Discuss: Is 'Buffy' Better Off Without Joss Whedon?
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels
We've all had a few days to let the news sink in that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is getting a feature film reboot, and is if that wasn't enough; that the creator, Joss Whedon, would not be a part of it. As to be expected, fans were ticked, and just for the record, I am one of those die-hard Buffy fans with DVD collections and Season 8 comics lining my wall. But, maybe it's because lately everything is up for grabs when it comes to remakes and reboots, because when I heard the news, I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Now last week I asked fans if there was a chance they were being a little too hard on a certain time-traveling robot, but then I realized I should probably try and follow my own advice when it comes to something I love. So I ask myself: Is a 'Whedonless' Buffy necessarily a bad thing? Well, I have to tell you, there is a part of me that thinks that the Buffy reboot isn't doomed to fail, and here's why:
Whedon is built for TV ... not the Big Screen
I've always thought that Whedon's strength as a writer is rooted in his ability to work in an episodic form. I've been watching him work for a long time now, and I think he is usually at his best when he is given plenty of time to tell the story. Whedon is a fan of the slow burn, which gives him plenty of chances to work in those little 'hooks' that he is so fond of. But Whedon on film is an entirely different proposition -- things become rushed, and there isn't enough time to work in those details that make us really care about the characters. Not to mention that reuniting casts rarely works (prove me wrong Ghostbusters 3...prove me wrong) and if Vertigo wants a fresh start for the franchise they are never going to get it trying to fill in seven years of back story for the non-fans. Whedon served his time with the Slayer and her Scoobies, and in the process, created one of the greatest female characters ever made -- so maybe we should just leave it at that and let someone else have a turn.
Into Every Generation a Slayer is born...
In the end, Buffy was a superhero. So if we are OK with a new Batman every couple of years or so, then why not a new Buffy? Tongues are already wagging about who could take over the role, and while I think most of the actresses in the running lack a certain something, but as a dedicated fan of Ms. Summers, my vote would have to go to Kristen Bell -- she has just the feel of a cheerleader with an edge. But let's take a moment to address the idea of 'Classic Buffy', shall we? Despite not being the original, Sarah Michelle Gellar is still who most of us think of when we think Buffy Summers -- and isn't about time that she got to retire? Imagine if Harrison Ford never got the chance to be anything else but Han Solo; we never would have gotten Indiana Jones or Rick Deckard (then again we also wouldn't have gotten Hollywood Homicide, so maybe that one is a trade-off). But let's be honest, Buffy was always about a young girl dealing with all the turmoil of becoming a woman while fighting demons and stopping the apocalypse...a young girl. So while the Buffy geek in me would love to see a film with a grown-up Buffy (played by Gellar) and her army of slayers from the comic books, the film geek in me knows that the studio isn't interested in that story...the studio wants a new franchise, and I doubt they would be willing to build one around Gellar.
So what do you think? Is this the chance to do something new with the character, or has reboot mania clouded my judgment? Tell me if you think Buffy can survive without Joss Whedon or Sarah Michelle Gellar...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-28-2009 @ 5:44PM
Bill.W.gr said...
You know, I just don't see what is so great about Joss Weadon. Firefly, Buffy, Doll House...they all have such stupid dialogue and characters. Reboot anything this guy ever did. Let Joel Schumaker direct and put rubber nipples on everyone. Get the screenwriter for Speed Racer. It would still probably be better than any episode of the Television shows this guy has done.
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5-28-2009 @ 6:26PM
Marti said...
Are you crazy, Buffy is one of the best shows that ever graced Televison. It was imaginative and witty with realistic well writen charaters, even if they happened to be witches vampires and demons. You probably have never even watched an episode, why would you, you are probably one of those guys who think only men in tights can be superheros. Well let me tell you batman has nothing on Buffy Summers, and she fight in high heels let see superman do that. Also, Firefly was another imaginative series. It was like the old west set in outerspace with Asian culture and martial art thrown in. You probably just want more cop show, hospital drama, and reality shows.
5-28-2009 @ 5:56PM
yani said...
Can it survive? Maybe, that would all depend on the script and the actress (and given that they totally slaughtered the original Buffy movie from it's original intention, that's a pretty big question mark). The real question that I keep coming back to every time anybody mentions remaking (or reimagining or whatever the buzzword of the week is) well loved movies is WHY? Yes, I know it's "safe" for studios because they have the whole "built in audience" thing... but you're seriously telling me there aren't a million potentially awesome totally original scripts out there that would be better than all these remakes? Grrrr...
