Chicago, Day 2: Joss Whedon talks X-Men and more - General

I'm just glad you got the page to load. I had huge difficulty. The main thing I was pleased to see was the interest from Fox Production in an Angel TV movie.

Actually the page seems not to be loading at the minute. I'll add that to your subject line

Simon | August 17, 00:36 CET

I can't get the page to load either Simon, strange because i visit CBR regularly and have never had any problems before now.

Would somebody who actually can get to read the article be able to post the extract that Simon mentioned about Fox being interested in the telemovies happening. I'd like to read what was said.

Darkest Soul | August 17, 00:46 CET

Okay, yay, wasn't posted, then. Yeah the site loaded for me after ten minutes the first time, but at the very same moment I clicked the evil little X and had to start over again.

It's encouraging news but I was hoping a Spike spin-off or movie would be mentioned at some point. I have a one-track mind, possibly two if you count Spike and James separately, so I was really hoping it would be brought up.

And it's a small thing, but there's one photo of Amber here, assuming the link will work sometime in the near future.

Faith | August 17, 00:46 CET

Excerpt:
Whedon also said that the WB isn't the only place where an "Angel" TV film could be done. "No one has really given me a firm answer. There is interest at Fox Production. Because I'm in the middle of filming, I haven't been able to pursue it as much as I could."

Faith | August 17, 00:47 CET

Demonic here's the relevant part:

From there, the subject of "Angel" TV movies was addressed. "There has just been a regime change at the WB," noted Whedon. He explained that when that happens, it is not uncommon for the new to do away with anything associated with the old (i.e. Joss Whedon properties).

Whedon also said that the WB isn't the only place where an "Angel" TV film could be done. "No one has really given me a firm answer. There is interest at Fox Production. Because I'm in the middle of filming, I haven't been able to pursue it as much as I could."

Simon | August 17, 00:48 CET

Shucks beaten to it :). If my further wife to be hadn't distracted me by saying there was a daddy longs leg in the room I would have been first :P.

Simon | August 17, 00:50 CET

Thanks to both Faith and Simon ;)

Well this sounds very promising to me. We have heard now that the WB want something to happen, Fox wants something to happen and that Joss himself does want the slayerverse to continue even if he cannot be directly involved himself beyond overseeing the project, whatever that turns out to be.

Add now that Joss seems sure that there are other alternatives as to where the telemovie(s) will be shown and i'm more certain than ever that something will happen in the near future.

Faith, i'm with you as far as wanting more Spike, i'm pretty certain that no matter what the next slayerverse project is we will see Spike again. Fingers crossed!

Darkest Soul | August 17, 00:55 CET

What'd you do, teleport it into my room? The second I read that one starts climbing up the table like a psychotic little spider.

Faith | August 17, 00:58 CET

...well this brings a smile to my face...yep...good news indeed!

Coll | August 17, 01:08 CET

Ah, just reading the actual how of bring back Tara, I mean I read the concept in an earlier post, but reading the actual scene brought tears to my eyes.

I love Joss.

Mal'sGal | August 17, 01:10 CET

Fingers crossed and random cheating boyfriend sacrificed. I figured that should cover it.

It would be unfortunate if any potential Slayerverse projects coincided with work James was already committed to, such as MacBeth. I'm just pathetically impatient, and with the spoiler season here and there being a noticeable lack of Angel anything, I tend to get a bit needy.

Faith | August 17, 01:11 CET

That's the first I've read of Tara's ressurection. Jeez. It's silly that a few pretty words can make me well up with tears like this.

Coupling that plot with Vampire Xander. Jeez. Season 7 could've been a thousand times better. Thousands. Joss was exhausted and spread to thin. I feel robbed.

Chirp | August 17, 01:13 CET

Faith - JM's MacBeth is on the backburner right now. I think he's currently filing a TV movie or something.

Invisible Green | August 17, 01:14 CET

A Serenity video game! Please god don't let them screw it up.

Ghost Spike | August 17, 01:14 CET

Yeah Faith, that would be unfortunate. I'm sure James would do everything possible to give his Spike-centric fans such as ourselves what we wanted but at the same time i would not expect him to sacrifice any of his other projects anymore than i would ask Joss to give up Serenity for the slayerverse.

We will see Spike again in new adventures, i feel it in my bones, lol.

And remind me to never cheat on you by the way ;)

Darkest Soul | August 17, 01:18 CET

Invisible Green: JM's MacBeth is on the backburner right now. I think he's currently filing a TV movie or something.
I know MacBeth was going to take awhile, but what's this about a TV movie? I know Dresden's "Storm Front" is being produced as a Sci Fi movie of the week and his name has been tossed out there, but there's been no word on casting. James' next confirmed project is reading the book-on-tape Grave Peril in September.

