Undeveloped Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoffs

The popular fictional Buffyverse established by TV series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" has led to attempts to develop more commercially viable programs set in the fictional 'Buffyverse'. However some of these projects remain undeveloped for various reasons: sometimes, vital cast members may be unavailable; alternatively, studios and networks which would provide capital for the spinoffs might remain unconvinced that such projects are financially viable.

Overview

A summary of the undeveloped productions:

Buffy the Animated Series

"Buffy the Animated Series" was an undeveloped animated TV show based on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Development began on the show in 2001 and the series was initially greenlit by "20th Century Fox" in 2002. Six scripts were completed by members of Mutant Enemy and in 2004 a four minute presentation was produced (which was distributed only within the industry). However it went ultimately unproduced and unaired when no network was willing to buy the series.

Corrupt (unaired "Angel" episode)

Corrupt was originally intended as the second Angel episode. The story used dark and adult themes. The script written by David Fury included the character Kate Lockley as a drug-addicted cop deep undercover as a prostitute, and also included Angel tasting the blood of a victim. The production was abandoned, and instead the 'lighter' episode, "Lonely Hearts" was written and produced.

Faith the Vampire Slayer

Tim Minear was behind an idea for a "Buffy" spinoff in 2003 featuring Eliza Dushku as the popular antihero slayer Faith. Instead, Dushku would go on to star as the main character in the series "Tru Calling".

*IGN asked Eliza Dushku about the Faith spinoff:

::IGNFF: I heard they were actually devising a Faith spin-off for you. Why did you decide not to go that route?

::DUSHKU: The idea for the Faith spin-off just kind of came up in discussion because everyone really, I think, was feeling like this show's going to end and there are all these fans who love it so much and who love these characters and so, if possible, how could we extend that? I just personally felt like... It would have been a really hard thing to do, and not that I wouldn't have been up for a challenge, but with it coming on immediately following the show, I think that those would have been really big boots to fill. I think it would have been compared to Buffy. And just in terms of me, I've played that character on and off for five years now and I've changed a lot and while the character of Faith changed when I came back because I've changed, I felt like maybe it was time to... I mean, I love Faith. She's my girl and she's been really good to me, but I kind of just wanted to try something else. Purely that, because it had nothing to do with me not trusting Joss and his team of writers, who I just think are amazing. Tim Minear and Drew Goddard and Marti Noxon and all these people, they're so talented and it had nothing to do with me doubting that they could make this show amazing, but I just... I don't know, sometimes you have to go with your gut, and my gut was telling me that I maybe needed to try something else that was just different. [ [http://uk.filmforce.ign.com/articles/421/421047p2.html "Uk.filmforce.ign.com" - Page 2 of an interview with Eliza Dushku] ]

*Tim Minear explained some of the details about the spinoff and reasons why it did not happen:

::"I had come up with a pitch. Eliza was gracious, kind and wonderful, but she felt like she wanted to do something new. There is no hard feelings there. But the show was basically going to be Faith meets Kung Fu. It would have been Faith, probably on a motorcycle, crossing the earth, trying to find her place in the world. I'm sure it would get an arc at some point, but the idea of her rooted somewhere seemed wrong to me. The idea of her constantly on the move seemed right to be. And she broke out of prison (on Angel) so there would have been some people after her." ["Femme Fatale", May/June 2003. (details archived online [http://spoiledrotten.tvheaven.com/buffy.html here] . The information from this interview is also reviwed [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/buffy/2003/04/14/3812.shtml by the BBC] , and cite web|title=Tim Minear and Eliza Duskhu on the aborted Faith spinoff|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/1131|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2003-04-13|accessdate=2008-05-26)]
*Tru Calling producer Dawn Parouse later admitted uncertainty during the show's development that Eliza would choose it over the spinoff: ::"We weren't quite sure if we were going to get [Eliza] , because there were rumors that there was going to be a Buffy spinoff for her." [cite video|people=Dawn Parouse|title=Finding the Calling: The Pilot (Tru Calling Season 1, Disc 6, Special Feature)|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox|year2=2004]

Ideas intended for the spin-off were later borrowed in small part by Brian K. Vaughan for his "No Future for You" arc in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight".