I would also have to say that comparing Buffy to Batman is a flawed premise. Batman has been rebooted and reinterpreted and retooled by a myriad of writers and artists during it's life as a comic book, so retooling it as a movie doesn't seem that out of place. Buffy has always been Joss's vision (the slaughter of the movie notwithstanding)... sure he's had other people helping him, but it's always come back to him.
You want to come up with a story about a teenage girl who kills vampires, fine... just leave the Buffy name off it. If it has to be a Slayer, then fine, play in that universe, but since "To every generation she is born"... you'd have a million names and a million time periods to play with.
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5-29-2009 @ 11:28AM
molly said...
Personally, I was okay with the thought of having a 'Buffy' movie without Joss, then I heard that the same people who made the original movie were working on the remake. I became upset because they totally screwed up the idea the first time and I'm afraid that they'll do it again. Don't get me wrong, I'll still go see it, but if the movie's bad i won't support it.
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5-28-2009 @ 7:22PM
rainbow said...
I have to say, there are possibilities. But I also have to say...a lot of what everyone loved about the story of Buffy was from the mind of Joss Whedon. And now audiences have a very firm idea of the Buffy character and Whedon's representation of her, so redoing Buffy, especially without Whedon, could be problematic. But using the universe and a different slayer? A lot more palatable.
Plus, if everyone is rebooting films to buy into the already-existing fan base -- who is a real fan of Buffy that will see this? So what's the point?
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5-28-2009 @ 8:06PM
AJ Wiley said...
Nope, still 100% positive this is the worst idea I've heard in forever.
Joss can make a great movie, as Serenity proved; and Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a fully fleshed-out, legitimate story instead of the largely unconnected monthlies that made Batman and Superman titles that could be messed with and retooled. It all comes down to a vision, and Joss is the only one who has it.
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5-28-2009 @ 8:25PM
Andy said...
They need to leave Buffy. In fact, they need to stop making all these remakes and sequels altogether. I don't see the point in remaking a movie, especially when it was a piece of crap? It seems that they're trying to capitalize off of the success of Twilight and the vampire mania surrounding it. It's gonna be a bomb, just like the original.
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5-29-2009 @ 1:40AM
Jeannette said...
Joss Whedon is hands down the most creative talented mind in television today. Fran and Kaz Kuzui are typical hollywood parasites that contributed nothing to BtVS or Angel and collected a paycheck and an Executive Producer credit for nothing. They killed the first movie and frankly I'd rather see Joe Esterhaus helm this movie than either of them. I not only will not see this movie I may picket the theatre
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5-29-2009 @ 8:43AM
Caroline said...
I was really happy that Joss whedon is not involved. Hes the sort of person that seems to ruin perfectly good storylines. Buffy, Angel, dollhouse etc were really good ideas but his spin on them is aweful. the dialogue is bad, characters are bipolar switching from one personality to the next (dollhouse is excluded from this), Buffy for example is often this whining, pathetic mess that you want vampires to kill just to get rid of her. A stronger buffy is needed. I always thought that both buffy and angel were spoof versions as the series became sillier and sillier. I mean come on a musical episode?
Finally now we have a chance for someone new to create (hopefully) a fresh start for buffy. Hopefully with stronger, more relaible characters, and a plot that does not remind you of some spoof movie such as scary movie, but instead a more down to earth portrayal of the story
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5-29-2009 @ 12:29PM
Jeannette said...
How can you say that Joss "ruins" a perfectly good concept when he created the concept? Buffy and Angel would not exist were it not for Joss. The musical episode not only was brilliant but served to move that seasons plot forward and made sense as opposed to the musical episode of say That 70's Show which was just a musical episode to no purpose. This is a man who made an entire episode of television with almost no spoken dialouge ( Hush) . Buffy is a young woman charged with the awesome responsibility of saving the world on an almost daily basis so hmmmm yeah she's a little whiny. Wouldn't you be? Watch Becoming Parts 1 and 2 The Body Hush Chosen Surprise Innocence all written and directed by Joss and try and say he is not the single brightest mind in the television universe!
