There is no Buffy without Joss Whedon

In May last year, it was announced that Kaz and Fran Rubel Kazui, who own the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, had accepted an option from Warner Bros Pictures to make a new feature film about the heroine – Joss Whedon, creator of the acclaimed TV series, wanted nothing to do with a reboot, both because he’s too busy shooting other things, and because as far as he was concerned he was done with Buffy.

18months later, we fans of the show had hoped that Joss’ disinterest in the project had meant that it had simply slipped off the radar entirely, to be one of those films which just never got made.

Yesterday that hope was shattered; as Warner Brothers officially announced that a Buffy reboot was not only on the way but that the writing of a script was well underway. The woman chosen for the task: complete unknown, former actress Whit Anderson, in her first attempt at a screenplay. Well, doesn’t that just fill you with confidence?!

Even the idea of rebooting Buffy, without it’s great creator, or any of the Scoobie Gang we all loved, it not only doesn’t feel right, honestly it feels outraging!

Ever since 2003, I’ve waited patiently for the day that the Buffyverse would once again come calling.

This was not the call I wanted. It’s not the call that anyone wanted.

Whit Anderson could do a great job, and write a brilliant movie, maybe. But it’s never going to be MY Buffy. And that’s what I’ve spent 7 years longing for.

Joss created a world so complex, so interesting, and Sarah Michelle Gellar et al worked so hard inhabiting every inch of it. James Marsters will always be Spike. Alyson Hannigan will always be Willow.

Noone else will ever be able to fill those roles in the same way.

So I’ll put it simply: without the original Buffy crew involved, and Joss at its head, there is simply no way I’ll be going to see this.