belong to Joss Whedon, and I don't mean in the legal sense. She belongs to all of us who loved watching the show. Buffy belongs to us just like Robin Hood does, or King Arthur, or Batman, or Superman, or Kirk and Spock. Characters created in the age of copyright may, technically, be the intellectual property of some person or corporation, but in a broader sense, as published works of the imagination, they belong to us all. What we like about them doesn't change when a new iteration proves disappointing.

The company (in this case Warner Bros.) that now owns the rights to a character can and should do with it what it thinks best. I'll give the new movie a chance. If it sucks (no pun intended), so what? That doesn't take anything away from the greatness of the TV show or my memories of it. (And I can always go back and watch my DVDs again.) I didn't much care for the J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot—it was a decent adventure movie but hardly my conception of what Star Trek has been all about all these years. So what? I enjoyed it far as I could for what it was, and promptly completely forgot about it until I starting thinking about the topic now. It took nothing whatsoever away from the great TV shows and films of the Trek franchise.

Franchise. There's a word for you. It's all about commerce, remember—making money. After all, a "franchise" is also what you call your local McDonald's. Where, perhaps sometime in 2012, kids will be begging for "Buffy" Happy Meals. Marketing unhealthy food to children through toys—that's something to get in high dudgeon about. Not a new Buffy movie you might not love. As William Shatner said in the famous Star Trek convention skit on Saturday Night Live: "Get a life."

Blog Critics

Sunday, December 5, 2010

‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 8’ Kills Off A Major Character

Trent PinkisthenewBlog.com 12/03/10 01:02 PM

I've got some very big and very sad Buffy the Vampire Slayer news to pass along today. This news is real Buffy news, it has nothing to do with the **** plan to remake the BtVS movie without Joss Whedon … this news has to do with the ongoing comic book series that has been carrying on the storyline from the BtVS TV series over the past few years. As you may recall, we learned back in January that the Season 8 Big Bad, known by the codename Twilight, was none other than Angel himself! That plotline development really shook things up in the BtVS world and brought much entertainment to fans all year long. When last I reported on the BtVS Season 8 comic book series back in August, I mentioned that Buffy's ex-boyfriend Riley Finn made his comic book debut in the series. Today, I have much sadder and very spoilery news to pass along … there has been a major death in the BtVS family:

The secret's out … and even tho I've yet to read up on my comics to the very sad news about I'm about to share, I've been keeping my eye on where the story has been going … and I NEVER anticipated this final outcome. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 Issue #39 (which was released yesterday) features Buffy in battle-mode against … someone. In order to keep the news SPOILER free from those of you who don't yet want to know what happens in the comic, I'll leave all the reveals behind the cut. After the jump, see the full uncensored cover for Issue #39 and find out the terribly tragic news about which major BtVS character has been killed off. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED …

NOW … because I have not yet received my copy of Issue #39 I do not know the outcome of this battle between Buffy and Angel. Will she finally destroy him? Will he destroy her (if not physically, emotionally)? What I do know is that in the wake of this epic battle (the likes of which we have not seen since the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) one of Buffy's closest and dearest friends will be killed.

When I found out who it was that has been killed, I actually felt like I was punched in the gut. I'm not even exaggerating, I still feel the actual pain of loss. Even tho I've not yet received my copy of Issue #39, I couldn't help but find out which character has been killed.

I know … and now I wish I can un-know the sad news.

This is your last chance to avoid finding out who dies if you want to make the gruesome discovery from reading the comic book yourself.

But if you, like me, just know who gets killed …

It is Buffy's beloved watcher and father figure to all … Rupert Ripper Giles:

Fansite Whedonesque is in mourning today over the news of Giles's death … and rightly so. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the news. I know it may sound trite to get so worked up over the death of a fictional character … but when you have spent a lot of time getting to "know" and love a character, you will feel the pain of loss if he/she is destroyed. I still have a few comics to read leading up to Issue #39 but … man, what a sad thing to look forward to.

If anything, this highlights the absolutely unnecessary plan to reboot Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a whole new story when the ORIGINAL and vastly superior original story is STILL ONGOING! But, I'm not even gonna talk about the **** Buffy reboot. Giles is dead. Not since the death of Buffy's mom — Joyce Summers — and Willow's girlfriend — Tara Maclay — has there been a death this … important.

UGH.

I'm a mess :(

TV.COM

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Joss Whedon WAS Approached To Make 'Buffy' Movie... And Turned It Down

Joss Whedon won't be "left to his pain" so much after this little "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" development. Warner Bros. has been made to seem like the Big Bad Guy in this situation when they chose to reboot "Buffy" without the involvement of Whedon, who wrote the screenplay for the original feature film and spearheaded the TV series.

Turns out Whedon actually was offered the first opportunity for a "Buffy" reboot, though -- at least that the tune WB insiders are singing -- which kind of takes away from our little Whedon pity fest. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Whedon decided to pass on the film because he'd rather work on other projects (read: "The Avengers") and it was only then that producers turned to unknown writer Whit Anderson. She came up with a version of the myth that captured the studios' attention, and Warner Bros. decided to go forward with the project even without Whedon.

Some have criticized Whedon for not taking the "Buffy" project when he had the chance, but considering he already spent six years working on the TV series and many more working on the comic books, I think it's understandable that he chose not to participate in the film. But the public outlook up until this point is that he was never contacted to work on the film, and I think it's a little inappropriate that Whedon never took the time to clarify that he passed the opportunity up.

