Whedonesque : Comments on 13027 : Whedon discusses everything.

it was a fun interview. he handles "being fired" from wonder woman, way better than i would have. thanks for the cite

Unfolded corners!!!
Yay Goners!

I love reading interviews with Joss - you can so hear his voice in some of that. Thanks for posting it.

I really really hope things work out with Goners - I've been desperate for that ever since I first heard about it.

Kiddo | April 23, 22:44 CET

*waits for the light of greenishness*

The One True b!X | April 23, 22:45 CET

Re Goners: "[So I’m working] on a draft I feel will be ready to give to the studio for, hopefully, a light of greenishness."
*Crosses fingers*

Lioness | April 23, 22:56 CET

Great Gonersish news!

Love the image of corners unfolding.

silvius | April 23, 23:00 CET

Thanks for the post, two-guns. Interviews with Joss are always too short : ) Hope that light at the corner of Goners and My Local Theatre soon changes to green.

batmarlowe | April 23, 23:02 CET

It's good to hear that the writing is going well.

Sunfire | April 23, 23:39 CET

It had been a while since we'd heard any news about how things are going with Goners before this and I was starting to get a little bit worried so it's good to hear that it's are still going forward.

Derf | April 24, 00:09 CET

Chewy Jossian goodness. I think Joss has the right idea in going for his own material, in a bigger medium. I love season 8 and Astonishing, but I need fresh, 100% joss on the silver and/or small screen again.

Nicanor | April 24, 00:36 CET

Great interview. Joss on X4, where do I sign? And I like President Roslin too, but no love for Caprica Six? Come on! ;-p

Yorick | April 24, 01:30 CET

It had been a while since we'd heard any news about how things are going with Goners before this...

Actually, only like a month and a half.

The One True b!X | April 24, 01:52 CET

And I like President Roslin too, but no love for Caprica Six? Come on! ;-p

Joss doesn't seem to have 'conventional' sexiness high on his meter, I think. Now, as a straight gal, Six is all kindsa hotness; but it's a very OBVIOUS hotness. I think maybe Joss likes the unconventional, 'not in your face' hotness (like a Fred or Willow or maybe even River). I find myself like that with fellas, I'm kind of left cold by the smooth-faced, pretty boys. Give me a guy with lines and crinkles and charisma over a male model. (As in, I'll take House over Chase any day!)

Rogue Slayer | April 24, 01:53 CET

Actually, only like a month and a half.

Well every day without news seems like an eternity to me.

[ edited by Derf on 2007-04-23 23:04 ]

Derf | April 24, 02:03 CET

I'm just pleased to see a new Joss interview. It does make my day. Also Roslin is my type of woman.

Simon | April 24, 02:13 CET

Great interview, thanks for the link.

Loved the comments on TV, "wrong-headed business decisions" and wanting to write stories people will hear..

adapa | April 24, 02:14 CET

It doesn't sound too optimistic for future Joss TV. Sounds like he wants guarantees - and does anyone get those?

SpryCorpse | April 24, 02:52 CET

That's the only thing with television,I don't think anyone gets guarantees.

Buffyfantic | April 24, 02:58 CET

*sigh* Other than using it in the past tense, the word Serenity is sadly missing...

TDBrown | April 24, 03:58 CET

Yay. Roslin is my hero.

Samantha | April 24, 04:01 CET

*sigh* Other than using it in the past tense, the word Serenity is sadly missing...

The past couple of months, I've started to wonder at what point our general wishing there were a sequel will graduate from being a welcome appreciation to a slightly-aggravating refusal to let Joss move on to all of his other ideas. Heh.

