The Twilight Times are Perfect for the New Moon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Nadya Vlassoff
Few
television shows in the past twenty five years
have established such a loyal and devoted following
as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Interestingly, given
the popularity of vampires from the success of
the Twilight Saga and the Twilight sequel New
Moon, the legions of Buffy fans are still out
there, lurking in the shadows of the Twilight
Saga. Nine years after Buffy the Vampire left
the airwaves in 2003 on a high, Buffy fans of
the '90s have grown up but the fan base now includes
a younger generation that also found the series
on DVD. If you look around the internet, it's
easy to see that the popularity of Buffy is still
strong after all of these Twilight years. But
with the popularity of vampires at a fever pitch
thanks to Twilight, the argument can be made that
there's no better time for Buffy the Vampire Slayer
to return to slay the competition. If there's
one teen oriented vampire property that could
give Twilight a run for its New Moon money, it's
Buffy and the vampire world of Joss Whedon. And
this is where the return of Buffy gets murky,
because there is a planned Buffy movie, a sequel
to the original 1992 Buffy film, that doesn't
include Joss Whedon or the cast of the most popular
incarnation of Buffy the vampire Slayer.
Created
by current Dollhouse mastermind, Joss Whedon,
starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
with loyal band of "Scoobies," Buffy the Vampire
Slayer lured in weekly fans suffering from teenage
angst with compelling storylines that saw Buffy
battling her inner demons as much as her audience.
Joining Buffy on her weekly Sunnydale adventures
were best friends Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan)
and Xander (Nicolas Brendon) who faced the trials
and tribulations of high school, broken hearts,
and demons together with the show's lead character.
Complicating Buffy's journey was her Watcher,
Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) who trained his
charge in all things demonic and became the
perfect character foil for Buffy who preferred
to deal with her problems with force rather
than books. Throw in a reformed, brooding vampire
in Angel (David Boreanaz) to further obscure
Buffy's already delicate hold on teenage normalcy
and you had the perfect recipe for disaster
that kick-started a vampire phenomenon that
saw Angel get his own series, which lasted until
2004.
Six
years removed from Buffy and five from Angel,
why are we seeing such a rabid vampire craze
with Twilight? Were people starved for vampires
or were fans really just starved for Buffy but
settled for Twilight? Although Angel tried to
keep the craze alive after Buffy departed the
airwaves, fans of the popular Joss Whedon -
Sarah Michelle Gellar toplined series know Buffy
left while she was still in demand. In the six
years since Buffy dominated The WB airwaves,
talks of various off-shoots of the series included
a potential Buffy movie and spin-off around
actor James Marsters' character, Spike, and
other live-action Buffy concepts beyond animated
and comic book properties that were eventually
scrapped or turned down.
Like all good things, BTVS came to an end in
2003. A slew of series departed along with Sarah
Michelle Gellar, including James Marsters as
Spike, another reformed vampire who competed
for Buffy's affection and Cordelia Chase (Charisma
Carpenter) the sassy siren who later went on
to join the Buffy spin-off, Angel. Michelle
Trachtenberg also appeared in the 5th season
as Buffy's sister, a spiritual entity put into
human form for the slayer to protect. After
seven seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended
with an epic battle between good and evil, with
the town of Sunnydale turning into a giant sinkhole
that buried the portal to the hellmouth under
tons of debris. It was a fitting ending for
one of television's most beloved heroines but
the series finale left many questions unanswered.
So,
with questions still to be answered after all
of these years, and a fan base that's perhaps
even bigger than followers of Twilight and New
Moon, why are we not seeing the return of Buffy?
When I say the "return of Buffy," that could
be a prequel from the world of the TV series,
some type of alternate Buffy world, a new Buffy
set series in the future … anything with Joss
Whedon involved. How about some form of Buffy
2.0 or 3.0? How about a big screen one-off movie
with the original cast? Again, this is where
it gets murky because the planned Buffy the
Vampire Slayer doesn't include Joss Whedon or
the cast of the popular series. Can it work
without the players that made it so popular?
Never say never about Buffy on the big screen,
but fans want Whedon, Sara Michelle Gellar,
David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Alyson Hannigan
and the rest of the Buffy and Angel gang. Is
the right time to bring Buffy back into the
fold five years from now? How about two? No,
the time is now. Like I said, if there's any
vampire project that could potentially compete
with Twilight at the box-office, it's Buffy.
