Is the Hellmouth ready to open again, spitting forth demons,
monsters and assorted miscreants from the farthest-flung regions of the
underworld to prey on mortal flesh?
Translated for those unschooled in Buffyverse: Will Joss
Whedon’s iconic vampire slayer finally be resurrected on the big screen?
The simple answer is yes… and no. While fans of TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer have openly
pined for a cinematic continuation of the series, which met its demise after a
seven-season run in 2003, they probably never imagined this: a reboot without a
single member of the show’s original cast, and without any input from Whedon,
the creative visionary behind its success.
Instead, longtime executive producers Fran Rubel Kuzui (who
directed the 1992 movie starring Kristy Swanson and owns the rights to the Buffy brand) and her husband, Kaz Kazui,
are planning a theatrical relaunch with an all-new and as yet unknown cast,
replacing popular stars like Sarah Michelle Gellar, 32, and David Boreanaz, 40.
As for Whedon, who’s busy shooting an upcoming horror film
(The Cabin in the Woods) with fellow Buffy
alumnus Drew Goddard and hastily preparing the second season of Dollhouse for Fox? He’s taking the high
road – for now – telling Entertainment Weekly only that he hoped the new Buffy movie would be “cool.”
Others have been less diplomatic, and rightfully so. Marc
Bernardin of EW calls it the “worst idea ever.” Jarett Wieselman of the New
York Post decries it as “a stake to fans’ hearts.” But perhaps the significant
reaction to the news has come from the fans themselves, who are already talking
boycotts and online protests. Stay tuned…
