Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[JackFetch]

A new incarnation of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" could be coming to the big screen.

"Buffy" creator Joss Whedon isn't involved and it's not set up at a studio, but Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch, but not a sequel or prequel.

While Whedon is the person most associated with "Buffy," Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the "Buffy" script from then-unknown Whedon. She developed the script while her husband put together the financing to make the 1992 movie, which was released by Fox.

Kuzui later teamed with Gail Berman, then president of Sandollar Television, bringing back Whedon to make the TV series, which was produced by Fox TV and launched on the WB in 1997. Kuzui and Sandollar received executive producer credits on "Buffy" and its spinoff, "Angel."

The new "Buffy" film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Vertigo and Kuzui are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon, putting the parties in a similar situation faced by Paramount, J.J. Abrams and his crew when relaunching "Star Trek."

One of the underlying ideas of "Buffy" allows Vertigo and Kuzui to do just that: that each generation has its own vampire slayer to protect it. The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie that would, of course, have franchise potential.

The parties are meeting with writers and hearing takes, and later will look for a home for the project. The producers do not rule out Whedon's involvement but have not yet reached out to him.Speaking from Tokyo, Fran Kuzui said the company is constantly approached not only about sequels but theater, video games and foreign remakes for "Buffy." When Vertigo's Lee contacted them, they were intrigued.

"It was Roy's interest in taking Buffy into a new place that grabbed us," she said, noting that original exec producer Sandy Gallin also was consulted. "It was based on our respect for what he does, and his particular sensitivity to Asian filmmakers, that we wanted to work with him."

Kuzui, who is prepping do direct a movie in Japan in the fall, added: "Everything has its moment. Every movie takes on a life at some point, and this seems like the moment to do this."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/conten...d5861d83ae30855

[KnightWing]

WHAT?

THE FLAMES OF HELL SHALL SMITE THOSE WHO DEFILE THE HOLY NAME OF BUFFY THE ALMIGHTY

Seriously, Buffy is a franchise that doesn't need to be "reinvented." I can totally understand a restart of the franchise continuity, but, at the very least, Whedon should be the writer.

[Stavros]

You'll need to find a completly new audiance to go with this film because theres not a Buffy fan alive who'll watch this without Whedon involved. The original film minimised his involvement as well and look how that turned out.

Granted the Buffy audiance wouldn't be enough to make this a hit by themselves but I think the last 20 years have shown that its impossible to successfully bring a pre-existing property to the big screen without the approval of the hardcores.

[KnightWing]

Okay, after having several minutes of think-time, I've decided that this could actually be a really good thing. Buffy continuity got horribly convoluted after a while, and most fans agree that it was best in its first three seasons, when it was still pretty simple. If they can retain Whedon's clever writing style but keep his slightly disgusting soap opera stuff (anyone who's seen Buffy season 4 and Angel seasons 3&4 knows what I'm talking about) out of the sequels, it'll be great.

[Stavros]

Buffy season 4 was great, it introduced Spike as a regular character thus completly reinvigourating the Scooby dynamic, plus it had some killer episodes like The Inititive, Something Blue, Superstar and the astonishing Hush. Its certainly better all around than season 5 and 6. Yeah 5 had the legit threat feeling but its just not as much fun to watch.

And oh yeah, the best Angel EVER was is Season 3. The long story arc that started with Offspring, peaked with Sleep Tight and finished the season with Tomorrow? AWESOME. Probably the most tense I've ever been during a TV show was Sleep Tight.

[KnightWing]

Buffy season 4 was great, it introduced Spike as a regular character thus completly reinvigourating the Scooby dynamic, plus it had some killer episodes like The Inititive, Something Blue, Superstar and the astonishing Hush. Its certainly better all around than season 5 and 6. Yeah 5 had the legit threat feeling but its just not as much fun to watch.

See, I hated season 4. It was all like "Buffy gets drunk" or "Buffy has sex 14 times in the same episode!"

The Initiative just annoyed the heck out of me, as did all the villains. Spike, Angelus, the Master, and even The Anointed/Annoying One were more interesting to me.

I do agree that Spike was great in that season, though.

(and yes, "Hush" may be the best episode of the entire series)

And oh yeah, the best Angel EVER was is Season 3. The long story arc that started with Offspring, peaked with Sleep Tight and finished the season with Tomorrow? AWESOME. Probably the most tense I've ever been during a TV show was Sleep Tight.

See, the entire story made me want to vomit.

Cordelia becoming pregnant by way of Connor?

EWWWWWW....

EDIT: wait, I'm thinking of season 4 only. Season 3 wasn't so bad.

What I mean is that if they can hit the "reset" button on the continuity and just have a new series of movies, it might be cool. I'd personally like it if they kept to the more gothic and vampire-centric tones of the early seasons, but hey, that's just me.