Previously, Whedon had said that, "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."

Whedon probably asked "Buffy" rightsholder Fran Rubel Kuzui, who originally came to him to ask him to work on a film, not to pursue turning the film into a movie after he turned the opportunity down. Again, I think Whedon was in the right to not make the film, but he definitely should have been the person to come forward and say that he was approached to be involved with the "Buffy" movie instead of letting "studio insiders" try to cover their tracks.

Does knowing Whedon was approached with the "Buffy" movie change your opinion on it?

MTV Movies Blog

Monday, November 29, 2010

In Defense Of The New Buffy


This week’s announcement of a new Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie without Joss Whedon may have set the internet aflame in upset, but… Is it wrong that I think it might be a good idea? Please don’t kill me.

I should start, I guess, by owning up to my own Whedon fandom: I liked the original Buffy movie, and was a massive fan of the TV series. Angel kind of passed me by until the third season – I tuned in occasionally, but it didn’t really gel for me – and pretty much missed Firefly until reruns, at which point I fell in love with it (Serenity, too). Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was pretty great, but I tend to think of Dollhouse as a misstep that may have been interesting, but certainly wasn’t good. Does that mean that I am a hater? I can’t quite tell, to be honest, because I’m certainly cautious about the idea of a Whedon Avengers movie and find myself hoping for the best for this Whedon-less Buffy.

Here’s the thing: This new Buffy feels like, at the very worst, an easily-ignorable addition to the franchise. It doesn’t mean that Joss has been robbed of doing more Buffy; unless I’ve missed something somewhere, he’ll still be involved with the Dark Horse comics – being relaunched and expanded next year – and it’s not like there was another Buffy movie or television series he was involved in that has been killed as a result of this news. It just means that someone will be doing a different Buffy that really, honestly, can be ignored if you’re not into it.

(I know, I know; this is the counter-argument to my feeling that Caprica somehow lessens Battlestar Galactica in retrospect. I am a fickle, contradictory beast, what can I say?)

And is it really that wrong to be curious about what someone else can do with the ideas behind Buffy? The notion that monsters and demons and horror ideas can be used as stand-ins for the teenage experience is surely potent enough to stand up to multiple explorations by multiple people, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t interested in seeing someone who’s actually been a teenage girl can bring to the whole “metaphor for teenage girldom” thing (Not to say that Joss couldn’t write teenage girls well, because – obviously, he could – but still). Am I sad that it’s going to be done as a reboot of something that ended less than ten years ago, and still exists in spin-offs and the hearts of fandom everywhere…? Well, yeah, to be honest – I’d much rather see a new idea than a rehash of an old one. But, to be cynical, any new idea would’ve just been branded a Buffy rip-off anyway, so at least this addresses the elephant in the room by… co-opting said elephant.

The oddest part of the whole thing – The part that, I think, catches a lot of folk off-guard – is that Whit Anderson, writer of the new movie, is a completely unknown quantity. No-one seems to know anything about her work, her style, her anything other than what appeared in her LA Times interview, and that brings with it all kinds of feelings for many people: What makes her the person to reboot this beloved franchise? Why is she so special? (A favorite comment from a disgruntled fan commented on the fact that the LA Times piece had such a large photo of her, as if the fact that she was attractive was enough to get her the job. Sadly, that’s not really the way Hollywood works, something I found out after years of expensive and ultimately useless plastic surgery). Admittedly, the fact that you can’t look at previous work and pull an opinion from that makes it so much easier to assume the worst, but I’m choosing to do the opposite: I’m going to hope that the only way an unknown writer gets a major studio to back such a potential nerdbomb as a Buffy reboot is by having an astonishingly good pitch that makes it worth all the hassle and ill will from fans who’d rather see the franchise dead than done without Joss.

I could be wrong. The end result might be a terrible, terrible thing that I’ll wish I could trade in for that amount of time and money back to use in similarly unproductive ways. But if that’s the case, then, screw it. I’ll just go to Netflix Streaming and watch “The Body” again, and think of happier times. Until then, though, I’m keeping fingers crossed and hoping that this reboot will mean more Buffy, and an introduction for all the people who never saw the show or read the comics or even knew she existed before. Once more, with feeling, you could say.

Sunday, November 28th, 2010 at 9:30am

by Graeme McMillan



We need more vampire slayers — just not more Buffy


Warner Bros. had half the right idea with their Buffy the Vampire Slayer  remake. It's about time somebody picked up the baton Joss Whedon dropped seven freaking years ago. But we don't need more Buffy, just more heroes like her.

After I heard about the plans for a new Buffy movie without Whedon's involvement, I had profoundly mixed feelings, which it's taken me a while to sort through. I mean, I had the same feeling of "a disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out of terror yadda yadda" that everybody else had. I mean, Buffy is one of the great stories of our time, and a lackluster remake without the creator involved just obviously seems like bad news.

But after more consideration, I had a more nuanced feeling about this remake. First of all, the absence of Whedon's involvement is a symptom, not the cause, of the likely suckitude. Second of all, we need more heroes like Buffy — but more than that, I desperately want to see what the next thing after Buffy is. And third of all, there hasn't just been a shortage of strong female heroines since Buffy went away — there's been a shortage of strong heroes and stories about heroism, period. We're in a weirdly cynical era where we have tons of heroes but not much heroism.

So taking those one by one:

The absence of Joss is just a symptom.

