Buffy without Joss Whedon? It doesn't even sound right, but that's exactly what's happening. Whedon is busy helming The Avengers for Marvel, and has absolutely no input on this new production. Anderson is currently "fighting through" the script, which Warner Brothers hopes to have finished and ready for release some time in 2012.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
first debuted in 1992, with the ultra sexy Kristy Swanson manning the wooden stake of the superpowered feminine icon. The film, which was a dud back then, would eventually launch the highly successful TV series which ran for 7 seasons and 144 episodes starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. This new take wouldn't be based on either the movie or the series. Apparently Anderson's version has made a few fans, not the least of which is Batman Begins producer Charles Roven, who spoke to the LA Times about the project...
“Generally, I wouldn’t have said, ‘Let’s revive this,’ but Whit’s take is pretty compelling and a lot of fun, and it’s interesting to see all of this reimagined. 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.”
Personally I have my doubts, but Anderson sounds confident....
“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.”
I think trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice is a big mistake. Buffy was awesome, and I have it firmly entrenched in my Top 3 favorite TV series ever. So I have very little faith in this actually being worth the time I'll no doubt spending writing on it.
