Joss interview in UK newspaper

POSTED BY: MightyRoar
UPDATED: Saturday, March 11, 2006 10:42
VIEWED: 17587
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MIGHTYROAR

Thursday, March 2, 2006 8:34 AM

from the uk free newspaper (available at all good railway and bus stations), The Metro

http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=1051
5&in_page_id=11

Joss Whedon is the creator of cult favourite TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. He also created the short-lived Western-in-space sci-fi show Firefly and wrote and directed its big-screen incarnation, Serenity. Whedon is currently writing the script for the forthcoming Wonder Woman film. Serenity is out now on DVD.

Why was Firefly cancelled so quickly?
The network disliked the show. They didn't get what I was trying to do, so they gave it a bad time-slot and didn't show the pilot. Because we had this sword over our heads, we tried to make each episode as cool, mythic and fun as possible.

What was your inspiration for Firefly?
I'm interested in history and I was reading about the American Civil War. I'm also interested in Westerns, the frontier life of the time and science fiction. I hadn't seen a combination of those things. Science fiction has become perfectly presented and insanely scrubbed. I wanted to see it dirtied up a bit- like in Alien.

Will there be a sequel to Serenity?
It didn't do that well at the box office, so it depends on DVD sales. If the sales are huge, I think they'd consider it but I don't rate our chances highly.

Is it disappointing when something you've put so much effort into flops?
I carried this project on my shoulders for a long time. We'd have loved more people to see it, or for it to have done better. On the other hand, the people who saw it really enjoyed it. I'm happy with the reception it got.

When you look back at Buffy and Angel, would you change anything about them?
I'm not big on regret, I don't spend a lot of time on it. Part of making TV is the process-you just have to churn it out. At one point, I was making three shows a week. Even when you think everything's gone perfectly-you've spoken to the actors, rehearsed them, thought how to direct it from every angle-even then you miss the guy standing in the background wearing a funny hat.

Hardcore Buffy fans seem to believe you had a masterplan. How far ahead did you plan?
Certain major events were planned a year in advance. The first series was planned entirely in advance because it was only 13 episodes and we didn't know if we'd be getting a second season or not. I'd plan the general arc of the season and the villain, then leave it to the writers. I knew some of the key events- I planned Buffy's mother's death two years in advance-but sometimes it's best not to plan. You don't want to box yourself in.

Is there any chance of Buffy or Angel coming back?
We've been discussing how to do things with a different format-maybe something straight to DVD that wouldn't be a full series. There are various characters that I'd want to explore further.

You're working on the Wonder Woman film-will she be another feisty teenager like Buffy?
She's going to be a little bit older but her age is left unstated. She's going through an adolescent rite of passage because she's new to the world. She comes from a civilisation where she's rather perfect, so she's the opposite to Buffy in many ways.

How different is writing a character everyone is already familiar with?
Familiar is exactly the right word. She's an acquaintance. This film will be about introducing you to Wonder Woman. There are benchmarks we need to include, so she'll be wearing the outfit and there will be the bracelets, a golden lasso and Greek gods-but they'll all be shown in fresh ways. The challenge with my other projects was to make the viewer believe the story needs to be told. With Wonder Woman, it's easier because people are familiar with the story already.

Aren't you in danger of making feisty young heroines a cliché?
I have to be very careful to avoid becoming an old guy who just has one trick. The fact people still talk about me writing these strong female characters suggests there aren't enough of them around. It's amazing how many anti-role models

MIGHTYROAR

Thursday, March 2, 2006 9:22 AM

Heh, I left a comment on the metro site referring to fireflyfans.net and its now been published, so maybe some new visitors will come? hopefully

Richard

DISKA

Thursday, March 2, 2006 10:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by MightyRoar:
from the uk free newspaper (available at all good railway and bus stations), The Metro

http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=1051
5&in_page_id=11

Will there be a sequel to Serenity?
It didn't do that well at the box office, so it depends on DVD sales. If the sales are huge, I think they'd consider it but I don't rate our chances highly.

i shouldnt be allowed to read joss quotes first thing in the morning itll make me sullen all day now

"Dear diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

MANTICHORUS

Thursday, March 2, 2006 10:43 AM

Is that copy out today? Or was it out yesterday?

MIGHTYROAR

Thursday, March 2, 2006 10:44 AM

todays copy

CAUSAL

Thursday, March 2, 2006 2:05 PM

Well, this is the most discouraged I've been for a while...

________________________________________________________________________
I wish I had a magical wish-granting plank.

FOLLOWMAL

Thursday, March 2, 2006 2:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by diska:
Quote:
Originally posted by MightyRoar:
from the uk free newspaper (available at all good railway and bus stations), The Metro

http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=1051
5&in_page_id=11

Will there be a sequel to Serenity?
It didn't do that well at the box office, so it depends on DVD sales. If the sales are huge, I think they'd consider it but I don't rate our chances highly.

i shouldnt be allowed to read joss quotes first thing in the morning itll make me sullen all day now

"Dear diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

I got sullen right off too Diska, but we still have the DVD sales to go. We can't lose hope yet, because the DVD is selling well in the UK and Europe and we'll just have to see how it all comes out in the end. I still think, even if we don't get a BDSequel on the big screen, someone will want to revisit the 'verse on the little screen. Our fan base is growing... someone is taking note of that... or maybe we have to keep writing them and making them aware that we are growing.

" You hold. Hold til I get back." Mal

GRIMJACK21502

Thursday, March 2, 2006 3:46 PM

Hold the line my beloved Browncoats!

While a BDS might be a more difficult sell, I still believe we will see a television mini-series.

Like FollowMal said, let's let our 'Coats on the other side of the pond fight the good fight and rack up some DVD sales.

...as long as we stand...we stand together.

We will hold...we hold till Mal gets back.

"And once you're gone, you can never come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black"
-Neil Young

AZTECHROME

Thursday, March 2, 2006 3:59 PM

I got the distinct impression that Firefly is his favorite creation. No offense to Buffy or Angel fans, but Firefly has so much more subtext and historical depth. Buffy's a bit more of a.... vampire babe soap opera. Seriously, the guy who cancelled this show is going straight to , along with the guy that cancelled Star Trek.

I wouldn't get discouraged. Joss knows the score, and so do we. Times are tough, the odds are against us. What else is new?

Keep on flyin'.

"Where is the difference between work and love? Show me..." (JLG) Passion

MRPRESIDENT

Thursday, March 2, 2006 5:43 PM

When are we ever going to know how the DVD sales did or are doing? Going to Amazon only tells the at-the-moment story. Surely there is someone who actually tracks hard numbers? Someone report that, please!

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