You could make a great Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie without Joss Whedon's involvement — it's not likely, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility. It's not as if there's a secret Buffy formula that only Whedon knows — plenty of other writers have handled the character well, and there's much about her that's a tad generic, including the "there can be only one" thing.

Imagine, for a second, that Warners had hired writer extraordinaire Jane Espenson to write a Buffy movie script, instead of novice screenwriter Whit Anderson. Would you be as upset? I know I wouldn't.

And sweet muppety Odin knows, some of the recent Buffy season eight comics have had me wondering if Whedon himself still has any idea what to do with the character who made him famous.

But at the same time, we live in an era of cynical, dumbed-down remakes. Studios are constantly digging through the scrapheap of old stories, looking for pieces of IP that they can break down and sell for parts. They don't see anything unique about Buffy, any more than they do about Total Recall or any of the tons of other remakes they're pushing through. They're just brands that haven't been drained dry yet. They have some name recognition and a smidge of nostalgia value, which can be turned into money before they're tossed back on the heap. In other words, to the studios, Buffy is Mr. Peanut.

Where remakes have worked, it's been because the creators were willing to go back to the source material and really engage with it. Like in the case of the surprisingly good Let Me In — Matt Reeves was determined to go back to the original novel by John Ajvide, to create a fresh take on the novel's themes and ideas, instead of just doing a bad copy of the Swedish film. But that just brings us back to the fact that the source material of Buffy is in Whedon's head, if it's anywhere.

And looked at in that light, the decision to shut out Whedon feels cynical. How hard would have been to rope him in, in some kind of producer role? The absence of the character's creator, combined with the decision to hire a novice writer, just sounds suspiciously like a quick and dirty assembly-line remake, to mine the last bit of value out of the old girl.

And Anderson's comments to the L.A. Times also didn't fill me with confidence — they sounded like a summary of the movie and TV show by someone who'd seen a few episodes, but didn't really get the themes of sacrifice and strength of character that Whedon instilled into Buffy Summers. In particular there was a lot of talk about "duty and destiny" and the conflict between Buffy's responsibility to save the world and her reluctance to do it — which seems like a charcoal sketch of the character's conflict, not the rich character study that Whedon created.

So yeah, a Buffy movie without Whedon could be okay — but it probably won't.

We're still waiting for what comes after Buffy

Jeez, Hollywood. Buffy the Vampire Slayer went off the air in 2003. And we're still waiting for someone to take it to the next level.

Buffy made a bold statement in the context of 1990s pop culture: What if this tiny blonde girl, who looks like the victim in every horror movie ever, is actually the monster-killer? What if she's badder and tougher than everyone else? What if she's secretly grappling with the weight of the world because she's the only one who can save us all?

Whedon often talks about the idea for the original Buffy movie coming from the image of a girl running from a monster, like in every other horror film — but then it turns out she's actually hunting the monster, and she catches it by surprise. Because she's not just your typical sacrificial cheerleader.

That was a radical idea in 1992, and even in 1997. I would be very sad to think it would still be radical in 2012, or whenever this film comes out.

A lot of the themes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ought to feel dated, even if they don't. The whole idea that even though she just looks like a regular cheerleader doesn't mean she's not something special, for example — we got another dose of that from Heroes, except it was stripped of all its humor and, well, heroism. The novelty of "a young girl who's not just a victim" definitely ought to have worn off by now.

Mind you, the theme of being torn between duty and your personal desires is fairly timeless and intrinsic to the "hero" thing — but Buffy did bring something special to it. Especially after the first season and a half, Buffy learns the value of sacrifice, and gains strength of character from making tough choices. She's not just permanently struggling against her destiny, and heroism doesn't just drag her down, it also enriches her life — it's complicated. And it's that complication that I'd love to see taken to the next level.

A lot of my favorite Buffy moments, not surprisingly, are the "fuck yeah" moments where you think Buffy's finally going to give up, but then she comes back twice as strong or does something surprising and awesome. People used to talk about how empowering Buffy was, and it's really true — at its best, the show was inspiring, and there hasn't really been anything like that since then.

So what kind of female heroes have we gotten after Buffy? It hasn't been a particularly great time, at least on screen. The best you can say, for the most part, is that women have graduated from "damsel in distress" to "sidekick who sometimes needs rescuing." The distinction is a subtle one, but it does carry some weight. Look at Theresa Palmer's character in The Sorcerer's Apprentice — she's mostly the love interest, but she does get to do something to help defeat the baddie. Similarly, I feel like a lot of action/adventure movies now have a role for the female badass who's not quite as awesome as the male hero, but still gets to do some stuff — like Helen Mirren in RED or Theresa Palmer (again!) in I Am Number Four.

So actually the way to get the kind of surprise that Buffy served up in the 1990s would be to have a female character who you think is going to be the "butt-kicking sidekick," but actually turns out to be more awesome than everyone else.

Actually, what may really rule — if we're incredibly lucky — is the upcoming Hunger Games movie. If the movie version of Katniss is half as great as the book version, she could really be our next Buffy.

But yeah, Buffy the Vampire Slayer seems like a trick you can only pull once — and then you really ought to find a new trick. As Whedon himself told Entertainment Weekly a couple weeks back in its big Wonder Woman article, we shouldn't necessarily hope for a Wonder Woman movie — but we should be clamoring for more wonder women.

We're not just lacking strong female heroes, we're lacking heroes

Can you name any other popular story of the past decade that's dealt with the cost — and the glory — of heroism and saving people the way Buffy the Vampire Slayer did? I can't, not really.