Demonic: but at the same time i would not expect him to sacrifice any of his other projects anymore than i would ask Joss to give up Serenity for the slayerverse.
No, of course not. First and foremost I want all of the Slayerverse actors to choose the projects they please, it would merely be an extra bonus if they happened to be Whedonverse oriented.

And remind me to never cheat on you by the way ;)
You can consider yourself warned, although you'd probably have more of a problem with my fiancé than me ;)

Faith | August 17, 01:45 CET

I don't know about any of you guys but every now and then I read something that reminds me what a big geek I am. Joss talking about how he wanted to bring Tara back to the show gave me major goosebumps. I can so picture it in my mind. Damn the evils of contracts.

NOLA64 | August 17, 02:24 CET

Faith - The Storm Front thing was what I was thinking about.

Invisible Green | August 17, 03:06 CET

This is good news!! Hopefully once Joss finishes Serenity he will have some time to shop both an Angel TV movie and the animated series. Until then I will sit with my fingers crossed. Why cant time move any faster!!

Krall the Conqueror | August 17, 03:11 CET

I really feel that just Joss talking about how he'd bring Tara back that in my mind he did. I can picture that scene in my head with Willow not expecting a thing and thinking Buffy wasted her wish on shoes and Buffy gleefully knowing how excited Willow will be but still leaves the room so the moment can be just between the two of them. And beautiful Tara, with her gentle smile standing there... it does make me want to weep a little.

And a Firefly/Serenity video game!!!!!!!!!!! Please make that a reality! Please! Please! Please!!!!!!! That would make my year!! And I can't help but being greedy, but I want an Angel one too!

Joss is truly the master of the universe!!! I am more hopeful than ever that a telemovie of the Buffyverse will happen because he implied that he's talked with people about it but hasn't been able to give it his full attention. We all know how he can be when he gives something his full attention. Without his perseverance we'd all just be fondly reminiscing about what Firefly could've been and wallowing in our grief and now we have a movie, and possible trilogy of the movies and a possible video game to look forward too!

Firefly Flanatic | August 17, 03:16 CET

I want the Buffy resurrection of Tara to have happened, so much. I didn't hate Kennedy, but she isn't worthy of Willow!

But Vampire Xander?? This is the first I've heard of that. Is that a joke? Someone help me.

Firefly/Serenity video game - I'm not at all into video games, but I will buy that one. I will buy whatever equipment I need to play it, and I will geek out for hours. Can I be Mal?

I honestly didn't believe we'd get any more Buffyverse. If we get an Angel movie and the Buffy Animated, I will be delighted to be wrong.

Vampire Xander?? C'mon. Really? Permanently??

(edited because I wasn't really done talking the first time)

[ edited by zencat on 2004-08-17 01:20 ]

zencat | August 17, 03:17 CET

Yes, I was also confused by the "Vampire Xander" reference and went back and re-read the article and still didn't see it. Please someone give some more info on that because that sounds intriguing and could've been very interesting.

Firefly Flanatic | August 17, 03:20 CET

Wonderful interview - bringing Tara back would have been great. I liked the ending for season 7, it felt like a happy ending for Buffy but if Tara had been bought back it would have been a happier ending for Willow too.

I didn't see anything about Vampire Xander - but it sounds like it would have been cool. Xanders ending was kind of boring.

Passion | August 17, 03:22 CET

Hmm, i generally keep pretty well informed on all things official when it comes to the slayerverse, even aborted storylines, and i have to admit that i have heard nothing before about Vampire Xander.

Chirp, you sure that wasn't just some fan speculation or a fanfic you read somewhere?

And Faith, in that case remind me never to cheat with you then lol! Well at least not if your fiance is bigger than me anyway ;)

Darkest Soul | August 17, 03:32 CET

I was actually just thinking about a Serenity video game earlier today. My biggest concern is that they would want to push some crap game out the door to coincide with the release of the movie, something that happens far too often. Now if they could pull off something like the Chronicles of Riddick game (which is by many accounts better than the movie) that would be a very good thing.

DK | August 17, 03:33 CET

I'd buy (and likely cherish) the video game if it was made for PC's. The lastest console I have is Super Nintendo, and I don't plan on buying another console. I don't think i've even bought a computer game since Riven (Myst 2) came out. But I've heard good things about The Matrix & Chronicles of Riddick video games, so I hope the Serenity game will be something that those.

