(L to R): Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Jewel State and Ron Glass in ‘Firefly’. Photo: 20th Century Television.
Preview:
An animated revival of cult series ‘Firefly’ is in the works.
Nathan Fillion revealed the news.
The original show, created by Joss Whedon, ran for one season.
The original series, as created by Whedon in 2002, ran for all of one season before being unceremoniously cancelled by the Fox TV network. It returned in movie form with ‘Serenity’ in 2005, but the film didn’t do well enough at the box office spawn sequels.
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Now, Fillion –– who has been teasing fans via social media videos featuring his former castmates –– has revealed that a revival of the show is in development in animated form.
(L to R): Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres in ‘Firefly’. Photo: 20th Century Television.
All we really know at this point that the narrative would pick up between the end of the show and the movie. Set 500 years into the future during a global civil war, ‘Firefly’ charted the whereabouts of spaceship Serenity and its nine crew members in the year 2517.
When will the ‘Firefly’ animated series be on screens?
With this new show still in early development, and no official studio/streamer home announced (though surely Hulu is the natural place for it), there’s no word on when or even if it’ll land. You can’t stop the signal!
The spaceship Serenity in ‘Firefly’. Photo: 20th Century Television.
Selected Movies and TV Shows Featuring Nathan Fillion:
Ryan Kiera Armstrong stars in ‘ Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’.
Preview:
‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s Ryan Kiera Armstrong is aboard the new ‘Buffy’ series.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is back as the vampire slayer.
Chloé Zhao will direct the pilot and produce.
It might not feature white smoke coming out of a chimney as with the recent Pope’s election, but we have a chosen one within the expanding world of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’
To be clear, this will be more a next step than a total reinvention of the vampire slayer concept, which has so far proved reliable on screens big and small and in comic book form.
The new series comes via Hulu, which has a pilot order in place with Gellar as co-star and executive producer.
‘Poker Face’ showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman are developing what is being described as “the next chapter in the Buffyverse.” Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, whose movies include ‘Nomadland’ and Marvel’s‘Eternals’ is set to direct the pilot and serve as a producer.
Gellar’s Buffy Summers will be a mentor to the new Chosen One played by Armstrong, who like her predecessor will be charged with battling all manner of vampires and other demonic creatures (and endowed with strength and resilience to do so) while also navigating more mundane teenage life issues.
In keeping with the current trend for announcing casting decisions, Gellar took to Instagram to document her telling Armstrong the news that she’s gotten the role:
“From the moment I saw Ryan’s audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side. To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room.”
Lilla and Nora Zuckerman used some Buffy terminology to praise their new lead:
“We are so overjoyed to have found this generation’s slayer in Ryan Kiera Armstrong, she absolutely blew us away –– there is no question in our mind that she is the chosen one.”
(L to R) David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
‘Buffy’ is a concept that has already shown an ability to evolve.
It originated as a film starring Kristy Swanson in the title role. Joss Whedon wrote the film with Fran Kuzui directing and was released in 1992.
Five years later, the series version, created by Whedon and now starring Gellar, debuted on The WB.
It aired on The WB for its first five seasons before airing its final two seasons on UPN.
The original series’ executive producers included Gail Berman of the Jackal Group and Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B, who will all get a credit on the new pilot.
The cast of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
And fun fact: also executive producing the pilot is Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar was producer on the original.
Whedon, who oversaw the show’s seven-season run, will not return to work on any new version. In 2021, the writer/producer, who also crafted the first two ‘Avengers’ movies and TV series ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ for Marvel, was accused of creating a toxic work environment on both ‘Buffy’ and ‘Angel’ by nearly a dozen people associated with the show, particularly Carpenter.
Berman, and the Kuzuis previously teamed up with 20th TV in 2018 for a potential ‘Buffy’ reboot written by ‘Midnight, Texas’ creator Monica Owusu-Breen, on which Whedon was an executive producer. That project, whose lead was envisioned as a Black woman, didn’t move forward.
The biggest dangling question any sequel series would need to answer is the clever notion introduced by the series’ final season, in that Buffy’s death (she got better) in a previous season triggered a raft of new potential Slayers.
And now we have an answer to whether we’ll see one in the new show: a big yes, since Armstrong will take on that role.