I really think Heroes, deep down, wanted to tell a story about heroism, but let's not talk about how that turned out. Lost flirted with the idea of showing someone becoming a hero, but we never quite got there. Most superhero movies are all wish fulfillment and shininess, with no real heroism depicted on screen. Just as we're suffering from a villain recession, we also haven't had a hero who sacrifices, and does the right thing in spite of the cost, and saves people. Not in a while anyway.

There have been hints of these themes a few times — Avatar, for all its faults, does show us Jake Sully making hard choices to become the hero who can save the Na'vi. The Dark Knight  deals a fair bit with the idea that being Batman comes with a heavy cost, and Bruce Wayne pays that cost because people need Batman. The short-lived show The Middleman was starting to say some really interesting stuff about the sacrifices that Wendy Watson makes to save the world, when it was yanked off the air by network fish zombies. (Edited to add: And people have mentioned some other great recent stories about real heroism in comments, notably Harry Potter and Supernatural.)

But mostly, we have spectacles with cookie-cutter heroes, who aren't particularly heroic, or even interesting for that matter. Our heroes either don't struggle with their responsibility at all, or they whine about how the burden of responsibility is crushing them. The themes of Buffy — like wanting a "normal life" in spite of having awesome superpowers — have degraded into a sort of dull whine of entitlement. We get the flashiness of having power, and the cost of having power — but nothing about how great it is to do the right thing.

The "refusing the call of heroism" portion of the "hero's journey" story has become the whole story — it was the entire arc (if there was one) of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and most of the arc of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, to name two random recent movies. Watching squirrely young dudes mope for an hour because they don't want to hang out with awesome giant robots or learn how to do cool magic any more may be your idea of fun, but it's not mine.

I know we live in a cynical age, and we don't feel like any one of us can make a real difference, because every war is a quagmire and every politician is bought and sold, yadda yadda. We see evil everywhere, but it's indistinct because it's systemic and we all, as grown-ups, consent to it to some degree because otherwise we'd have to go live in a hut somewhere. To some extent, our heroic power fantasies are meant to help us escape from this reality — if only we had a magic ring, we'd fix all these problems right quick! — but our heroic stories are also supposed to make us think about the real meaning of heroism. The hero's quest is not meant to be easy or always glamorous — but that makes it more heroic, not less.

With Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Whedon issued a challenge to storytellers everywhere — not just to tell better stories about heroic women, but to tell better stories about heroism, period. The challenge has not been answered. A rehash of Whedon's own vision is not an answer to his challenge — it's just more dumb profiteering. Step up, Hollywood — it's time to give us the next generation of Buffys.

I09

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Being Rebooted


It was recently announced that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is set for a theatrical reboot. The movie will include an all-new cast. Warner Bros. purchased the rights and are moving forward with production.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer began with a movie in 1992 starring Kristy Swanson and then spun into the popular TV show that ran for seven seasons (1997-2003) with Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role.

What has spurned backlash to this news is that Joss Whedon is not involved with the project in any way. Whedon wrote the film and was the creator and head writer of the TV series. Instead it will be Whit Anderson taking on the writing duties for the reboot. Anderson has no writing experience and a very light acting resume.

Hulk and Spidey and Buffy—What's With All the Reboots?

Today 9:30 AM PST by Leslie Gornstein


Why are we seeing so many stupid so-called "reboots" of old ideas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
—88Vibey, via the inbox

I hope you boarded up your windows before you sent me this. Vampire lovers are so rabid in their fandom they're liable to storm your house. (Here, I'll create a diversion for you: Robert Pattinson has a head like bleached a cinder block. Run!)

Anyway, here's why The Hulk, Buffy, Superman and Spider-Man are all being reset and retold from the beginning:

Money. Or, more specifically, guaranteed money.

"Reboots are going to succeed more often," says Tim League of the theater franchise Alamo Drafthouse.

"People are more aware of the concept you're promoting, so it's a safer route. And you succeed more often than you fail."

Even more importantly, he says, you're more likely to know your profits early. Advance ticket sales are much easier to pull off if customers know what they're going to see—well, in advance.

That's opposed to brand-new movie ideas, which do not lend themselves to pre-sales, League tells me. Instead, theater owners and moviemakers have to wait longer for their money to come in, because new ideas require time for good word of mouth to get around. (Of course, that did work out for Avatar.)

That idea also translates to television. The Hulk is coming back to TV, with the help of Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro, who is on board to co-create the new reboot.

Is it greedy for moviemakers to keep revisiting old ideas instead of working a little harder to find fresh ones? I'll tell you, in my latest podcast!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Getting Movie Reboot Without Joss Whedon

Reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Confirmed

Thursday November 25, 2010

A remake of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie was rumored over a year ago, but now it appears that a big-screen reboot of the the TV show based on the movie (which included Buffy and a host of new characters) is on its way. The notoriously rabid fans of the show, however, probably won't be quite as enthused about the new version, since creator Joss Whedon won't have any involvement.

Perhaps just as surprising is the fact that the person writing the reboot -- Whit Anderson -- is an actress with little notable writing or acting experience. Regardless of her resumé, though, she's apparently written something that has impressed Warner Brothers and the producers enough to push for a theatrical release as early as late 2011...but more likely in 2012.

Horror.About

Buffy revamp drives a stake through fans' hearts

November 27, 2010

IT WAS the story the fans have long been waiting for: the return of Buffy, feminist icon and slayer of vampires - and this time on the big screen. Take that Twilight! But any good cheer was quickly drowned out by rage and upset this week as it emerged that Warner Bros was planning to make its film version of the cult TV series without Joss Whedon, the show's creator - and, it appears, without any of the cast of the long-running TV series.

