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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Reboot: Whedon, Roven, and Whitman Respond

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, stake in hand

Joss Whedon‘s response to the Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot by Charles Riven and Whit Anderson is hilarious. Why would you leave the creator of something you want to remake out of the remake? He knows more things about the character that were left out of the film and TV series than were put in that you know nothing about. Why leave that resource on the sidelines? Charles Roven is producing the reboot along with Steve Alexander, Doug Davison and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment and Whit Anderson is writing the script. Charles Roven spoke to the LA Times and had this to say:

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.

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There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return…While this is not your high-school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be.

The obligatory press release background on the the proceedings:

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.”

Whit Anderson is represented by CAA, Wirehouse Entertainment and Julian Zajfen at Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca, Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie & Stifflemen.

What Whit Anderson had this to say:

I didn’t really watch much television at all, but I always watched ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ that was the one show I would watch when I got home. I just loved this character. I was the same age as Buffy and it was so rare to have a female lead character on TV in those days who was strong and capable and smart but also allowed to be feminine.

The thing that was so wonderful about ‘Buffy’ is what made it special was so timeless… 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.

Yeah, the active fan base Joss Whedon created and cultivated from years of entertaining writing when the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer show aired on UPN 9 and through its spin off, Angel (I watched both for some time when they aired. They somehow found a balance between humor, good storytelling, and gore and hit a high streak for many seasons). So I’m guessing they are going to move Buffy to college yet have an actress nearly thirty play her. Joss Whedon spoke to E Online and gave this response to the reboot, his lack of inclusion, and creativity:

This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths—just because they can’t think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself.

Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, “Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER.” Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, “I’ll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!” Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?

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.

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I was going to inserting me laughing at certain parts of this response e.g. The Avengers crack but I didn’t want to ruin it for the reader. What do you think of this situation and a Buffy property without Whedon’s involvement?

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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