Of
course a full BTVS revival faces several challenges
in bringing the series players together since
many are on to other projects. Perhaps scheduling
may not make it possible to get everyone back
together, but a potential new TV spin-off could
be successful in some form, which would allow
original cast members to return in recurring
cameos. The Twilight Saga has reignited the
love for romantic vampire tales with supernatural
twists and HBO's True Blood has already been
reaping the Twilight benefits. The time is right
for Buffy to return and it feels awkward that
she's not in play. Unlike other shows or films,
fans of BTVS have continued to support the show
through online forums and fan fiction without
any new live-action project. Interestingly,
the new CW series, The Vampire Diaries, looks
a lot like Buffy and Angel and shows early promise
to finally fill the void left behind by Buffy.
But is it already too late for Buffy to return?
The biggest challenge any Buffy 2.0 incarnation
faces is the impending implosion of the vampire
craze and the subsequent overkill in an already
crowded market. However, BTVS still stands apart
from other vampire properties because of its
affect on a fan base that now includes adult
Buffy lovers, their children, and new fans who
are encountering the magic of Joss Whedon for
the first time. What does that mean exactly?
The significance of BTVS left a lasting impression
beyond any romantic angle. It was a show based
on the battle of good and evil interspersed
with humor that balanced the often harsh and
cruel aspects of teenage life. Buffy was as
much a social commentary about teenage rebellion
as it was a good old-fashioned fist-to-cuffs
fight of survival of the fittest. Gellar's Buffy
was an iconic symbol of independence for both
young men and women. Also, Buffy's romantic
involvements with both Angel and Spike, both
vampires, signified that humans never hampered
her role as the slayer. In the series finale,
Buffy ends up single but her ability to overcome
the hurdles of each relationship shaped her
into a symbol of female empowerment.
Unlike the Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries,
and True Blood, which all have human female
leads, Buffy was a supernatural being in her
own right but with all the human qualities of
her loyal fans that endeared her into the hearts
of millions worldwide.
Will a stand alone Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie work without all of the TV series ingredients that made Buffy as big a phenomenon as Twilight and New Moon? Who knows? But we all know that's not what fans want. The reality is that a movie or spin-off could potentially sink the Buffy franchise forever if done wrong. The hour is nigh for the Buffy bandwagon to slay The Twilight Saga and loyal Buffy-starved fans across the world will only be too eager to help. From a business or vampire popularity standpoint, what other time would be better than now to see the return of Joss Whedon and the Buffyverse that we all love?
I AM A BIG FAN OF VAMPIRE MOVIES AND SHOWS, BUT AS FAR AS TWILIGHT SAGA GOES, IT'S UP ON THE TOP OF MY LIST. STEPHANIE MEYER CAME UP WITH SUCH A GREAT STORY TO BRING US INTO HER WORLD/HEAD. BUFFY WAS GOOD BUT TIMES CHANGE AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO EDWARD AND BELLA!! SORRY BUFFY, YOU HAD A GOOD RUN, NOW IT'S TIME FOR TWILIGHT TO HAVE IT'S TURN IN THE GLORY!!!!!!! I CANT WAIT TO SEE NEW MOON, ECLIPS AND BREAKING DAWN, THEY ARE GOING TO BE FREAKIN AWSOME!!!!!!!
Anne
July 28, 2009 - 12:11
Subject: don't think they should do it, if they can't do it right.
We all know how bad the movie was and since its going to be made by the same people, this one will probably be the same. It feels like they're just doing it to hop on the bandwagon. Therefore it'll probably be some trend following, lets make everything much more dark and gritty (kinda like the new James Bond and Batman, which i actually enjoy) - sapping out the fun and the big metaphor of Joss Whedon's series on growing up - exploitive action film.
Matt
July 27, 2009 - 19:43
Subject: Please
I grew up with Buffy. I actually started watching it when it was originally run. I was only about 6 or so at the time but watched it because my older brother did. I loved it then and I love it even more now that I can understand everything. I don't really want to see a Buffy movie that doesn't include Joss Whedon and at least most of the iconic cast. I wonder if they could bring Anya back to life, loved her.
Michele
July 08, 2009 - 22:18
Subject: buffy's the best!