Whedon reacted with fury. ''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,'' he said. ''I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, after.''

The writer of the new screen adaptation is Whit Anderson, a relatively unknown actor with only a smattering of screen credits, the most high profile being a small role in the Jim Carrey film Yes Man.
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''I was the same age as Buffy, and it was so rare to have a female lead character on TV in those days who was strong and capable and smart but also allowed to be feminine,'' she told the Los Angeles Times.

Whedon appears to have fallen victim to Buffy's unusual history. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer became a TV phenomenon when it premiered in 1997. It ended up running for 145 episodes and seven series, charting the life of an ordinary teenage girl who happens to kill vampires and other monsters by night.

The show hit upon a mix of ordinary teenage angst, humour and gore that earned it a devoted fanbase.

Whedon used the series to explore increasingly off-the-wall story ideas - including the episode entitled Once More with Feeling, in which the cast sing almost every line of dialogue.

But Buffy had originally seen the light of day five years earlier, in a feature film script, which Whedon had sold to director-producer team Fran and Kaz Kuzui. The first Buffy film emerged in 1992, with Kristy Swanson as the eponymous vampire-killer alongside Luke Perry and Rutger Hauer, but scored only moderate returns. Whedon is known to have been less than happy with it. After he was approached to turn the concept into a TV series, the Kazuis acted as hands-off executive producers alongside him. It was very much Whedon's show, but the Kuzuis retained their rights.

Last year, no doubt motivated by the continuing success of teen vampire films such as the Twilight series, the Kazuis said they hoped to revive the Buffy character.

No casting details have been announced, but one of the producers, Charles Roven, has dropped a hint that Buffy will be an older character this time. ''This is not your high school Buffy. She'll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be,'' he said.

Whedon is cynical about the likelihood of teen-vampire overkill - ''But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?'' - but is also realistic about the way the movie business operates. In an email to entertainment website E! Online, he wrote: ''Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this … 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 … 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 theatre near you.''

The new film's producers may have reason to fear anger among Buffy fans. The power of the community was shown when Whedon's 2002 sci-fi series Firefly was dropped after only 11 episodes by its parent network, Fox. After a campaign to save the show, Firefly fans persuaded another studio, Universal, to put a feature film, Serenity, into production.

This same vociferous online community has been registering its outrage at plans to produce a new Buffy film, among them the showbiz blogger Perez Hilton. ''We are not liking this,'' he said. ''Without creator Joss Whedon or the original cast, we're afraid this has failure written all over it. It's going to have to be pretty spectacular if it's going to impress us.''

Mike Goodridge, the editor of trade paper Screen International, feels it is too soon to write the film off. ''Charles Roven is pretty cool. He's the man that made the Batman movies with Chris Nolan, so he knows what he's doing - and lots of people were against that at the time. Remember, Buffy was nothing as a movie, and the audiences are very different from TV - Warner know that people have an appetite for revamps. I think it's a great idea.''

Guardian

Buffy movie to be made from the TV show

November 25, 2010

The circle of life is complete – there’s going to be a movie remake of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is going to be based on the TV show of the same name… which of course was in turn based on the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie.

There’s nothing nailed down yet in terms of cast or a director, but one thing is for certain – Josh Whedon, creator of both the original Buffy film and the TV series, is not going to be a part of the new remake.  The script was written by an up-and-coming writer who used to be an actress, and with the help of Warner Bros, they’re going to try to recreate Whedon’s magic formula without Whedon.  Good luck with that.

Snarkfood

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Original 'Buffy' Weighs in on Upcoming Remake

11-23-10

The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer says she not only supports the upcoming remake but also wants to be in it.

"Let Buffy live; why not?" Kristy Swanson, who starred in the 1992 film, told Entertainment Weekly a day after Warner Bros. announced it had picked up movie rights to the remake.

"If they wanted me to be a part of it, I think that would be fantastic and that it would be a blast," she said.

Her comments don't echo those of the character's creator, Joss Whedon, who on Monday expressed his disappointment in the reboot.

"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," he told E! Online.

But Swanson was optimistic in the reboot, even without the participation of Whedon.

"There are die-hard Joss Whedon fans who absolutely love him to death, and rightly so; he's a brilliant man, no doubt," she said. "I love everything Buffy. I don't care who's doing it."

Luke Perry, who starred with Swanson in the movie, declined to comment to EW through his spokesperson.

Hollywood Reporter

Original 'Buffy' Creator Peeved About New Film

11/23/10

Joss Whedon: 'I don't love the idea of my creation in other hands.'
Victoria Fitzgerald

Joss Whedon, creator of hit TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has blasted Warner Bros.' decision to create a brand new Buffy film.

Whedon wrote the 1992 Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie starring Kirsty Swanson and Luke Perry, which was directed by Fran and Rubel Kasui and Kaz Kazui, who also owned the rights to the movie. Joss also wrote, produced, and directed the TV series.

However, Fran and Rubel Kasui and Kaz Kazui have now passed over the movie rights to Warner Bros., according to Deadline.com.

In a statement to E! Entertainment, the Buffy creator said, "Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this.”

He added, "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."

He continued light heartedly, "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."

The updated version will apparently be written by Whit Anderson, and will show the slayer’s life after high school. The Dark Knight producer, Charles Roven, is also set to join the team.

