Another day, another remake/reboot emerges from the Hollywood-work, so ready or not here it comes! What’s the exploited target this time? A reboot of 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie starring Kristy Swanson which launched the long running television series that gave the world Sarah Michelle Gellar from 1997-2003. Rumors have swirled since last year of Warner Bros’ interest in developing the project and today the studio officially announced its Joss Whedon-less plans to option the rights from original producers Fran Rubel Kazui and Kaz Kazui.
Not much is known at this point except the involvement of a Dark Knight producer Charles Roven and producer Steve Alexander under Atlas Entertainment, Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Doug Davison are on to produce also, and newcomer Whit Anderson as scriptwriter. As hinted, Joss Whedon (who is busy prepping for upcoming The Avengers film), the muse behind the original film’s script before it was taken out of his hands and changed drastically (from a darker movie to a comedy) and the mastermind of the epic seven season series will not be involved. This may be due to the fact that the Kazuis solely hold the film rights to the project and there has been confirmed speculation of a years long resentment between the Kazuis and Whedon over the Buffy territory; stemming all the way back to the original film’s conception where the Kazuis bought Whedon’s script and completely revised his vision. Being creatively overtaken, Whedon was forced to quit midway through production.
Charles Roven has stated that this is the right time for an update “There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen.” As for story details he only divulges this little nugget “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.” The studios are aiming for a late 2011/early 2012 release date. Considering the original film’s all around disrespect to the scriptwriter and without Buffy staples Sarah Michelle Gellar and Joss Whedon or any of the regular cast from the series (as they are Whedon-owned), should fans start to cringe now?
– Alan Lai
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