Invisible Green | August 17, 04:51 CET

I think I heard of Vampire Xander once. Instead of Caleb, I believe Joss said he toyed with the idea of Xander being the big bad for the last 5 eps, but then decided that would be too sad.

narky | August 17, 05:26 CET

I don't think a vampire Xander would have been a good idea he went down that road with bad Willow in season 6 what would be next an evil Giles?

Krall the Conqueror | August 17, 06:31 CET

Too bad about the contract issues. I think that if Tara had been brought back like that, it would have been one of the most beautiful scenes in the Whedonverse ever!

But everytime I've re-watched Chosen, I just cannot imagine how Tara would have fit into the final battle. Maybe she could have been doing some axe-ing. :)

Christopher | August 17, 07:57 CET

And I think that there are so many stories left to be told in the Buffyverse so I really, really hope that Joss & Co. revisit them in the future by means of movies, etc. There's just TOO much potential there.

Christopher | August 17, 07:58 CET

Tara would have been helping Willow. Amping up the magic mojo with her skills, just like in Hush. Joss would have found some way.

Boo, hiss Kennedy, die Kennedy die! :P

Willowy | August 17, 08:17 CET

But didn't the Scooby Gang learn their lesson about bringing people back from the dead? Wouldn't Tara be singing "Going Through the Motions" when she came back?

But yeah, screw it, it would've been beautiful.

narky | August 17, 09:17 CET

Invisible Green: The first, XBOX only, Buffy game was pretty good. The guys at Penny Arcade even liked it (http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2002-09-02&res=l). Unfortunately, The second (Chaos Bleeds) wasn't nearly as fun.

Movie/TV video game licenses are notoriously low quality. Hopefully Serenity will be an exception.

Caleb | August 17, 11:22 CET

narky, as someone previously mentioned before, I think that Tara would actually have a CHOICE in the matter. Buffy gave up her life and she was ready to go. Tara's life was taken from her so we'd probably find out about how Tara had a say in all of it.

Christopher | August 17, 11:22 CET

Christopher, yeah, Buffy would have wished for Tara to have the choice to come back, since that was something that Buffy did not have.

It makes some kind of sense for Tara to come back voluntarily after being murdered, and Buffy forcefully brought back after sacrificing herself.

That would have had a message of self determination and free will. Interesting... now I'm trying to think how that would have played out.

It's amazing that with two small paragraphs Joss can still provide entertainment with the Buffyverse by planting seeds of new content.

Caleb | August 17, 11:51 CET

Movie/TV video game licenses are notoriously low quality. Hopefully Serenity will be an exception

Though I don't have an X-Box, I'm amazed at the reviews that the Chronicles of Riddick game is getting. Let's hope that the Serenity game is of that quality.

Simon | August 17, 12:06 CET

Yes, the future looks bright indeed. Hope this is a sign that FOX has seen the light and are trying to amend their ways with Joss.

I wonder what he wanted to do with Dawn in season 7? Many story lines were there. In "Story Teller" when Andrew introduced Dawn as "The Key", I thought something was building there. Perhaps a link between the Key and the first Evil as in good vs. evil? I was kinda' disappointed when nothing else became of it. Also, I was really hoping that Spike and Dawn made peace with each other. Call me an ole' softy, but I missed the friendship Dawn and Spike had in seasons 5&6.

Madhatter | August 17, 14:29 CET

Well I have a long weekend away from the computer only to get back to some fantastic articles/threads. Spent the last couple of hours catching up and watching the videos. I know it's the wrong thread but since I'm posting here I just wanna say thanks very much to RavenU - that video of Joss made my day :) Also, I have now read Joss' version of Tara appearing behind Willow three times and each time it's given me goosebumps and a lump in my throat, for a fairly unemotional man (I can't actually remember the last time I cried) this is a pretty powerful reaction. Damn contracts and everything else that prevented this from happening!

Paul_Rocks | August 17, 18:24 CET

Paul-Rocks, you just took the words out of my keyboard. I'm hiding here in my cubicle at work trying to fight the tears back. God, Buffy always manages to do the right thing (and she doesn't really want any closure with Angel, anyway) and Willow and Tara... OK, now I'm talking about it as if it actually happened.

WWBD | August 17, 18:37 CET

Excelent news, but I bet we hear some definite news by December. Hopefully it will be a mini-series type deal and not just one movie. Of course I'd watch anything Joss at this point.

ShotgunWes | August 18, 04:51 CET

August 17 2004