The Celebrity Cafe

Buffy cast react to Joss Whedon-less Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie remake

Written by Kevin BeaumontgravatarcloseAuthor: Kevin Beaumont Name: Kevin Beaumont

Yesterday, Warner Bros Pictures announced they are developing a new Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie – according to their press release, from Buffy “creators Fran and Kaz Kuzui”.  This caused the internet to turn on its ‘what the frak’ face, along with a few former cast members – given Buffy the Vampire Slayer was created by writer Joss Whedon.

David Boreanaz reacts to being told about the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER movie

Former cast member David Boreanaz (‘Angel‘) produced this photograph of himself reacting to the news.  Eliza Dushku (‘Faith’) was more blunt: “Joss [Whedon] made the Buffster [and without] him… I just don’t trust the girl. Or the world.”

Amber Benson (‘Tara’) jokes “Apparently, they’re rebooting ‘Buffy‘ [without] Joss Whedon: I told him that asking to play the title role would frighten the Studio Execs.”

Actress Emma Caulfield (‘Anya’) reacted to the news simply: “ahahahhaha..”

Anthony Stewart Head (‘Giles’) addressed the issue directly: “The bottom line is if a movie was ever to be made, it should be made with Joss Whedon, whether it’s a retrospective or not. But it would be madness to do it without him. [The Kazuis] have the rights to because they have the rights to the original movie, but it should be interesting to see. It may be a bit like watching a car wreck.”

An even more interesting angle to this tale is the choice of talent to produce the movie.  Warner Bros Pictures — a studio which only does big budget, worldwide theatre releases — has chosen a writer who appears to have no prior movie writing experience, nor TV, nor theatre.  Additionally, The Guardian reports she has been “asked to write and star in [the] vampire movie”.  As Buffy.

So, what is going on here…  My take?  They’re trying to power play Joss Whedon.  By putting out a writer without commercial writing experience to take on a franchise which had been previously spearheaded by an Oscar nominee writer, to rumours of the character being played by an actress whose acting credentials appear to barely exist — I believe they are trying to force Joss Whedon to join the project.  Reboots, when they’ve worked previously, have long established industry talent working on them for long durations to make sure the investment pays off.

The reality is this – instead of being excited by the twilight on the horizon, a majority of both the Buffy fans, the former TV show cast members and mainstream press alike are looking at this and giggling.  It’s going to be the funniest movie release of 2011/12, should it happen.  Producer of this reboot, Charles Roven says, “There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen.”  Far from boycotting the movie, I’m ready and waiting to see Warner Bros attempt with the kind of glee I reserved for Tuesday nights on FOX.  You could argue that’s the intention, but it isn’t – either the studio hasn’t thought this one through, or they’re trying to drive the franchise close to the cliff to see if Whedon saves it.  My vote?  Buffy will live forever.  Just not right now.

End of Show

New Buffy the Vampire Slayer film director: "I didn't really watch much television at all"

November 24, 2010

I wasn’t moved all that much one way or the other when I first heard that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is being remade as a movie (after first debuting as a so so movie and then transforming into the legendary and groundbreaking television show).

Things get remade all the time, I half-figured as my mind was blitzed with 700,000 other things during my webby day. Is it really all that big a deal in comparison to the U.S. unemployment rate or the creepily depressing events going down on the Korean peninsula, I asked. Although I didn’t really ask, of course, until just now as I’m writing the words.

But then when I did take a quick second out to dig into the details a little bit, I started to get pissed.

Here’s why: the screenwriter of the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie is not going to be Joss Whedon. I knew that going in, but take a minute to consider. You’re the screenwriter that has to come in and replace Joss Freaking Whedon. Talk about stepping into the footprints of a giant. And who does Warner Bros. decide to slate for the challenging and unenviable task? Kevin Smith, or maybe a wildcard like a Tim Burton or Quentin Tarantino?

Uh, that would be a no:
Warner Bros. has announced a scriptwriter will pen a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer film without the involvement of show creator Joss Whedon.
Whit Anderson, a little-known actress with no previous profile as a screenwriter, has been signed to author the script.

Okay, an unknown. Fine. But this is what really destroys me:
"I didn't really watch much television at all, but I always watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer," she told the Los Angeles Times.

So, it’s great that Whit grew up enjoying Buffy, but it may help a little bit to realize that one of the reasons that Buffy was so bold and innovative is that it played defiantly and playfully and artfully against every television show convention imaginable. Whedon proved to be an absolute master at taking the audience places that they didn’t expect to go, all while painting a deliriously entertaining canvass that’s absolutely drenched in pop cultural references… including television. Perhaps Whit is a filmologist wunderkind of some kind and will do the same thing for a revamped Buffy franchise in the cinema realm, but I will remain deeply skeptical until further notice.
In essence, it’s very hard to disagree with Whedon himself when he says: “"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,"

TV Geek Army

Oh, Buffy! I don't know whether to weep or cheer

Lucy Mangan

Tuesday 23 November 2010

A new Buffy the Vampire Slayer film is to be made – without Joss Whedon. Can worshippers bear to watch?


Sarah Michelle Gellar, in a scene from the cult American TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Photograph: PA

Oh, this is terrible. I feel like Buffy at the end of season two, with Angel poised on her swordtip and torn between her loyalty to the man(-type thing) she loves and her duty to a higher calling. What do we do? Where do we turn?

