Well I do wonder if he would be able to play Spike while under contract to play Brainiac. But that is only one season.

As for the Wb, they change their tone with every new interview. It is politics. They string fans along, hoping they will watch their other shows, while promising them the one day prize.

FalenAnjl | July 22, 18:37 CET

Is it stupid for me to still want to believe them?

Apocalypse | July 22, 18:39 CET

I'm still very skeptical of any Spike project, but if it has to be a Spike project, give me a TV movie. All though, no way is one movie on not my particularly favorite character in the Buffyverse going to please me enough.

The only way WB will ever be good in my book, is a full fledged commitment to a new Buffy spin-off. And eck, if it must be Spike, pairing him with someone like Faith or Illyria would be best.

Hey, one can dream!

BurkleFreak | July 22, 18:43 CET

Well, Joss can call their bluff.

killinj | July 22, 18:43 CET

Be nice if it happens but I'm sure we've all met people in our time who say one thing but mean the exact opposite. To think we would be discussing spoilers for Angel season 7 right now if it hadn't got cancelled *sighs*.

Simon | July 22, 18:44 CET

No.

I think of it like this. Joss and the WB are playing hot potato. And The wb likes to put pressure on Joss who has already said very publically his commitments are for Serinity and WW now.

Something like this:"Ouch,hot,hot,you take it.No you take it.I insisit you take it.It BURNS,IT BURNS,I don't want it,you take it.No way you take it."

Then Joss makes a few calls, and suddenly they are not so sure again. Then the whole thing starts again. Over and over.

ETA: I like the idea of Faith and Illiyara again. Even with Spike. Though with Faith, not romantically. I think that you needs all three to make a great tv movie.

[ edited by FalenAnjl on 2005-07-23 01:51 ]

FalenAnjl | July 22, 18:45 CET

Ah. Simon don't remind me. Illyria killing Harmony. Harmony being resurrected as the ultimate embodiment of the First Evil. Season 7 would've been great.

-sighs-

Lol.

BurkleFreak | July 22, 18:46 CET

Joss has said before that a Spike movie doesn't have to be on the WB. I think he should have talks with FX.

[ edited by electricspacegirl on 2005-07-23 01:50 ]

electricspacegirl | July 22, 18:49 CET

I think, correct me please, that while 20th Century owns Buffy rights, big screen movie and tv, that the WB still owns Angel tv rights. 20th century also owns Angel big screen movie rights.....

FalenAnjl | July 22, 18:53 CET

Well Joss has finished Serenity now, so he can start looking at other things again. Right now he has WW and X-Men (comic) on his plate. I'm thinking if he can at least have a plot line for a Spike/Faith whatever TV movie, maybe one of the other B/A writers and directors can do the script. (Jane, David, Marti, Doug, have your pick) Depends on their schedules too of course, but almost all of them have stated regularly they'd love to be involved with anything Buffyverse again, especially Jane.

As for James' new schedule, we don't really know if he'll be in every single ep of Smallville. If it's like Giles in B S7 it could be doable. All in all too many variables we can't predict. So basically it's another 'would be nice/who knows/hoping but not holding my breath' thing again. Or still.

EdDantes | July 22, 19:03 CET

I think Fury said at the lastest Con, he would have to both direct and write it.

There is also the possibilty of Serinity doing well and the immediate sequel.

But, you are right, as usual it is more wishful thinking and back and forth , then actual news.=(

FalenAnjl | July 22, 19:08 CET

Oh Simon, that comment broke my heart into a few more pieces.

charisma | July 22, 19:09 CET

Of course we would like to see it happen. However, at this point, action would speak louder than words. We know James is willing as long as the project occurs in the next four years or so. And though Joss is much too busy to personally handle this, he has commented that he could get a former writer/director to take it on. So that still leads the foot dragging on the WB's end.

Madhatter | July 22, 19:10 CET

Then Joss makes a few calls, and suddenly they are not so sure again.

All the more reason I'd like Joss to call them on it now. I assume he's not too busy to make a phone call. Make 'em squirm.

Then again, with all the positive Serenity buzz, they should call him and beg him to let them broadcast the telemovie(s).

