Nov
2010
I constantly rant on this blog that Hollywood is without any original thoughts, and that they should be ashamed of themselves.
Even I thought they would never sink this low.
It was announced yesterday that Warner Brothers is rebooting Buffy, The Vampire Slayer as a movie. For those unfamiliar with the history of the franchise, when Joss Whedon sold the original movie he had to sign the rights to that particular incarnation over to the producers. When it went way off the mark of what he planned, that was when the TV series came about. While the TV series made very fleeting references to the movie in the premiere episode, that was where the connection between the two projects ended.
As we know, the TV series went off the air seven years ago, and it has now continued as a successful comic book (I swear I’m going to catch up on those synopsis posts …), but beyond that Whedon has not planned to continue as a film or television series.
So, when it was learned yesterday that Warner Brothers had secured the rights from the producers, and that Joss Whedon is in no way associated with the production, it goes without saying that fans are angry.
When it comes to Buffy, you somewhat liken Mr. Whedon to … well … I wouldn’t say “god”, but at least a minor deity. He crafted one of the wittiest, most insightful stories on television that just happened to deal with the supernatural. The idea of someone that he did not personally pick putting words into the mouth of Buffy is just not acceptable. Yes, yes, reboots happen all the time now, but never with a property that is such a cult favorite and so deeply associated with its creator.
Mr. Whedon, who has never shown himself to be anything but classy, issued a very classy statement to E! that goes a long way to show why fans love him so. It read in part:
I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, AFTER. I don’t love the idea of my creation in other hands, but I’m also well aware that many more hands than mine went into making that show what it was. And there is no legal grounds for doing anything other than sighing audibly. I can’t wish people who are passionate about my little myth ill. I can, however, take this time to announce that I’m making a Batman movie. Because there’s a franchise that truly needs updating. So look for The Dark Knight Rises Way Earlier Than That Other One And Also More Cheaply And In Toronto, rebooting into a theater near you.
Leave me to my pain! Sincerely, Joss Whedon.
Even David Boreanaz, who played Angel on both Buffy and the self-titled spin-off, expressed his displeasure via an image posted to Twitter by Hart Hanson, a producer on Bones, the show the actor currently works on. (pic to the right) I think his expression pretty much sums up how we’re all feeling at this time.
Warner Brothers has pretty much guaranteed that no fan of the former incarnation will go anywhere near this production while it is in the theater or on DVD. Perhaps we’ll watch it on cable, but no where that we have to pay for it.
Whit Anderson, the writer who came up with the concept for the reboot, will write the script for the new film. She says she is a big fan of the TV series, but if she truly was, you would think she would understand that touching this franchise in this manner may make her the most hated person on the Internet for some time to come.
The only positive that may come of this whole thing is that it may cause people who see the movie to search out more adventures of the character, and then they will discover the one, true, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
It seems Joss Whedon already has some ideas of what to do with his time since 