Ripper

infobox television
show_name = Ripper


caption = Giles in England in the "Buffy" episode, "Lessons"
format = Drama
runtime = 90 mins
creator = Joss Whedon
starring = Anthony Stewart Head
country = USA/UK
network = BBC/Other
picture_format = N/a
num_episodes = 1 (planned)

"Ripper" was originally a proposed television show based upon the character of Rupert Giles from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (created by Joss Whedon). More recent information has suggested that if "Ripper" were ever made it would be a TV-movie or a DVD-movie. ["Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine" #80, (UK, December 2005), p19] Giles, played by British actor Anthony Stewart Head, was nicknamed 'Ripper' while he was dabbling in the occult during his rebellious youth.

Whedon said that the show would be in the tradition of "classic English ghost stories" and would explore the theme of loneliness. Head described the idea as being like "Cracker" with ghosts";cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/news/archive/01060401.shtml|title=Giles Series will be "Cracker with Ghosts."|publisher=bbc.co.uk|date=2001-06-04|accessdate=2007-03-14] Whedon elaborated on some the themes he had planned for the series: "The people who live there, it's all very isolated. [Giles] himself has been gone for many years. He was surrounded by a "de facto" family that he no longer has. And [he is] sort of picking up his life all alone, and then getting involved in the underbelly of other people's lives, and finding out all about them. Loneliness is what I think of. It may not be the theme so much as the emotional intent of the series, but that's what really attracts it to me the most" ["Owner of a Lonely Heart", from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine" #26 (UK, October 2001)] It was later reported that Whedon had written the two-hour pilot, and that Espenson and other "Buffy" staff writers had penned story outlines for other potential episodes. ["A Rest for Ripper", from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine" #32 (UK, April 2002), page 6.]

Originally in 2001, the show was planned to be aired as a miniseries on the BBC. Later mentions suggested a TV movie, however in an interview in December 2005, Head suggested that "Ripper" would be a "two hour movie, that might become part of a series of [Buffyverse] DVDs". ["Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine" #80, (UK, December 2005), p19] However, Whedon is presently involved in his new TV series "Dollhouse and comic book "Buffy Season 8".

At Comic Con 2007, Joss Whedon confirmed that talks were almost completed for a 90-minute "Ripper" special on the BBC, [cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/07/28/comic-con-joss-whedon-panel-report/|title=Comic-Con: Joss Whedon panel report|date=2007-07-28|accessdate=2008-07-23] with both Head and the BBC completely on board.

The development process was supposedly set to begin in 2008 and "Ripper" was to be shown in the summer of that year. [ [http://tv.ign.com/articles/808/808993p1.html IGN: SDCC 07: Whedon Says Buffy Spinoff Ripper Still Planned ] ] However, in a BBC interview in April 2008, Head stated that 'Creator Joss Whedon is busy with another project, I'm tied up too, so at the moment I'd just say that it's still out there.' [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7291567.stm Talking Shop: Anthony Head (BBC interview 29 April 2008)] .] In this same interview, Head mentioned that Whedon had discussed the project with "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" producer Julie Gardner.

layer School

Jane Espenson has said that back when the series "Buffy" was nearing its end, "I think Marti talked with Joss about Slayer School, I assume there was some back-and-forth pitching." [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/buffy/2003/07/03/5522.shtml "Bbc.co.uk" - Jane Espenson mentions the potential spinoff, "Slayer School".] ]

Espenson revealed more information when she gave a talk at Ball State University in March 2003. The show might have used some of the Potentials (who became slayers after "Chosen"), and other characters from "Buffy", which might have included Willow Rosenberg. Espenson also revealed that Whedon did not think that such a spinoff felt right. [ [http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=14787 "Aintitcool.com" - Espenson's talk at a University reveals more details about Slayer School] (also discussed [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/buffy/2003/03/24/3421.shtml by the BBC] )] It seems that the concept for "Slayer School" was never developed beyond a 'pitch' for a potential spin-off to replace "Buffy".