[ edited by killinj on 2005-07-23 02:30 ]

killinj | July 22, 19:19 CET

If Joss does a Spike movie, I hope he goes somewhere else. If Serenity is a success, and Wonder Woman, Joss will likely be the Jerry Bruckheimer (no insult to Joss intended) of genre films/television -- with his name and imprint in high demand. Why would he want to go back to a nothin' network like the WB? The WB knows they lost the fan-base for Joss's shows, and their hiring JM for Smallville is just another attempt, like his appearance on The Mountain, to try to draw us back. But hiring JM is not likely to bring Joss back.

Make 'em squirm indeed.

palehorse | July 22, 19:35 CET

Isn't it possible that there is a battle going on between Fox and WB about all of this?

Koos | July 22, 19:36 CET

Good point palehorse, Joss' success could garner him enough demand that he would't need the WB.

Koos - I don't know, but that's an interesting theory.

killinj | July 22, 19:40 CET

Like everything in this buisness, it comes down to money.

But if the Wb owns the Angel show rights, it might need to redeal for new rights to a tv movie.

Joss success could also keep him off tv, and in the movie.

FalenAnjl | July 22, 19:45 CET

FalenAnjl - the WB owns nothing of Angel. It simplely paid to air the program - once it left the air it lost all rights to the show. FOX and the other producers own the rights to the show, the bulk percentage of the rights is held by FOX. The WB is in a financial tailspin as we speak, it's has cost it's parent company profit for the past two years with revenue losses in the double digit of percentage numbers with no way to stop the hemeraging of money. The WB will be lucky if it is still around in the next 5 years without the infussion of a hit show on it's network.

RavenU | July 22, 20:12 CET

Well as much as we all want a verse movie, that would not stop the Wb from a talespin.

Jm said it would only be tv movie, not a series. So a new series would have to come from somewhere else as one or even few tv movies would not bring in enough revenue. That was Angel's problem when it aired. It did not bring in revenue.

But thanks for clearing up who owns what, tv wise.

FalenAnjl | July 22, 20:24 CET

If Tim Minear isn't busy developing the next thirteen-episode DVD set for somebody then he could do it. Certainly Joss trusts him. And if there is a Spike-centric TV movie, I hope Faith is there. 'Cause that scene when Spike and Faith were in Buffy's basement? Their chemistry was combustable!

C'mon, Spike and Faith on motorcycles at night--cruisin' the highway to redemption? Who wouldn't wanna see that?

batmarlowe | July 22, 23:28 CET

David Janollari has said on several occasions that he would like to see a movie. However, he makes it sound like its up to Joss. Joss doesn't run the network. Janollari has yet to actually pick up the phone and ask Joss to do it. Joss can't go over there uninvited and say......."I'm here...let's do it".

It's one thing to say he would love it. It's another to actually make the offer to Joss. Next time someone needs to ask Janollari if he has made a formal offer to Joss.........EVER???? Until then he is full of it.

DarenG | July 23, 03:10 CET

Batmarlowe, I am not interesting in a Spike/Faith movie at all. I loath that scene for various reasons and I loath it so much that I am not in for a Spike/Faith movie. I am a big Faith fan, and I don't want to happen to Faith what happened to Buffy.

Koos | July 23, 04:36 CET

I think we all have different visions of what we'd like to see on the tv. I'd like an all new Buffyverse show with subtle references to what has gone on before on Buffy and Angel (with the occassional guest star as well- Spike, Willow, Clem, Riley, Xander, Faith etc). But we're in the unfortunate position of beggars can't be choosers. We'll have to take what we're given.

Simon | July 23, 06:36 CET

My Vision....Faith. Andrew. Gwen. Lots of new characters!

Apocalypse | July 23, 06:51 CET

As for taking this idea to another network, I just don't see that happening. FX and TNT would never take the project on, they wouldn't get the ratings to make it financially sound. Though UPN showed an interest in a Buffy spin-off, I don't think a TV movie was what they had in mind and I think that time has long past. No, the WB has been the only one to show interest (at least, they keep saying so) so, if it happens, it will be there.

