Sarah Michelle Gellar on Buffy: Animated
and by gosh, she has very strong opinions about it.
Ta to Jonas for the heads up.
October 21 2004
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Can anyone confirm this? Sounds kind of....ehe..different. In past interviews Sarah Michelle Gellar usually addresses Buffy in a very posetive OR neutral way. Not the case this time.
Jonas | October 21, 12:16 CET
I'm also less interested in an animated thing, but, sure, I'd probably watch it - especially if Joss and some of the other writers were involved.
Jonas: I don't read this as negative particularly. Just as "animated series - not for me".
SoddingNancyTribe | October 21, 12:18 CET
marmoset | October 21, 12:32 CET
Madhatter | October 21, 12:48 CET
And I believe her reasons. With the success of so many animated shows and movies there is no feeling that it's an inferior medium. She had done Buffy for seven years of twelve hour days and she want's a break. I've read other interviews where she talks about being able to just chill out, read a book or do nothing for a while and she likes it.
zz9 | October 21, 12:51 CET
I`m not interested in a "remake" of the series. But i`ll watch it.
Angel TheVampire | October 21, 12:52 CET
To go back into highschool and make things into a much more fantasy world would, IMO, alter the Buffyverse we all love. I have difficulty getting into the Buffy novels because I just can't get my head around the characters on the page verses the screen. There is an ambiguity about Buffy that just doesn't seem to occur in the books. Having a Buffy animated version would also interfere with my version of canon.
Anne 5_by_5 | October 21, 12:57 CET
Firefly Flanatic | October 21, 13:05 CET
fyi, kim possible doesn't have magical powers, right? just way cool gadgets. buffy needn't be more than a girl w/ Slayer power. even animated, that would be enough.
leenah | October 21, 13:14 CET
I really hope the animated series happens. Considering that ME writers like Jane Esperson wrote scripts they care about for BtAS, I can't imagine the canon being too loose. Ew, mixed metaphor.
bogu_salias | October 21, 13:34 CET
Maechi | October 21, 13:36 CET
Ilana | October 21, 13:41 CET
As for the content, I always assumed it would be EXACTLY like S1 of Buffy, right after the big reveal of Angel as the vampire with a soul (ep 7.5, as it were). The only difference would be that Joss could do all the stuff he couldn't possibly do on a TV budget. Buffy v. 5 million demonic howler monkeys? Xander followed around by a love-struck 50 foot monster? Willow falling down the rabbit hole and winding up in Wonderland? All doable!
Wouldn't that be fun?
cjl | October 21, 13:42 CET
Mcb | October 21, 14:00 CET
electricspacegirl | October 21, 14:03 CET
Everything I've read about BtAS sounds like it'll be a blast. If the writers are committed and enthusiastic and the production values are high, which I have every reason to expect will be the case, I'm open to seeing more untold stories from the Buffy-verse on my TV (Saturday morning notwithstanding -- I'll be taping them if it airs before noon) that we won't get otherwise. The man puts out good stuff, and he hasn't steered me wrong yet.
Well, okay. Except for that 'Aliens' movie. I mean, I may be obsessive, but I'm not completely lacking in objectivity. ;)
Wiseblood | October 21, 14:41 CET
On the other hand, I am aware that the comic books were more strongly influenced by Joss' vision. I came into BtVS late, S4. So I esentially have the vision of Buffy as a tragic figure. Viewing the progression of the series just served to re-enforce this point of view. (S4,5,6,1,2,3,7) The early comic books did not appeal to me. The Buffy as generic bubble gum chewing blonde irritated me to the point that I did not want to read them. I did start picking up the "Pre-Buffy" series, Slayer Interrupted. The art work on the Eric Wright illustrations just make me think of the early comics. If I as a fan can't get my head around bubble-headed high school Buffy, how is an actress who has experienced all the highs and lows of Buffy first hand going to get into her. It be like having an out of body experience. IMO
I think it is better for Sarah and Joss to part ways on this animated series. Let both projects find a way to stand on their own. I will watch it, because I enjoy Joss' creativity, but in my mind I probably won't view the cartoon as canon.
Anne 5_by_5 | October 21, 15:09 CET
killinj | October 21, 15:14 CET
If BAS doesn't tell the story in its own way, starting from scratch, it can't stand alone. It's a matter of quality. If the story is told well, and a lot of creativity and talent are poured into it, then it'll be worth seeing, regardless of whether it holds the original series as canonical or apocryphal.
