"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" remake on the works

[Jade Owl]

See the story here.

I think the fact that Joss Whedon isn't going to be involved in any way is going to alienate a lot of the fans of the show. There's also the detail that these are the people that made the original movie... not the best of recomendations.

All of this assuming the project ever goes into production, which I sincerely doubt. Does anybody else think this project it doomed to development hell?

[Themightytom]

how ironic: every time I think we've finally driven a stake in it, the franchise comes back..

[Majin Gojira]

Frankly, judging by their comments, they don't understand what made the show successful in the first place.

And unless they kill off half or more of the supporting cast through the film, making Buffy "Darker" is going to be quite difficult given the original painfully explored PTST.

I'm sticking with the comics (despite their recent employment of a phenominally stupid twist).

[Faqa]

I support the non-involvement of Joss Whedon, if this is to go forward. Not because I didn't like the show, but because if they REALLY want to take the movie in a different direction(neccesary, since the initial concept was a spoof on horror trends that are no longer current), then he needs to stay far far away from it.

That said, I am... not optimistic.

Frankly, judging by their comments, they don't understand what made the show successful in the first place.

Are they going by the show? I got the impression they were branching off from the original movie - specifically NOT the show.

[Majin Gojira]

Which is sort of like saying "We're going to make a darker, edgier version of "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" without the comedic elements."

[Drooling Iguana]

I'm not too worried about the non-involvement of Joss Whedon. IMHO, he's among the most over-rated writers working today and it would be quite possible to make a good Buffy movie without him. However, by the sounds of it this is just going to be another "darker and edgier" Hollywood remake, and those don't have the best track record.

Still, we really don't know anything about the movie yet, so it's too early to speculate as to whether it's going to be any good.

[Erik von Nein]

How do you even do a "dark, edgier" version of a story about a high school girl slaying vampires? Seriously, the hell.

Screw it if Joss Whedon isn't involved, there are other writers out there. But taking an inherently silly idea and trying to make it serious is likely destined for fail.

[Majin Gojira]

How do you even do a "dark, edgier" version of a story about a high school girl slaying vampires? Seriously, the hell.

I'm pretty sure Yoshiyuki "Kill Em All" Tomino could do it. Or possibly Hideki Anno during a mental breakdown.

And those are pretty much the only ways to make Buffy "Darker and Edgier" given the depths it went to. Kill Everyone at or by the end, or drive the audience insane.

[Strider]

Inside a similar article about this :

The idea behind the new reboot is to maintain the show's mythology while introducing a new slayer and Hellmouth-threatened group of pals, building on the idea that each generation has its own vampire slayer.

This seems to raise more questions than answers. I mean, each generation HAD one vampire slayer, that's been old news for half a decade. If it's a new slayer, is she even named Buffy, or do they just mean a new "Buffy"? If there are Hellmouths and such involved, they seem to be at least borrowing from the show, as the movie took place in LA. Is this gonna be some weird mishmash of an AU-y thing where Buffy is ten years younger and the Hellmouth isn't, and never was, in Sunnydale? Also, the "group of pals" thing was the show, not the movie, and from that it sounds like they'll be trying to do more of a BtVS Season One in brief rehash than a movie rehash. Of course, it's supposed to be dark too...

I'm getting more of a confused vibe off this than anything else.

And as a last note, it's almost certain that if a movie does somehow happen they'll dig up some of the old random cast members for cameos and such to force the old audience to watch. I'd be entirely unsurprised if James Marsters played Spike and was a principal villain (I mean, once you've been Brainiac and Piccolo, being a redone AU version of yourself isn't as big a shock as it could be).

[Faqa]

Is this gonna be some weird mishmash of an AU-y thing where Buffy is ten years younger and the Hellmouth isn't, and never was, in Sunnydale?

announcing plans for a new Sunnydale-set film.

Honestly, it's not that hard to understand. Same concept, different execution.

In Studio-exec speak:

Star Trek made a film that rebooted the series continuity.
That Star Trek film made a lot of money.
We want money
Let's make more movies that reboot continuity!

It's shallow, stupid and depressing in terms of original movies, but it's not hard to follow.

I'd be entirely unsurprised if James Marsters played Spike and was a principal villain (I mean, once you've been Brainiac and Piccolo, being a redone AU version of yourself isn't as big a shock as it could be).

Please no. I've only watched the first four seasons, but my conclusion is that Spike FAILS at badass. He needs to be tied to a chair in order to be amusing.

I could see them writing off the old timeline as "Willow screwed up a spell" or something, Spock Prime-style.

[Themightytom]

Frankly, judging by their comments, they don't understand what made the show successful in the first place.

And unless they kill off half or more of the supporting cast through the film, making Buffy "Darker" is going to be quite difficult given the original painfully explored PTST.

I'm sticking with the comics (despite their recent employment of a phenominally stupid twist).

What DID make the show successful? The everyman approach to the occult, or was it just teenager inertia that started with drooling over Sarah michelle Gellar and then needed to be jsutified by continued viewership?

I'm not a fan of buffy which always confused me because its exactly the kind of show I SHOULD have been a fan of, yet I found it so bizarre i couldn't watch more than a few episodes at a time.

[Majin Gojira]

What DID make the show successful? The everyman approach to the occult, or was it just teenager inertia that started with drooling over Sarah michelle Gellar and then needed to be jsutified by continued viewership?

Simply: The subversive Everyman approach coupled with the inherently potent metaphores (intentionally placed, mind you) of mixing High School and "Hell". By subversive I mean "knowingly twists the common cliche's often to full reversals".