The One True b!X | April 24, 04:10 CET

I long for a Joss TV series again (seriously, there is actual longing occurring), but I totally understand his reluctance at starting a new series with the current state of TV. I wish he could develop a project that would come with a guarantee - the series will be 12, 13, ... episodes long. We will air all the episodes; there will be no threat of cancellation etc. because it will have a definitive end date. Of course my preference would be a long term love affair, 7 plus seasons -- but if an abbreviated run would mean a project definitely seeing the light of day without fearing for its survival, I'll take it. I know I'm just echoing what many have already said, there seems to be an increased realization that something needs to change in tvland.
And Roslin – completely agree, I'm just captivated every time she's on screen.

onthedrift | April 24, 04:49 CET

The problem with TV these days is executives need dreams they can jack. Maybe Joss is tired of being jacked with.

Cancelling Angel made no business sense whatsoever. Likewise, scrambling Firefly lacked of the sense in major ways. I can only conclude this isn't about money, since Joss projects will make money if they are marketed properly.

No, modern TV production is about demonstrating executive power. Of course, such demonstrations also make for boring TV, but the execs don't care. Their philosophy is make it cheap and fast, then sell it for big advertising dollars. Art really doesn't factor in.

So yeah, if I were Joss i'd want some commitments. He's not likely to get any.

quantumac | April 24, 05:43 CET

Poor Joss… he doesn't want to tell a story and have no one hear it, but that is what happened with Wonder Woman.
After Firefly I can understand his not wanting to go back to TV. Maybe we can erase the painful memory from his mind.
I want Jossian television!

As for movies, after Goners, if Joss is thinking about a Marvel movie why not Runaways?

urkonn | April 24, 05:44 CET

Wizard has become such a scuzzy magazine. I can't actually remember when they weren't scuzzy, but I'm they weren't always this bad.

Ogling the pretty ladies in SciFi all the time, and then making Joss complicit in the objectifying fanboy nonsense that makes comic books such a boys' club.

Depressing really.

Chirp | April 24, 06:11 CET

Not a highlight, Chirp, but note his quick, graceful deflection.

Pointy | April 24, 06:58 CET

Why the hell can't people just let artists make their art without having to ask for permission? That pisses me off.

It's why I'm going independent...my money, my camera, my creativity.

I sort of hate studios. (Yet there are many, many studio films I love, including Serenity. So I'm a hypocrite.)

UnpluggedCrazy | April 24, 07:13 CET

Yay Joss, go with Goners. But ..... Joss directing an ep of Battlestar Galactia? Be still my heart. And my brain and everything inside, down to my molecular structure. I can understand his wanting to pursue his own vision and long may he do so, but as for directing being a "servicing someone else's vision" gig, this would seem to be the match made in heaven exception to that rule.
The BSG creators long ago came out as Joss fans, Joss has said that this is his "favorite show, maybe ever", the mutual love is already there. And the mutual vision, from the genera thing to the strong female characters to the quirky, eccentric camera work that IMO owes something to Joss creations in the first place. (Restless, fill-in-the-blank dream sequences on BtS).
I could die happy if this ever came to pass. Although not anytime soon, with the dying :)

Shey | April 24, 07:38 CET

Why am I the only person deeply disturbed by the turns Roslin has taken in the course of BSG? *worried shrug*

At any rate, nice interview. Add my voice to the chorus crying over the thought of no more Joss TV. But of course I completely understand why he wouldn't want to jump back into that hell on earth. Even as we speak there are those of us holding our breaths just PRAYING that FOX will let Tim Minear actually have more than five episodes of his new series. Sad days indeed.

Haunt | April 24, 07:41 CET

Haunt, you have a serious "Roslin hate" problem. I'm so thrilled that Joss cited her as (*today anyhow*) his favorite female BSG character. Moral ambiguity, remember? And strong, *flawed* female characters who's flaws aren't judged any more harshly, or any differently, than the flaws of the male characters, being one of the main themes in Joss's work. Which to me is the essence of feminism.
On the other hand, I wasn't at all offended by the question about the hot women on BSG. But then I've never read anything before from Wizard, unless it was posted here, so maybe there is more credence than I realize to the "objectifying fanboy nonsense" comment.

