Buffy pilot canned as Firefly set to fly again.
A big day for fans of Joss Whedon shows.
Chloé Zhao helming a Buffy TV revival series always seemed like a weird fit. Not completely outside the realm of possibility, but when I consider the vibrancy, romance, teen emotion, and humour of the iconic 90s show, Zhao brings with her such a tonal disconnect.
So, it wasn’t a huge surprise to discover that Hulu has opted to go ahead with the pilot to a new Buffy series.
The news was broken by original series star Sarah Michelle-Geller in an Instagram video and confirmed by THR.
“I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me. Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale,” the actress said in a video. “I want to thank Chloé Zhao, because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots. And thanks to Chloé, I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means not only to me but to all of you.”
She added, “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.”
As per THR, Hulu is reportedly still interested in reviving Buffy as a series and are now considering next steps.
The only disappointing aspect of the revival not going forward is that it means we won’t get to see star Ryan K Armstrong leading the series. She was a knockout in The Lowdown, playing the daughter of Ethan Hawke’s character. Watch episode three of that show, ‘Dinosaur Memories,’ which is practically an audition video for Armstrong to star in a Buffy-like show as she faces mortal danger while trying to get her hands on some books for her father from a dangerous woman.
She posted to her own Instagram a photo of her as the lead character in the new show:
Going forward, I would be far more interested in seeing the series completely jettison the original series cast and continuity in favour of a fresh reboot. The strength of the show was always about using the horror and sci-fi storylines to tell thematic truths about the teenage experience – by stripping the show back to its original simple premise, it lets that core approach breathe better.
An ongoing gag (of sorts… it’s more just a truth) in the original series was that the teenage characters were always so busy being caught up in their own lives that they didn’t care about what was happening in the lives of their parents or mentor Giles. The new show shouldn’t be weighed down by trying to respect what is happening in the life of Buffy Summers while the new slayer is getting on with her own life.
I’m reminded of the Saved By The Bell revival which, for some reason, thought a youth audience would have any investment in the now old people from the OG show.
This news leads us to…
Somehow Firefly is coming back! Maybe
The other major Joss Whedon show is making a comeback. Maybe.
In recent weeks cast members of the show Firefly have been posting cryptic videos with series lead Nathan Fillion getting the actors back together, Avengers-style.
In this Instagram post, Fillion is joined by the cast reporting that they are bringing the show back as an animated series. It’ll be set between the end of the short-lived TV series and the feature film, Serenity. Almost the entire cast will be back, with the exception of Ron Glass who passed away in 2016. They have the blessing of Joss Whedon, who will not be returning to showrun (he is still cancelled apparently for the crime of being a jerk). They also have the rights, which are currently held by Disney.
Showrunning will be husband-wife team Tara Butters (Agent Carter, Dollhouse) and Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Flash).
Concept art has been developed in collaboration with animation studio ShadowMachine.
What they don’t have is a home for the show, but it will be shopped around soon. Right now the cast are trying to amp up enthusiasm to show that there’s demand to revive the property.
It all seems pretty promising. I’m much more in favor of seeing the show back as an animated show than live-action. It always feels a bit sad when shows come back with the original cast in its original format. They almost never recapture the magic. The only show to do it successfully was the Party Down revival, where sad desperation was baked into the show’s premise.
News Desk
Former Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan says that he had plans for the cast of his new show Pluribus to be naked because most of the characters in the show don’t need clothes. His vision has clearly been compromised… Read: Deadline
Jordana Brewster is joining Joel Kinaman, John Malkovich and Jennifer Jason Leigh in new Prime Video cop show Bishop. Read: Variety
Paramount’s plans to revive GI Joe continue on, despite cancelled-writer Max Landis being moved on. I can’t think of a worse time for an American entertainment company trying to sell the world on a movie or TV show about the American military as good guys. Read: Variety
Paramount Skydance has bought out Tyler Perry Studios’ equity stake in BET+, with plans to shut down the streaming service and integrate it into Paramount+. Read: THR
NBCU is getting out of the first-run syndication business, which means cancellations for shows Access Hollywood, Access Live, The Steve Wilkos Show, and Karamo. Read: Deadline
Trailer Park
Larry David’s new HBO sketch comedy show debuts June 26. It is titled Life, Larry & The Pursuit of Unhappiness.
Something Very Bad is Going To Happen debuts on Netflix March 26.
A bride has a feeling that something horrifying will happen at her wedding - and the closer to the altar she gets, the worse it becomes.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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