I choose to retain optimism until I am disappointed by the trailer.

[Stavros]

Why? I mean, without Whedon's distinct style a new Buffy is basically going to be Twilight with jokes.

When you don't invlove the original creator in some way it will go wrong to a degree. MCG's attempts to remake Spaced in the US spring to mind, or the awful US version of Red Dwarf. The reason for the success of those things was the unique creative voice behind them not the concept itself.

I just don't think you can make a new one and have it be anywhere near what the old was. They can make it if they like, I'd even be interested to see the trailer but there's no way a movie can live up to 12 seasons of my favorite tv shows ever.

[Venneh]

While Whedon did make Buffy into what it is now, I don't see why someone else shouldn't get their chance at tackling the franchise. And I think that there's a pretty significant portion of the population that doesn't like Whedon's style, and I can see why some people might want a reboot.

Good luck to the guy who's heading this, though. The militant Whedonites will smite them.

[KnightWing]

Why? I mean, without Whedon's distinct style...

If they can retain Whedon's clever writing style... it'll be great.

Exactly.

...a new Buffy is basically going to be Twilight with jokes.

Twilight was a joke.

*Ba-dum PISH!*

I just don't think you can make a new one and have it be anywhere near what the old was. They can make it if they like, I'd even be interested to see the trailer but there's no way a movie can live up to 12 seasons of my favorite tv shows ever.

They're comparing it to Star Trek. Might that be a good example?

I love Buffy as much as anyone (see my first response), but I do think that this idea has some credit. I think that in some ways, Whedon's writing held the show back as much as it helped it.

...

I just realized something. They can't bring in Angel, or they'll be accused of stealing the "tortured vampire boyfriend" thing from Twilight. UGGHHHH...

[Stavros]

I just don't think you can make a new one and have it be anywhere near what the old was. They can make it if they like, I'd even be interested to see the trailer but there's no way a movie can live up to 12 seasons of my favorite tv shows ever.

They're comparing it to Star Trek. Might that be a good example?

Yeah but to be fair Star Trek was dying under the ministrations of Gene Roddenberry which is why better people took over, and again when those people started to fail they were replaced. The very peak of Star Trek occured around the time Roddenberry died. Its an example of a long running franchise with both TV and movies being known to have big potential under a number of different guiding hands. Buffy and Angel were always Whedon and his close crew of Minear, Fury, Noxon, Greenwalt and Espenson along with the many writers that grew within that environment. It was never without Whendon in that overseeing position to some degree.

[KnightWing]

Yeah but to be fair Star Trek was dying under the ministrations of Gene Roddenberry which is why better people took over, and again when those people started to fail they were replaced. The very peak of Star Trek occured around the time Roddenberry died. Its an example of a long running franchise with both TV and movies being known to have big potential under a number of different guiding hands. Buffy and Angel were always Whedon and his close crew of Minear, Fury, Noxon, Greenwalt and Espenson along with the many writers that grew within that environment. It was never without Whendon in that overseeing position to some degree.

Hmm... good point.

Well, even if its quality didn't go down, Buffy and Angel are kind of "dead" in that their fanbase isn't enough to bring back the show, and everything's so complicated after 12 seasons that it'll be difficult to use the same chronology and get any new fans.

I mean, can you imagine trying to explain the storyline to a newcomer?

"Okay, that's Buffy. She's the Slayer, the one girl in all the world who is granted special powers to help defeat the forces of darkness, like vampires. Except that now she's done some spell dealie-thing to 'activate' all the other potential slayers, so now she's got a whole army. And she used to live in Sunnydale, California, which was sitting on top of a hellmouth--a center of mystical convergence--but that got destroyed, so she lives in Europe. That guy over there is Angel, who was a vampire and Buffy's former boyfriend who actually got a soul through a gypsy spell but can't find true happiness until he's made human again. He also has a half-vampire human son, who spent fifteen years in a hell-dimension, then had his memory wiped by an evil law firm. That other guy is Spike, who was a bad guy for a long time, then stalked Buffy, then decided to be good and earned a soul. Then he died, but came back. And there's Willow, who was/is a witch who turned evil then good again. She also randomly switched sexual orientations in the middle of Season 4. That other dude with the eye patch is Xander, who was once engaged to a former vengeance demon. And that's Giles, who's Buffy's mentor, whose girlfriend was once killed by Angelus--who was Angel after he slept with Buffy and turned evil. That's Dawn, who's Buffy's little sister that's not really her little sister--because she was actually a supernatural "key" created by monks to stop a demon god-being from opening a portal from her dimension to Earth, but as far as everyone knows, Dawn's been there all along, so they just pretend that she really is Buffy's little sister. No, really, it makes sense if you watch the show. And lastly, that's Faith, who's another slayer that was good, then evil, then really evil, then sympathetic evil, then repentant, then good. No, she is not the same character from Dollhouse.