Such is the dilemma posed by the news that a new Buffy movie is to be made – without Joss Whedon. The creator of the Slayer, first incarnated in the 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson and then reborn as the protagonist of the world's best ever television series, does not own the film rights. Those who do – Kaz Kuzui, executive producer on the series, and his wife Fran Rubel – have decided to reboot the franchise without him.

Spike himself would surely blanch – were he not already bloodless – at the heartlessness, the brutality of such an undertaking. To remake Buffy without the man whose controlling intelligence and vision informed it more thoroughly than was the case with any other series in TV history (at least until David Simon's The Wire and Matthew Weiner's Mad Men) seems, at first glance, like a very special form of idiocy.

And yet. And yet. Once the first shock has worn off, what – if we don the Willow Rosenberg mantle of indefatigable optimism – are we left with? The chance of more Buffy. The remoter chance – the vagaries of film-making being what they are – of more good Buffy. Not the same Buffy, not Whedon's Buffy, but perhaps something true enough to the original not to induce screaming agony in those of us who worship at the Joss-SMG altar. Or, if it's bad, the knowledge that it can safely be dismissed. Without the Whedon imprimatur, it is non-canonical. It cannot taint him or all that we already know and love. As Raymond Chandler once comforted himself and his fans after a number of his books were unsatisfactorily filmed – "Look, there [the books] all are. They're fine. They're not ruined. They're still there."

So, sprinkle your box set with holy water and start channelling the white magicks towards a happy outcome, but don't forget to cover your bases with a phone call or two to the Master and Drusilla. Because if Buffy becomes a Hilary Duff vehicle or the means of an attempted Lohan comeback, I promise you this: Sunnydale's gonna burn.


Guardian

The Ridiculous Quest for a Joss-Less Buffy Movie

By Clarissa on November 22nd, 2010

Look, let's be honest.  Sometimes remakes aren't a bad thing.  Or "reboots", if you want to call it that.  When Christopher Nolan took over the Batman franchise he breathed new life into it and made two amazing movies (with a third on its way).  I even liked the rebooted Star Trek, but I didn't watch the original shows or movies, so I honestly have no idea whether the real fans felt upset by the remake or whether they felt enough of the original elements remained.

But now the LA Times wants to introduce us to the new writer of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie.  Let's recap.  Before it was a cult show on The WB and UPN networks, Buffy was originally a movie staring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry.  Frankly, it was a pretty terrible movie.  Campy and cheesy.  I mean, yeah, I still watch it everytime it's on TV, but it can't touch the quality of the Buffy television show.

And let's be clear, the Buffy show also had its faults.  It's not like Joss Whedon (the creator and showrunner of the Buffy universe) is infallible.  There were many storylines in the Buffy show that many fans, myself included, couldn't stand (pretty much everything wtih Riley or Dawn, for example).

But we were willing to overlook that, because when Buffy was firing on all cylinders - and it often was - it was heaven.  It was a show with thinly veiled messages about high school and what it meant to grow up, and vampires.  In other words, perfection.

Now the LA Times has written an article introducing us to the new writer for the new Buffy movie.  That poor Whit Anderson.  She's officially the most hated screenwriter in cult fandom today.  The truth is, I don't know if she's going to write a good script or not, but what irks me the most is the cavalier way in which the entire process is being handled.

Let's start with the title of the article: "Joss who?  Meet the new writer of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film".  That's the worst sort of insult.  I don't worship Joss Whedon as my own personal Jesus, but the man has a genius for writing in particular that cannot be denied.  He breathed life into the Buffy characters, wrote some of its best scenes and dialogue, and created a show that deserved more mainstream recognition than it got.  So, please, LA Times, don't be cavalier and throw away Whedon's contribution to the Buffy universe just because you want to introduce us to the new writer.

Also insulting is producer Charles Roven's statement that "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.”  Which actually tells me that someone out there hasn't done their homework.  Because the truth is, there is an active fanbase eagerly awaiting this character's return.  Assuming, of course, we're talking about the same character.

If Buffy isn't written by Joss or played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, then we're not talking about the same character.  If the familiar supporting characters (Willow, Giles, Spike, Xander, etc) won't be appearing in the story then we're not even talking about the same show.  All you're talking about is a girl who happens to hunt - and sometimes date - vampires.  So basically you're talking about every generic vampire story these days (except Buffy is obviously more kick-ass than Bella Swan).

Please don't insult real Buffy fans by assuming you know what we want and then say we're begging for your new version.  Because we're not.  This new movie may very well end up attracting a new group of fans who are interested in the recent vampire craze and never really watched Buffy before.  But it's not going to attract most of the die-hard fans.

I might be willing to let the whole situation slide if someone told me that Joss wasn't involved, but other members of his writing team were.  People like David Greenwalt, Jane Espenson, Doug Petrie, David Fury or Marti Nixon.  Then I might not be so anxious.  But all I hear is that the new producers are taking the Buffy name and making it something new and unrecognizable.

In the article, Anderson said:

    “The thing that was so wonderful about ‘Buffy’ is what made it special was so timeless,” Anderson said.  “The deep struggle she had with duty and destiny, that tug between what you’re supposed to be doing and what you want to be doing. The fate of the world is on her shoulders but some days she wakes up and she just doesn’t want to do it. And are we doomed and destined to love someone?