"Spike" movie

Infobox_Film
name = Spike


director = Tim Minear
writer = Tim Minear
Joss Whedon
starring = James Marsters
Amy Acker
producer =
distributor = 20th Century Fox
released = TBA 20??
runtime =
music =
language = English
imdb_id =
budget =

"Spike" was a proposed movie based upon the character of Spike from "Buffy" and "Angel". The existence of such a project is currently in question.

Originally, the show was hoped to be made as a TV movie. However it is possible that if the project is greenlit, it may be a DVD-movie.

Production details

After "Angel" was cancelled in 2004, WB claimed an interest in "Angel" TV movies. However it was soon revealed that summer, that David Boreanaz, who had already played the character for eight years on television, would only return to his character for a theatrical release. [cite web|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/4690|title=David Boreanaz TV Guide interview|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2004-08-18|accessdate=2008-05-26- Boreanaz only wished to return to the Buffyverse for a theatrical film]

In May 2004, James Marsters, the actor who had portrayed the character Spike, revealed that there might be a possibility of a Spike movie. [cite web|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/3877|title=Spike TV movie on the cards?|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2004-05-09|accessdate=2008-05-26 - Marsters is indirectly quoted about the possibility of a Spike movie] The same year he said that he would be willing to return to the Buffyverse if it were within five years. Beyond that five years he feared that it would no longer be believable that Marsters was portraying an immortal character. [ [http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_RelishArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767520242 "Journalnow.com" - Marsters agrees he would be willing to portray Spike in a movie, if it was made within five years.] ]

Since 2004 Whedon has been working on other projects, such as "Serenity", "Wonder Woman", "Astonishing X-Men", and "Goners". However he has approached people and asked if they would be interested in participating in the Spike movie. He has said that Amy Acker would be a part of the movie, and if Alyson Hannigan was available she might appear. [ [http://tvguide.com/News/Ausiello/AskAusiello/?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b0B196054-9530-4169-8F64-B338375105BC%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fNews%2fAskAusiello%2fdefault.htm%3frmDate%3d09282005&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&rmDate=09282005 "Tvguide.com" - Whedon reveals that Minear, Marsters, Acker, and possibly even Hannigan might be a part of the movie.] ] Whedon has even mentioned he might interlink the Spike story with that yet to be told in "Buffy" comics he will be writing for Dark Horse in 2007.cite web|last=Whedon|first=Joss|authorlink=Joss Whedon|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/8735|title=Joss to never learn how to work site! Man is complete Melvin! Mock him!|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2005-11-09|accessdate=2008-05-26 - Whedon reveals the Spike movie might tie-in with "Buffy" comics]

Tim Minear revealed in late 2005 that “"I had lunch with Joss and he asked me if I wanted to write and direct some blond vampire movie thing"”. [cite web|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/7596|title=An update on the Spike TV movie|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2005-08-20|accessdate=2008-05-26 - Tim Minear announces he would write and direct the Spike movie.]

