It looks like someone is taking another stab at bringing a new incarnation of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer to the big screen.
Sadly, Buffy creator Joss Whedon isn’t involved. It’s currently not set up at a studio, but Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with the original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch, but not a sequel or prequel.
While Whedon is the person most associated with Buffy, Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the Buffy script from then unknown Whedon. She developed the script while her husband put together the financing to make the 1992 movie, which was released by Fox.
Kuzui later teamed with Gail Berman, then president of Sandollar Television. They brought back Whedon to make the TV series, which was produced by Fox TV and launched on the WB in 1997. Kuzui and Sandollar received executive producer credits on Buffy and its spinoff, Angel. It was here that it truly developed it’s hardcore fan base and cult status.
The new Buffy film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Vertigo and Kuzui are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon, putting the parties in a similar situation faced by Paramount, J.J. Abrams and his crew when relaunching Star Trek.
One of the underlying ideas of Buffy allows Vertigo and Kuzui to do just that: that each generation has its own vampire slayer to protect it. The goal would be to make a darker, event-sized movie that would, of course, have franchise potential.
All parties involved are meeting with writers and hearing takes, and later will look for a home for the project. The producers are not rule out Whedon’s involvement, but have yet reached out to him.
Speaking from Tokyo, Fran Kuzui said the company is constantly approached not only about sequels, but theater, video games and foreign remakes for Buffy. When Vertigo’s Lee contacted them, they were intrigued.
“It was Roy’s interest in taking Buffy into a new place that grabbed us,” she said, noting that original exec-producer Sandy Gallin also was consulted. “It was based on our respect for what he does, and his particular sensitivity to Asian filmmakers, that we wanted to work with him.”
Kuzui, who is prepping do direct a movie in Japan in the fall, added: “Everything has its moment. Every movie takes on a life at some point, and this seems like the moment to do this.”
This news is sure to upset many long time fans of the TV series. The big question on everyone’s mind is “Who will play Buffy?” Because, really, what could a Buffy film be at this point without Sarah Michelle Gellar?