She's not wrong.  That struggle between duty, destiny and what you really want to do is not a theme that's associated with Buffy alone.  It's one of a few limited blueprints from which all stories are eventually derived.  But that doesn't make any story about a girl torn between destiny and love (or destiny and wanting a normal life) a Buffy story.  That just makes her a girl holding a wooden stake.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
twitter.com/clarissa373
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TV Overmind

A New Buffy Movie sans Joss Whedon

November 22, 2010

Into every generation, a Slayer is born . . .

Turns out that’s more accurate than we originally thought.  First there was the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie with Kristy Swanson and Pee-Wee Herman, then there was the television show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar that lasted 7 seasons, and now Whit Anderson is penning a script for a reboot to be released by Warner Brothers.

Kristy Swanson & Luke Perry in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie

No, I don’t know who Whit Anderson is, either, but her IMDB page reveals that she has acted in 3 films and has scripted . . . um, none.  I’m not quite sure how she even got involved in this project, but according to Hero Complex, she is a fan of the television series.  That’s a step in the right direction, at least, but fans aren’t thrilled that this will be a Whedon-less Buffy.  Myself included.

Joss Whedon wrote the script for the original film and is the creator and the guiding hand for the television series.  His devotees are loyal and have followed him from Firefly to Dollhouse (both short-lived series), but he wants no involvement in the new film: “I think that’s something better left untouched by me. So, I wish them luck,” he said in a 2009 interview.

This reboot could be a success, since fans are hungry for more Buffy, but I think they want more of the characters and actors they know and love.  Will we see Angel, Spike, Drusilla, or even Oz?  I doubt it.  (And Buffy without Spike is no Buffy at all!) Likely this story will feature mostly new characters.  It may not even be set in California, much less Sunnydale.  It’s impossible to predict what elements will remain from either the 1992 movie or the series.

However, it’s reasonable to assume the protagonist will be a girl named Buffy, and she slays vampires.  I also suspect she’ll have a Watcher.  Aside from that, it’s anyone’s guess.

I just hope it doesn’t suck.

“To make a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It’s like a whole big sucking thing.” – Buffy, “Welcome to the Hellmouth”

Big Shiny Robot

Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Joss Whedon? That's been going on for years

November 24, 2010

Warner Bros plan to make another Buffy movie without its creator is like fanfiction – but not as interesting.


There is a huge body of online fanfiction about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Warner Bros's decision to make a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie without any involvement of its original creator, Joss Whedon, or any of his TV show's cast, is a win-win situation, however personally and professionally galling it is to have his best creation taken away from him.

If the movie crashes and burns, the decision to leave him out of it becomes the reason for its failure; if, on the other hand, it succeeds, he gets the kudos for creating a modern myth so powerful that his stories can be told without his involvement. Actually, we already know the latter to be the case – because fanfiction drawing on Whedon's Buffy and its spin-off series Angel is one of the larger and better-written bodies of such work on the internet.

Interestingly, Whedon has always been positive about fanfiction:

    "I love it. I absolutely love it. I wish I had grown up in the era of fanfiction, because I was living those shows and those movies that I loved and I would put on the score to Superman and just relive the movie over and over."

He has even been positive about slash fiction, which depicts romantic or sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex. "In my world, heroes bugger each other senseless. Not all of them, but more than you'd think, and probably not who you're thinking."

I have to declare an interest here. While most people concerned with BTVS – as fans call Buffy for short – know me as the editor of a collection of critical analyses of the show, I have always led a double life. Some time ago, I was talking to a serious industry person about my writing and hers; she said diffidently that she has published some fiction, all of it on the net. "So you write fanfic?" I asked. "Which fandom?" She told me, and I realised I had read quite a bit of it. She suddenly looked at me with a wild surmise, "Oh my God" she said, "you're RozK."

People get into writing fanfic for a lot of reasons, and I can't speak for anyone but myself. When I started, I had published some quite well-thought-of genre short stories, but was seriously blocked as the result of a novel that crashed and burned. I was feeling nervous about writing seiously – perhaps pompously – about a show mostly watched by people much younger than I was, and wanted to demonstrate that I was just a fan like any other. I had enjoyed the fanfiction I had read as part of my research on the show, and wanted to give something back: the gift relationship as described by Richard Titmuss is a major feature of fandom. My fanfic days also taught me a lot about writing quickly and to order, just as obsessing with Whedon's shows taught me a lot about writing crisp dialogue.

I was particularly intrigued by the idea of slash fic – there are just not enough lesbian and gay relationships in popular culture to forego the chance of adding more informally. BTVS was, from an early stage, a slash-friendly show – Whedon said "all the relationships in the show are kind of romantic" and it was the sudden wave of Buffy/Faith fic that partly prompted the shading of the relationship into something quasi-erotic. In later seasons, Buffy's friend Willow came out as lesbian – other characters, notably the vampires Darla and Drusilla were shown as bisexual. Even Buffy herself has a lesbian affair in Whedon's BTVS comic book, Season Eight. Some creators mind what we do to their characters – Whedon mostly never did.

It would be hypocritical for me to object in principle to what Warner Bros may choose to do. After all, in my own work, I mashed up BTVS, Ugly Betty and Six Feet Under and put Buffy's cheerleader friend Cordelia through endless romantic angst with other characters Faith, Willow and the robot double of Buffy. One site I frequented back in my fanfic days made a point of trying to get at least one story for every conceivable romantic combination. Other friends, less interested in slash, wrote crossover fiction that involved in the Buffyverse everyone and anyone from the Saint to Father Ted to Noggin the Nog. Warner Bros are unlikely – I fear – to do anything to Buffy as comprehensively weird as that.

Guardian