And, as RavenU pointed out above, I'm not even sure the WB could pull this off without losing money. They had a horrible year ending up in last place in ratings. Can't figure out why with such masterpieces like 'The Mountain' ;)

Madhatter | July 23, 07:24 CET

Obviously, I don't know how it works, but I don't think its necessarily the case that the head of a network would call a producer, at least under normal circumstances. But rather, producers will put a call into the folks in programming development for the network and pitch their ideas. For the ideas the suits like, those producers are invited back. Granted, the situation with Joss and the WB doesn't really qualify as a normal circumstance. In any event, there seems to be a stand still over who should call whom and neither side is budging at the moment. Plus, there's a lot both sides know that we don't.

killinj | July 23, 07:48 CET

I really don't mind what sort of project it is, as long as we see more of the Buffy-verse. Of course it would be nice to see our favourite characters again, like Illyria or Spike or Faith, but I would be equally enthused in something like a Tales of the Slayers miniseries, with each episode focusing on a story of a particular slayer. There really are endless possibilities, we could see something like that, or Fray, or something set after Buffy and Angel.

I do think the WB are just trying to appease us, but it's more like taunting. James Marsters is already pretty keen, but Joss is focusing on Serenity and Wonderwoman for the next few years. Perhaps if the WB had have said this in the year or so after Angel's cancellation, they could have worked something out to be fitted in after Serenity. Perhaps if Joss and the actors are free they might live up to their promises, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I think Joss really will develop a good reputation so that he can do something and it will hopefully be a success, whether he wants to return to the Buffy-verse with a miniseries or a straight-to-DVD series or a feature film. I think we'll have to wait until after Wonderwoman though. Personally, I don't mind that much, as long as I know that I will see it eventually, because we will still have his other work to enjoy in the meantime. But if we know it will never happen again then I will be very disappointed.

Razor | July 23, 07:57 CET

Aww.

So would I, WB.

So would I...

Bad Kitty | July 23, 08:08 CET

I'd love to see a Spike TV movie, as I miss the Buffy-verse dearly. And yet, I don't need a WB exec to tell me that there's hope. There's always hope. Like, duh!

The real question is - will a TV movie ever actually *happen*? I wish I knew the answer to that question, but clearly, the answer isn't ready to reveal itself yet. But in the meantime, there are many other things to do and enjoy.

Gotta keep flying.

kipron | July 23, 09:15 CET

Excellent point, killinj, and you are most certainly correct. In normal circumstances, the series producers would approach the networks to sale an idea. However, I think it's possible for these roles to reverse in a situation such as this where a network wants a movie from a cancelled series. Now, this is complete speculation on my part, but I feel there're grounds to support it. First, 20th Century Fox would never promote a Spike TV movie, why would they? Joss has cut his strings with them and the series are defunct. They would only be interested in the television rights if a network wanted to do a TV movie on said project. Which leads to the money situation. Unlike the support they may show on a debating new series, I don't see Fox footing any of the bill on this one. Which means the WB would have to pay the entire cost. Even on a shoe string budget, that's serious money.

All these thoughts and opinions are most likely moot anyway. I'm not sure if the WB could pull this off in their current state and I'm thinking this is just more lip service to the fans.

Madhatter | July 23, 09:58 CET

You are referring to a situation where your selling a new idea. That doesn't fit this scenario. Both sides know the project and both sides know the parties involved. In this case DJ would have let Joss know the network would like to "order" a new movie. Joss has said in the past that the WB has yet to make him in offer. That would imply that he is waiting on the WB and not the other way around. So to me DJ is just trying to pay the fans lip service as said above.

[ edited by DarenG on 2005-07-23 18:10 ]

DarenG | July 23, 11:09 CET

Joss has just started working on Wonder Woman, as a random factoid. According to David (Fury) there's some kind of contractal problem saying Joss would have to write this, but there's an additional problem with 20th Century Fox's hold on Joss's TV contract.

Short version: I don't think it'll happen any time soon.

gossi | July 23, 19:56 CET

Recently Kristin (E!) told that, according to her sources, Joss refused to make TV movies on The WB last year. Of course, he had been busy back then; but maybe it's not the main reason and he wanted (and still wants) to continue on another network?

Moscow Watcher | July 24, 12:27 CET

I think Joss really will develop a good reputation so that he can do something and it will hopefully be a success, whether he wants to return to the Buffy-verse with a miniseries or a straight-to-DVD series or a feature film. I think we'll have to wait until after Wonderwoman though.

Razor

And where's the rule he won't sign up for another film after Wonderwoman?


I don't think it will conflict with his film duties, he'll let his friends, Jeffrey Bell, Tim Minear etc pretty much control the tv movie, or mini series or series etc, he's talked about this, about being smart in how he needs to divide his time.

SeanValen | July 25, 04:29 CET