[PREDATOR490]

This sounds utterly retarded.

If it is another generation then Buffy is dead, thus it isnt Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If Buffy is in it then it would be the same generation so... uhh ok ?
Unless they really mean they are going to call it something else like 'Faith the Vampire Slayer' this seemes entirely pointless and will only be a complete rehash of old ground. The Slayer will be in buttfuck nowhere over a hellmouth with a group of friends who help her, not really seeing whats new about this.

I got a better idea for a new show / reboot.

Buffy the Terminator Slayer - Willow fucks up her spell and transports Buffy into the TSCC reality.
Buffy vs. Cameron
FIGHT!

Heh, at least that might be entertaining...........

[Faqa]

Buffy the Terminator Slayer - Willow fucks up her spell and transports Buffy into the TSCC reality.
Buffy vs. Cameron
FIGHT!

Not really. Remember Buffy Season 4? Or hell, Buffy Season 1 in one of the episodes?

*squish* would be more like it. Buffy fights demons, not robots.

Simply: The subversive Everyman approach coupled with the inherently potent metaphores (intentionally placed, mind you) of mixing High School and "Hell". By subversive I mean "knowingly twists the common cliche's often to full reversals".

Also, the silly nature of the series. It didn't ask you to take it seriously most of the time, which helped to humanize the characters.

Then, when it got serious, it got very very serious. It's a dramatic technique that paid off in spades for the show.

[PREDATOR490]

Buffy the Terminator Slayer - Willow fucks up her spell and transports Buffy into the TSCC reality.
Buffy vs. Cameron
FIGHT!

Not really. Remember Buffy Season 4? Or hell, Buffy Season 1 in one of the episodes?

*squish* would be more like it. Buffy fights demons, not robots.

Nothing else strikes me as feasible for Buffy to get more 'realistic' or 'grimdark' than having it involve being on the run like the Connors vs. the authorities etc.
Watching vampires killing people with more blood is pretty cheap and pointless unless they intended to make it an Angelus which I might actually be tempted to see if Buffy actually stakes him without any angsty teenage romance bullshit.

[Peptuck]

Buffy the Terminator Slayer - Willow fucks up her spell and transports Buffy into the TSCC reality.
Buffy vs. Cameron
FIGHT!

Sarah Michelle Gellar vs. Summer Glau?

FUND IT.

[Faqa]

Nothing else strikes me as feasible for Buffy to get more 'realistic' or 'grimdark' than having it involve being on the run like the Connors vs. the authorities etc.

Oh. Well, yeah, that would actually work. I thought you literally meant having her fight a Terminator... which is one-sided. Robots have historically squashed Buffy.

Watching vampires killing people with more blood is pretty cheap and pointless unless they intended to make it an Angelus which I might actually be tempted to see if Buffy actually stakes him without any angsty teenage romance bullshit.

Ummmmm... you do realize that half of the drama of Angelus was BECAUSE of the angsty teenage romance bullshit, yes?

Otherwise, it's just standard generic evil villain.

Sarah Michelle Gellar vs. Summer Glau?

Hell yeah. Buffy vs River Tam - THAT would be a fight for the ages.

Wait. I refuse to believe SDN hasn't run a fight thread on this.

[Strider]

I think there was a thread where River fought one of the mini-Slayers, I forget which one it was (Dana? The crazy chick from Angel S5).

Star Trek's reboot at least could be justified because all the characters are old or dead :/

[Stark]

Hell yeah. Buffy vs River Tam - THAT would be a fight for the ages.

Wait. I refuse to believe SDN hasn't run a fight thread on this.

I agree; let's have a thread about two largely unquantifiable individuals in a fight which will be an excuse to post 'hawt pix'.

[Peptuck]

Hell yeah. Buffy vs River Tam - THAT would be a fight for the ages.

Wait. I refuse to believe SDN hasn't run a fight thread on this.

I agree; let's have a thread about two largely unquantifiable individuals in a fight which will be an excuse to post 'hawt pix'.

Already done.

Some attempt was made to quantify River and Dana's respective abilities.

[Faqa]

Hell yeah. Buffy vs River Tam - THAT would be a fight for the ages.

Wait. I refuse to believe SDN hasn't run a fight thread on this.

I agree; let's have a thread about two largely unquantifiable individuals in a fight which will be an excuse to post 'hawt pix'.

For fatty nerds, never forget.

Although, honestly, Summer Glau, though a good actress, has never struck me as terribly attractive.

Actually, River vs a vampire from the Buffyverse might be more interesting, since it removes her telepathic advantage(which advantage probably means she would take Buffy apart, now that I think of it). She's left with her agility and ability to "do the math", whatever the hell that's worth.

[paladin]

Boy, I do love how Hollywood takes recycling to the extreme!

[Shroom Man 777]

Why can't vampire minds be read?

It would be awesome if Summer Glau ends up becoming the new Buffy!

[Majin Gojira]

Why can't vampire minds be read?

Part of their general undead-ness/for similar reasons they do not have reflections. They can recieve telepathic projections, but project none themselves.

One theory I saw put forth was that the entire things is a ruse to get the cast together again for a proper followup film.

[PREDATOR490]

A followup to Buffy is rather pointless unless they intended to tie it into the finale of Angel. THAT would actually be worth seeing and actually have a legitimate foundation for a sequel. As it is, making a movie just for Buffy is trying to somehow revive a story that was FINISHED rather dramatically in the series. Buffy had her battles, won and left Sunnydale a big fucking crater so a movie isnt really going to top that or add anything new.