5-29-2009 @ 9:59AM
Riley Freeman said...
i dont see the point of a buffy movie. there was a movie there was 8 years of tv shows and then there was also angel. id rather see an angel movie than a buffy movie.
i stopped watching buffy and moved to angel to be honest. so i didnt see the last 2 or 3 seasons of buffy. but before that i was a fan of the show.
nevertheless by name im not motivated to go pay and watch this. make an interesting trailer and i might be persuaded into seeing it. otherwise this is a tv movie
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5-29-2009 @ 1:42PM
Batzarro said...
I don't think the film is doomed just because WHedon is not in there. But on the other hand, I've heard nothin to support it not being crappy.
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5-29-2009 @ 7:11PM
joits said...
absolutely not, buffy is not better without joss. there's a reason he has such a passionate fan base, its because he's a genius and creates such compelling characters and storylines. sure we get the occasional detractor like "caroline" but for the most part, most people love joss and we love what he's done with buffy. the idea of making a movie without him is just plain ridiculous. they can replace the entire cast for all i care, but joss needs to be involved.
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5-31-2009 @ 10:53AM
Emily said...
The one thing that annoys me about Joss Whedon is that he can't come up with happy endings. Never, ever. Not even for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog, and that was a light-hearted forty minutes long mini-series on internet. I like tragic endings, but come on, it's starting to get really predictable. So maybe if Joss isn't involved, we might get a movie where everybody ISN'T miserable/dead in the end?
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6-02-2009 @ 7:57AM
Ben said...
The only POSSIBLE way this movie could work would be if it were written and directed by Joss Whedon...
SMH may have played Buffy on sceen, but WHEDON IS BUFFY!!!
I honestly could go on for hours on end, but I truly believe the above statement qualifies for "nuff said."
If anyone out there has a qualifying argument I would love to hear it, and then disprove it... :)
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6-07-2009 @ 10:18AM
FreddieAlice said...
I think that what these folks are trying to do is jump on the Twilight and TrueBlood bandwagons and the superhero comic-remake bandwagon all at the same time (that's a lot of bandwagons!), using a name that's at least recognizable to a lot of people even if they haven't seen the original movie or the TV show. They don't want Joss Whedon quirkiness; they want an easy blockbuster without a lot of effort. I have my doubts about any Buffy without Whedon. They did one and you can see Whedon hovering around the concept, but the movie turned out stupidly. I think this particular idea needs Whedon to make it work -- he unites campiness and drama and turns it into gold (for people who like that kind of thing.) But even if I weren't prejudiced in favor of Whedon, I would think that people trying to make a generic girl-meets-vampire film using Buffy because people have heard of it will probably make garbage -- particularly if it's the same people who were responsible for that dumb first movie.
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6-09-2009 @ 8:02PM
Emily said...
Did you hear the rumors that the possible “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” filmic remake could be done without the grand captain vampire creator? AKA Joss Whedon. What do you think a Joss-less Buffy film will be like? http://www.iheartvampires.net/?p=344
Check out iheartvampires.net for the latest in vampire news.
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6-10-2009 @ 12:42PM
Gillian said...
I don't know...Sarah is kinda the one and only Buffy for me. And Joss Whedon is great. I guess it depends on who they cast. I wouldn't mind Kirsten Stewart or Summer Glau for Buffy.
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6-24-2009 @ 2:54PM
TexasRed said...
I don't think the fan base will be as strong without Joss involved. Most of the fans know he was the original character creator and will be at least suspicious of a Buffy project that did not involve him. For instance, I won't make a decision now whether or not to see the new movie, but I know I won't go on opening weekend. I'll wait to see the reviews from other fans of the series first.
It would have been more interesting to me to see one of the new slayers post Season 8 Buffy as the main character in a movie -- give them a chance to build on the existing storyline without being confined by a known character.
I guess the original movie team only had limited rights to the character, though, not stories from the series (Joss would have been able to do this, though).
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7-14-2009 @ 8:38PM
Alexander Noxon said...
The essential problem with recasting and rebooting such a well loved and recieved show, crafted and created with the ultimate care we've come to expect from Joss Whedon is that, no matter how hard one tries, it would be damn near impossible to re-create characters that interact so perfectly and are so likeable only a decade since the initial show was at its peak.
Sure it will pull in audiences, perhaps even create a new Buffy+ collective, but the real fans will likely just return to their dvd and vhs copies and rewatch the real Scoobie Gang than buy into another profit-seeking relaunch of a show whose body is still warm.
You can recreate the sanarios and copy the dialogue, however, the true heart of Whedon's brainchild will be lacking
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