I have BTVS on DVD...all 7 seasons. One of my all time favorite shows. I think they should try to get Joss Whedon to direct Breaking Dawn...if there are plans for making Breaking Dawn into a movie I think he would be awesone.
Scott
July 07, 2009 - 23:13
Subject: Buffy only supernatural Lead?
I am sorry to say this (because, GO buffy) but if you call Buffy a supernatural being, I would have to say Sookie is also a supernatural being. Infact, buffy grew up human where as Sookie did not. It would almost be more accurate to say Sookie is supernatural whereas Buffy is the target of an ancient spell.
hostileseventeen@comcast.net – NJ
July 07, 2009 - 19:58
Subject: No series No movie w/o orignal cast
Sorry, no movie or series would be complete UNLESS the actual cast were able to do it along with Joss. Of course if it could be done then I'd pay anything to see the movie about the "original" vampire and human love story of Buffy and Angel. Bu think about it though...how could they do it when everyone has aged 6 yrs? Vampires shouldn't look aged. I'll be a HUGE fan forever and it's likely we'll all have to stick with our DVD collections of the best series ever televised. I'm a Twilight fan as well and can't wait for NEW MOON, ECLIPSE AND BREAKING DAWN
hostileseventeen@comcast.net – NJ
July 07, 2009 - 19:58
Subject: No series No movie w/o orignal cast
Sorry, no movie or series would be complete UNLESS the actual cast were able to do it along with Joss. Of course if it could be done then I'd pay anything to see the movie about the "original" vampire and human love story of Buffy and Angel. Bu think about it though...how could they do it when everyone has aged 6 yrs? Vampires shouldn't look aged. I'll be a HUGE fan forever and it's likely we'll all have to stick with our DVD collections of the best series ever televised. I'm a Twilight fan as well and can't wait for NEW MOON, ECLIPSE AND BREAKING DAWN
Babs
July 06, 2009 - 13:32
Subject: No Way. Not without Joss at the helm.
The only way I'd go to see a Buffy movie is if it were made with the cast from the TV show. The odds of that happening are slim to none since the Kazui's are the ones producing it and Joss wants nothing to do with their project. I highly doubt any of the actors from the TV show would agree to make a movie without Joss at the helm. Not to mention that without Joss' OK the Kazui's can't use any of the TV characters other than Buffy. They only own the rights to the characters from the original movie. I'm not holding out much hope for a Kazui Buffy project.
LOL
July 06, 2009 - 11:05
Subject: Original cast members? Are you sure?
It seems so many people have forgotten that the series was based on one of the crappiest movies of all time (yet, strangely, the series was pretty good... go figure). People keep saying use the original cast, but when you think about it, that would mean the original cast _from the movie_. No thanks.
Dani
July 06, 2009 - 10:10
Subject: LOVES Angel and Twilight
Im obsessed with Twilight and Angel! I'm a teenager and I just got into Angel at the beginning of the year and have already seen every episode. If they do a Buffy movie w/o the original actors, and lot of fans probably will refuse to go see it. Also I don't think Buffy and Twilight are really competitors at the box office because i love both for diff reasons and i would gladly see both. I love Twilight not for the vampire aspect so much as the romance and danger that Stephanie's books created. But i still love Angel for the vampire-ness and the romance Angel faces.
Crystal – Las Cruces
July 04, 2009 - 23:26
Subject: Por Favor!!!
I would definitely to see the movie, if, they have the original cast and the director! I know hundreds of people who would love a Buffy and Angel movie and who would pay to see it.
melissa0914
July 04, 2009 - 13:34
Subject: Buffy movie!!!!
I would be so incredibly excited if they could make a MOVIE with all the original cast... I would be there opening night!!! I am a huge Twilight fan...But Buffy was my obsession long before Twilight came around. I would do pretty much anything to see a movie with Willow, Xander, Buffy, Spike, Angel, Giles... even Dawn!
liz
July 04, 2009 - 11:52
Subject: loved buffy
i like twilight, but buffy was the best. i was it would return with all of the characters. the only ones with really successful careers are david boreanaz on bones and allyson hannigan on how i married your mother. surely, they could film in the summer.
Amanda
July 04, 2009 - 01:23
Subject: Yes Please!
I literally just told my hubby today that Buffy should return in some form.
Bring it!