What would concern me is if the final result looked like Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Then I'd gag.
ZachsMind | October 21, 15:33 CET
Rogue | October 21, 16:17 CET
feelinglistless | October 21, 16:28 CET
Coll | October 21, 17:08 CET
Ubqtous | October 21, 17:22 CET
I'm going to check it out, because I have a lot of respect for Joss, the writers, and the cast that are already on board, and if nothing else, I want to support them in their future endeavours.
And hey. We'll still have "Classic Buffy" told hold close to our hearts, should the animated series fail, and will be able to appreciate it's magic just that little bit more.
Flair | October 21, 18:23 CET
I mean over the course of the season we got 22 episodes (if you calculate a week for each one) that would leave us with at least 30 weeks a year of stories that never got told. If the animated series can give us that while keeping the cast drawn young then why not. It's pretty descent pay with loads of free time for other things - it's not like she's a method actor. Just some mild observations.
RavenU | October 21, 18:28 CET
Regarding SMG -- I understand the point she's making. And I agree that one of the strengths of the series was the strong use of metaphor.
But with that said, I get the sense that there might have been some mis-communication during the pitching of the show. When Sarah was told that Buffy would be able to change into things, or use magic? I think that was merely someone trying to explain the freedom that comes with animation -- the way the metaphors can be more imaginative when they're not limited by a makeup/special-effects budget.
For example -- Jane Espenson wrote a Buffy the Animated Series script where high-school Buffy is feeling kind of small and left out. And that becomes fleshed out metaphorically, when Buffy actually starts shrinking.
To quote Jane, herself: "It allowed us to accomplish visuals that would've been impossible with live action. The episode was about feelings of insecurity and obscurity that most of us faced in high school -- a return to the very metaphorical story-telling of seasons one and two of Buffy."
So from the sound of it, the show would still be very metaphorical. Sadly, it seems that wasn't hammered home when the show was pitched to Sarah -- because she seems to think the show was flat-out dumping the use of metaphor. And it sounds like that's not at all the case.
[ edited by inverse on 2004-10-22 02:12 ]
inverse | October 21, 19:11 CET
(I am aware that the use of "touch" might raise a few eyebrows. So be it.)
phlebotinin | October 21, 19:20 CET
Angel TheVampire | October 21, 19:33 CET
As I understand it the S7 episode Him was actually taken from an animated-show script. I thought that was a nice indication of how the right type of humor was still in there. Well maybe someone pitched it to her poorly (doesn't sound like it was Joss himself) or maybe everything else I've read about it so far was way off. Can't know until I see it.
But Sarah does seem to have no faith in general that Buffy could succeed in any other medium than the TV show, (she pretty much says the same about the movie possibility) which I don't agree with.
Wiseblood "Well, okay. Except for that 'Aliens' movie. I mean, I may be obsessive, but I'm not completely lacking in objectivity. ;)
Well, if Joss had directed that himself, and would have been able to shoot his original script for that, and with actors that know how to deliver his type of dialogue, it would have been a very different movie (and a far better one I think) than we've seen.
EdDantes | October 22, 00:06 CET
Sorry, the rational and polite person re-established dominance and said everyone's entitled to their own opinion and, of course, this is something new and it may or may not work. I have faith in Joss that it will be good and leave at that!
catalyst2 | October 22, 05:55 CET
I don't think it's sour grapes or a negative attitude towards the character of Buffy. I think she just has very set ideas about who Buffy is and if she's not interested in committing to a show that she doesn't feel really reflects the character, that's fine wtih me.
Of course, I love Joss, so I'll at least check the show out when and if it ever airs. I couldn't imagine anyone but SMG playing Buffy in a live action show or movie, but I could deal with a different voice actress in an animated series.
wenhaver | October 22, 14:17 CET
Also I think it's really telling that she wasn't given a script of the series to sample. Maybe she's just not aware that regular ME writers are involved? I think she'd still say no to voicing animated Buffy even if she did read a killer script or two, and it's probably best for her that she gives the character a rest (with the exception of a possible live action movie or two, and even without one of those I'd accept "Chosen" as the end of her Buffy career no problem). I wonder why she wasn't offered a script though. Maybe when Joss realized (or SMG told him) around Season 6 or 7 that she was ready for things to wrap, he arranged it ahead of time so that no one would offer/pressure her with the possibility of taking on the role...?
Kris | October 22, 22:11 CET