David Janollari, president of entertainment at The WB said in January 2006 that "We'd love to do a Spike movie with Joss Whedon." However he added that "Joss Whedon is busy, fast becoming a kind of a big feature filmmaker. He's simply not available to us. But he knows, and you guys all know, the door is open any time that he wants to do that, for us to do that movie." [ [http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=34206 "Scifi.com" - WB accept they want a Spike movie if Whedon writes/directs] ]

Since then Whedon has continued to pursue the Spike movie, and find interested parties that would air and/or produce the film led by Minear, and starring Marsters and Acker. During March 2006, Whedon appeared on the UK TV Channel, "MTV Screenplay", he announced he was still trying to get the Spike movie made. [cite web|title=Joss Whedon appears on tonight's MTV UK's 'Screenplay'|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/9763|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2006-03-10|accessdate=2008-05-26 - Whedon appeared on MTV screenplay and announced he was trying to get the Spike movie made, March 2006] In May 2006, outside the Saturn Awards, Whedon announced that he had pitched the concept to various bodies (which must include "20th Century Fox", since they own the rights to the fictional Buffyverse), but had yet to receive any feedback from those bodies. [cite web|title=Video interview with Joss from the Saturn Awards|url=http://whedonesque.com/comments/10310|publisher=Whedonesque.com|date=2006-05-10|accessdate=2008-05-26 - Whedon announces he has pitched the Spike movie, February 15th 2006] Amy Acker said at a convention in May 2006 that the Spike movie would not be happening: “I think its safe to say that’s not happening anymore, cause if they were, they’d be getting done right now. There was supposed to be three of them –- one for Spike, a Faith one and also one for Willow. I think it's safe to say that now because its not going to happen”. [ [http://www.syfyportal.com/news.php?id=2584 "Syfyportal.com " - Amy Acker confirms that the project will not be going ahead.] ] In June 2006, Joss Whedon also said that funding was a problem: "There are certain characters I’ve been saving because I thought I might make movies about them, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. I think money is standing in the way". [ [http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/000495675.cfm?page=2 "Wizard Universe" - Whedon says that "money is standing in the way" of the project.] ]

Writing and acting

*Tim Minear would primarily write and direct with support of Whedon.
*The cast would include James Marsters as Spike, Amy Acker as Illyria, and possibly Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenbergref|tvguide.

tory and continuity

*Whedon has indicated that the comics would take place after "the end of Buffy and Angel", and indicated that the Spike movie would take place around the same time.Whedon reveals that both the Spike movie and the "Buffy" comics would take place after Angel Season 5.]

Notes and references

External links

Buffy the Animated Series

:"See larger list of links for this undeveloped production here
* [http://www.buffyanimated.com/ "Buffyanimated.com" - Fan site, January 2005]
* [http://www.ericwight.com/portfolio.html "Ericwight.com" - Art work related to the halted project, 2004]
* [http://www.smgfan.com/ericwight.htm "Smgfan.com" - Interview with Eric Wight, March 2003.]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/cult/news/buffy/2004/06/01/11568.shtml "Bbc.co.uk" - Interview with Jeph Loeb, June 2004]
* [http://www.mikejozic.com/buffyweek4.html "Mikejozic.com" - Interview with Espenson and Eric Wight, 2004]

Corrupt

* [http://www.teaattheford.net/conversation.php?id=34 "Teaattheford.net" - Discussion of Lonely Hearts including views on "Corrupt" from Fury and Contner]
* [http://www.teaattheford.net/conversation.php?id=35 "Teaattheford.net" - Discussion of "Corrupt"]

Faith the Vampire Slayer

* [http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=3170 "ifmagazine.com" - Marti Noxon talks about "Faith" series (July 2006)]

Ripper

* [http://whedonesque.com/comments/9612 "BBC.co.uk" - BBC 5 live radio - Joss Whedon interview.]
* [http://www.slayonline.co.uk/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=272 "Slayonline.co.uk" - Anthony Stewart Head Talks About Ripper and Buffy Animated] - 2004
* [http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/07/28/comic-con-joss-whedon-panel-breaking-news/] - Word from Comic Con 2007 after an interview with Joss Whedon

layer School

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/buffy/2003/07/03/5522.shtml "BBC.co.uk" - Jane Espenson mentions the potential spinoff, "Slayer School".]
* [http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=14787 "Aintitcool.com" - Espenson's talk at a University reveals more details about Slayer School]