[Stavros]

Not suggesting you stick with current continuity, just suggesting that you don't attempt to remake an iconic concept five years after it ended the first time. You know how long you wait to do a non-continuity remake? 20 years. Long enough that the previously young characters now play the grizzled elders, like Battlestar.

Its way too soon for people to be able to disassociate it from the old show, regardless of whether they are fans or not and if they do this now and it bombs then that affects the viability of the franchise a few years from now when it might actually stand a chance of being successful again and being relevent to a new generation.

[JackFetch]

Joss had this to say about it:

What do you think about this Buffy movie they're making without you?

JOSS WHEDON: I hope it's cool.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/05/a-joss-less-buf.html

I really don't think he cares as long as it doesn't mess with what he has created.

[annericelover]

This is bullshit man, the first film was okay, but suffered greatly without Joss Whedon behind the cameras or behind the scenes at least. The TV Series helped relaunch Joss Wedon's weird creativity and garner a great amount of loyal fans. Before he did Buffy he had some creative effort writing for Roseanne TV Series. After Buffy came out he made several great shows and films and even managed to do what few have done, make a feture length film based on a series that was cancelled early. This was Firefly(Serenity was the film).

Anyway, I'm highly pissed off because Whedon has been wanting to bring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kristine Sutherland and possibly David Boreanaz back for a remake film that better connects to the series.

But it says that it won't intefere with the film and series continuity, but how is it called Buffy than? There can't be two Buffy's that became Slayers. Also it has to take place before the Buffy film because Buffy and Faith aren't dead. What theyu should do is adapt the Season 8 Buffy comic and Season 6 Angel comic into two or 4 films(2 parts for Buffy and Angel).

This is just another stupid attempt at getting quick cash from an already established franchise and Hollywood continues to piss me off because of it.

FUCK YOU HOLLYWOOD!!!!

[MaxPower]

Are they just using the term "Buffy" when they really mean "slayer".... I really can't see them doing a movie with the central character Buffy. But I can see a 'Slayer - The Next Generation' type thing being done.

[Stavros]

But it says that it won't intefere with the film and series continuity, but how is it called Buffy than? There can't be two Buffy's that became Slayers. Also it has to take place before the Buffy film because Buffy and Faith aren't dead. What theyu should do is adapt the Season 8 Buffy comic and Season 6 Angel comic into two or 4 films(2 parts for Buffy and Angel).

They are hitting the universe reset button, it would have no connection at all to the series. All it would be is the basic original premise, High School girl named Buffy takes on vampires & demons, Xander, Willow and Giles would probably not even exist.

They can't adapt the comic. Firstly, the Angel one isn't that good and secondly there is a reason they are comics. They could never get made.

The remake has to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer because thats the franchise. Change the name and you lose the recognition and therefore a lot of the reason to make the film in the first place. They have to call the character Buffy.

[MaxPower]

It could easily be called Vampire Slayer or something else. They were considering a TV series about the Watchers Council, so I guess it all depends on what direction or look they want from it. Buffy isn't as iconic as Superman or Batman, you can't reboot Buffy, it would just be too murky.

Or if you want it to be Buffy for recognition, make it a medieval Buffy, something about how every 500 years the slayer is called Buffy. I'm just saying there are a lot more options other than a reboot/alternate timeline.

[Stavros]

It could easily be called Vampire Slayer or something else. They were considering a TV series about the Watchers Council, so I guess it all depends on what direction or look they want from it. Buffy isn't as iconic as Superman or Batman, you can't reboot Buffy, it would just be too murky.

Or if you want it to be Buffy for recognition, make it a medieval Buffy, something about how every 500 years the slayer is called Buffy. I'm just saying there are a lot more options other than a reboot/alternate timeline.

Ok here it is. The central concept of the show is a modern teenage high school girl named Buffy fighting vampires and if you change that its not worth doing. It doesn't work if you set it 500 years in the past or 500 years in the future. The reason you use the name is to create an existing set of expectations, so by calling if Buffy they instantly tell the audience what its going to be.

A reboot allows them to change some of the fundamentals of the story, create a new look for vampires, new standard effects for dusting, etc. They want to use this basic concept and recreate it for a film, which frankly makes much more sense in marketing terms than another old series tie-in. The only way its even worth revisiting is if its this basic concept reimagined for a new bigger audience. You get a greater proportion of new viewers willing jump in on the new continuity-free story.