Few
television shows in the past twenty five years
have established such a loyal and devoted following
as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Interestingly, given
the popularity of vampires from the success of
the Twilight Saga and the Twilight sequel New
Moon, the legions of Buffy fans are still out
there, lurking in the shadows of the Twilight
Saga. Nine years after Buffy the Vampire left
the airwaves in 2003 on a high, Buffy fans of
the '90s have grown up but the fan base now includes
a younger generation that also found the series
on DVD. If you look around the internet, it's
easy to see that the popularity of Buffy is still
strong after all of these Twilight years. But
with the popularity of vampires at a fever pitch
thanks to Twilight, the argument can be made that
there's no better time for Buffy the Vampire Slayer
to return to slay the competition. If there's
one teen oriented vampire property that could
give Twilight a run for its New Moon money, it's
Buffy and the vampire world of Joss Whedon. And
this is where the return of Buffy gets murky,
because there is a planned Buffy movie, a sequel
to the original 1992 Buffy film, that doesn't
include Joss Whedon or the cast of the most popular
incarnation of Buffy the vampire Slayer.
Created
by current Dollhouse mastermind, Joss Whedon,
starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
with loyal band of "Scoobies," Buffy the Vampire
Slayer lured in weekly fans suffering from teenage
angst with compelling storylines that saw Buffy
battling her inner demons as much as her audience.
Joining Buffy on her weekly Sunnydale adventures
were best friends Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan)
and Xander (Nicolas Brendon) who faced the trials
and tribulations of high school, broken hearts,
and demons together with the show's lead character.
Complicating Buffy's journey was her Watcher,
Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) who trained his
charge in all things demonic and became the
perfect character foil for Buffy who preferred
to deal with her problems with force rather
than books. Throw in a reformed, brooding vampire
in Angel (David Boreanaz) to further obscure
Buffy's already delicate hold on teenage normalcy
and you had the perfect recipe for disaster
that kick-started a vampire phenomenon that
saw Angel get his own series, which lasted until
2004.
Six
years removed from Buffy and five from Angel,
why are we seeing such a rabid vampire craze
with Twilight? Were people starved for vampires
or were fans really just starved for Buffy but
settled for Twilight? Although Angel tried to
keep the craze alive after Buffy departed the
airwaves, fans of the popular Joss Whedon -
Sarah Michelle Gellar toplined series know Buffy
left while she was still in demand. In the six
years since Buffy dominated The WB airwaves,
talks of various off-shoots of the series included
a potential Buffy movie and spin-off around
actor James Marsters' character, Spike, and
other live-action Buffy concepts beyond animated
and comic book properties that were eventually
scrapped or turned down.
So,
with questions still to be answered after all
of these years, and a fan base that's perhaps
even bigger than followers of Twilight and New
Moon, why are we not seeing the return of Buffy?
When I say the "return of Buffy," that could
be a prequel from the world of the TV series,
some type of alternate Buffy world, a new Buffy
set series in the future … anything with Joss
Whedon involved. How about some form of Buffy
2.0 or 3.0? How about a big screen one-off movie
with the original cast? Again, this is where
it gets murky because the planned Buffy the
Vampire Slayer doesn't include Joss Whedon or
the cast of the popular series. Can it work
without the players that made it so popular?
Never say never about Buffy on the big screen,
but fans want Whedon, Sara Michelle Gellar,
David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Alyson Hannigan
and the rest of the Buffy and Angel gang. Is
the right time to bring Buffy back into the
fold five years from now? How about two? No,
the time is now. Like I said, if there's any
vampire project that could potentially compete
with Twilight at the box-office, it's Buffy.
Of
course a full BTVS revival faces several challenges
in bringing the series players together since
many are on to other projects. Perhaps scheduling
may not make it possible to get everyone back
together, but a potential new TV spin-off could
be successful in some form, which would allow
original cast members to return in recurring
cameos. The Twilight Saga has reignited the
love for romantic vampire tales with supernatural
twists and HBO's True Blood has already been
reaping the Twilight benefits. The time is right
for Buffy to return and it feels awkward that
she's not in play. Unlike other shows or films,
fans of BTVS have continued to support the show
through online forums and fan fiction without
any new live-action project. Interestingly,
the new CW series, The Vampire Diaries, looks
a lot like Buffy and Angel and shows early promise
to finally fill the void left behind by Buffy.