Shey | April 24, 08:16 CET

Actually I have serious "people in power" issues. And I was from time to time slightly bothered by Joss' so-called "feminist" manifesto. But those are strictly personal opinions... ymmv.

AND it's not what we're here to talk about. :)

Haunt | April 24, 08:26 CET

The past couple of months, I've started to wonder at what point our general wishing there were a sequel will graduate from being a welcome appreciation to a slightly-aggravating refusal to let Joss move on to all of his other ideas. Heh.

I've been saying that to people for a year. It's really a little bit ridiculous that fans continue to harp on the idea of a Serenity sequel when A) it's never going to happen and B) Joss is busy doing lots of other things right now. I'm enjoying AXM and Buffy Season 8. I'm really looking forward to Goners.

I'd almost be disappointed if he suddenly put all of those things on hold for a Serenity sequel. Almost.

Plus, yeah, Joss says quite clearly in this interview that he wants to put his effort into things that will get made. A Serenity sequel will never get made, but people are throwing money at him to write comic books - and Universal seems happy with "Goners" so far.

As for TV, Joss really needs to line himself up with a cable network - at least on HBO or Showtime they guarantee a full season!

crossoverman | April 24, 08:28 CET

I've been saying that to people for a year.

So have I, actually. I was just underplaying it to be gentle about it. Heh. I am, at this point, rather routinely accused of trying to squelch enthusiasm whenever I try to steer people towards realistic expectations. *shrug*

The One True b!X | April 24, 10:11 CET

As for TV, Joss really needs to line himself up with a cable network

Or come over here to the UK and do something with the Beeb (as was supposed to happen with the Watcher series - shame that never came off). Or some kind of BBC/HBO collaboration (like Rome) to get a longer-than-6-episodes run.

I've often wondered why Joss didn't go the cable route, but I wonder if his agenda with his work is more subversive mainstream, to get it seen on networks, get it out there to a more general public than he could reach with cable.

He did also talk there about DVD as a possible route, so maybe he's thinking more of working in new ways to get his work seen, rather than wanting the sorts of guarantees on airing which he is unlikely to get.

Kiddo | April 24, 10:50 CET

I wish he could develop a project that would come with a guarantee - the series will be 12, 13, ... episodes long.

The problem there is, Joss strikes me as a world-builder, someone who wants to create universes not just stories. Not only is that harder to do in 13 episodes but I wonder if he'd also struggle to leave his world behind (just like he - thankfully - struggled to leave the Fireflyverse behind). If he could make his peace with it though i'd be right there watching.

Joss doesn't seem to have 'conventional' sexiness high on his meter

Well, he mentioned Sharon and IMO she's all kinds of hot, and if by conventional you mean 'what attracts most straight men' then i'd say she fits the bill very handily ;). Personally, i'd also say Mary McDonnell is conventionally sexy (as well as Roslin being an interestingly rounded, complex character). Obviously not in the 'Californian blond' way that Tricia Helfer is though (and I know she's Canadian before anyone corrects me ;) so I kind of get what you mean Rogue Slayer.

(yeah, Wizard have a bit of a rep as a 'fanboy' den. It's kind of a shallow question but it was near the end and felt like a throwaway to me. It's not like they structured the whole interview around it)

Saje | April 24, 13:48 CET

Why the hell can't people just let artists make their art without having to ask for permission? That pisses me off.

Well so long as the artists are using the other people's money to make their art then they're going to cede some say in the process. In an ideal situation the studio (ie the money providers) leave the artist alone and great commercially viable art results and everyone's happy.

helcat | April 24, 17:29 CET

Attention programming directors and development specialists at HBO, Showtime and BBC (assuming you are reading this):

The great Joss Whedon wants to work in television again!!

Do I really need to say anything else?! Hook the man up!

Hjermsted | April 25, 01:31 CET

April 23 2007