The reason that there is a reboot of Batman Cartoons every five years is to grab a new young audiance. Much as I love the DCAU it was good to see it go out on a high and now that its gone we get Brave and the Bold. Reboots have value in and of themselves, they retain the name value and grab a whole new group of fans. Star Trek used "This isn't your dad's Star Trek" to draw in new fans, they made it clear it was a significant departure from the older stuff.

I'm against the whole idea of making more of the existing Buffy or remaking it at this time but from a making money perspective its a no-brainer which one you go with. You have to reboot it.

[annericelover]

They are hitting the universe reset button, it would have no connection at all to the series. All it would be is the basic original premise, High School girl named Buffy takes on vampires & demons, Xander, Willow and Giles would probably not even exist.

I kind of figured that, lol

They can't adapt the comic. Firstly, the Angel one isn't that good and secondly there is a reason they are comics. They could never get made.

Actually the Season 8 Buffy comic and Season 6 Angel comic is adapted from Joss Whedon's outlines or scripts he was planning to use if the series continued

The remake has to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer because thats the franchise. Change the name and you lose the recognition and therefore a lot of the reason to make the film in the first place. They have to call the character Buffy.

I can see what you're saying, but that is still going to piss a lot of people off.

[KnightWing]

Actually the Season 8 Buffy comic and Season 6 Angel comic is adapted from Joss Whedon's outlines or scripts he was planning to use if the series continued

Sort of...

Those storylines are so much more "epic" and outlandish than the series that Whedon has said that if he got the chance to continue the series that he'd just start over and erase the new comics' continuity.

I can see what you're saying, but that is still going to piss a lot of people off.

People get pissed off when it rains. They'll have to get over it.

I agree with Stavros; the real concept of Buffy is about a little blonde girl in high school who suddenly learns that she's the heir to this epic legacy and has to slay vampires. While the other slayers in the past or future are cool, their anchor point for the audience is Buffy. If it's not actually about Buffy--the blonde teenage wonder--then there's no point in even using the same franchise.

[Venneh]

I can see what you're saying, but that is still going to piss a lot of people Whedonites off.

[Stavros]

They can't adapt the comic. Firstly, the Angel one isn't that good and secondly there is a reason they are comics. They could never get made.

Actually the Season 8 Buffy comic and Season 6 Angel comic is adapted from Joss Whedon's outlines or scripts he was planning to use if the series continued

Firstly, Buffy ended when it was meant to. I like the comic but the series was never actually going to go in that direction even if they did make an 8th series. Secondly there is no way in hell that Angel would have gone the way that comic did. He's a street level hero, thus he needs an actual street to walk down rather than the burnng rubble of a major american city in hell.

I get that Joss wrote these. He wrote them WAY after the shows ended and used the medium to go crazy and do all the stuff he could never actually do on TV, thats the whole reason for those books.

There may have been ideas for spinoffs but none of the more likely ones resembled the comics in any way. A Giles TV movie called Ripper, the Faith & Spike on the road series and the cartoon were the only real candidates for a continuation of the franchise under Whedon.

[KnightWing]

Firstly, Buffy ended when it was meant to. I like the comic but the series was never actually going to go in that direction even if they did make an 8th series. Secondly there is no way in hell that Angel would have gone the way that comic did. He's a street level hero, thus he needs an actual street to walk down rather than the burnng rubble of a major american city in hell.

Actually, the city's back to normal now.

...the cartoon were the only real candidates for a continuation of the franchise under Whedon.

The cartoon looked and sounded pretty awesome, if perhaps only because it was Buffy back in high school, with more of a focus of the "fun" of those seasons. Maybe the new movie can recapture some of that? (Optimism!)

[NightAngle04]

Man Buffy fans are hardcore..................... and have memory loss apparently.

[JackFetch]

FOR IMMEDIATE TELEASE

WARNER BROS. PICTURES SHOWS ITS FANGS WITH A “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” REBOOT

LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 11, 2010 – Atlas Entertainment announced today it is rebooting the beloved franchise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with Warner Bros. Pictures. Atlas’ Charles Roven and Steve Alexander will produce the feature film alongside Doug Davison and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment (The Ring, How to Train Your Dragon, The Departed). Whit Anderson is writing the script.

Warner Bros. Pictures optioned the rights from creators Fran and Kaz Kuzui, and from Sandollar Productions (Sandy Gallin and Dolly Parton), for Atlas and Vertigo to produce. Buffy the Vampire Slayer first appeared as a film in 1992, subsequently becoming a cult hit and spawning the wildly popular television series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, among many others.

“Whit approached us with an exciting idea about how to update Buffy,” said Roven. “There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen. We’re thrilled to team up with Doug and Roy on a re-imagining of Buffy and the world she inhabits. Details of the film are being kept under wraps, but I can say while this is not your high school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough, and sexy as we all remember her to be.”