What has Sarah Michelle Gellar previously said about returning for a new ‘Buffy’ series?
Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
Gellar has been in two minds about the idea of reprising Buffy Summers.
In 2023, she poured cold water on taking on a new ‘Buffy’ series, telling UK magazine SFX:
“I am very proud of the show that we created and it doesn’t need to be done. We wrapped that up. I am all for them continuing the story because there’s the story of female empowerment. I love the way the show was left: ‘Every girl who has the power can have the power.’ It’s set up perfectly for someone else to have the power. But like I said, the metaphors of ‘Buffy’ were the horrors of adolescence. I think I look young, but I am not an adolescent.”
“I always used to say no because it’s in its bubble and it’s so perfect. But watching ‘And Just Like That…’ (the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series) and seeing ‘Dexter: Original Sin,’ and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.’”
Less maybe, these days, more fully aboard.
When will the new ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ series hit screens?
Hulu has yet to say when this might premiere and, indeed, with that pilot order, it’s still more of a case of if the show passes muster.
Still, given that attractive, grabby recognizable title and the original star attached, we’d guess this one has a good chance.
The cast of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Franchise:
Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
Preview:
Sarah Michelle Gellar is attached to a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ sequel pilot.
Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman are aboard to write, showrun, and executive produce.
Chloé Zhao will direct the pilot and produce.
As the opening narration of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ used to intone, “In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”
If Hulu’s plans work out, we might just get to meet this generation’s Slayer –– with a little help from the previous one.
Yes, in a world where every old show and movie is now potential fodder for a sequel, reboot or remake, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is one that has been talked about a few times before.
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Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it might actually come to fruition, as word arrives that streaming service Hulu is exploring the concept of a ‘Buffy’ streaming series.
With Disney’s 20th Television backing the idea, ‘Poker Face’ showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman are developing what is being described as “the next chapter in the Buffyverse.”
Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, whose movies include ‘Nomadland’ and Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ is set to direct the pilot and serve as a producer.
But perhaps more exciting for ‘Buffy’ fans is news that the original Buffy Summers herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, is attached to recur on the show, albeit more as a mentor figure to the new focus, a fresh-faced Slayer who will be tasked with tackling vampires and other supernatural creatures.
The cast of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
‘Buffy’ is a concept that has already shown an ability to evolve.
It originated as a film starring Kristy Swanson in the title role. Joss Whedon wrote the film with Fran Kuzui directing and was released in 1992.
Five years later, the series version, created by Whedon and now starring Gellar, debuted on The WB.
It aired on The WB for its first five seasons before airing its final two seasons on UPN.
The original series’ executive producers included Gail Berman of the Jackal Group and Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B, who will all get a credit on the new pilot.
The cast of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
And fun fact: also executive producing the pilot is Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar was producer on the original.
Whedon, who oversaw the show’s seven-season run, will not return to work on any new version. In 2021, the writer/producer, who also crafted the first two ‘Avengers’ movies and TV series ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ for Marvel, was accused of creating a toxic work environment on both ‘Buffy’ and ‘Angel’ by nearly a dozen people associated with the show, particularly Carpenter.
Berman, and the Kuzuis previously teamed up with 20th TV in 2018 for a potential ‘Buffy’ reboot written by ‘Midnight, Texas’ creator Monica Owusu-Breen, on which Whedon was an executive producer. That project, whose lead was envisioned as a Black woman, didn’t move forward.
The biggest dangling question any sequel series would need to answer is the clever notion introduced by the series’ final season, in that Buffy’s death (she got better) in a previous season triggered a raft of new potential Slayers. Is there just going to be one in the new series? We’ll have to wait and see.
What has Sarah Michelle Gellar previously said about returning for a new ‘Buffy’ series?
Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
Gellar has been in two minds about the idea of reprising Buffy Summers.
In 2023, she poured cold water on taking on a new ‘Buffy’ series, telling UK magazine SFX:
“I am very proud of the show that we created and it doesn’t need to be done. We wrapped that up. I am all for them continuing the story because there’s the story of female empowerment. I love the way the show was left: ‘Every girl who has the power can have the power.’ It’s set up perfectly for someone else to have the power. But like I said, the metaphors of ‘Buffy’ were the horrors of adolescence. I think I look young, but I am not an adolescent.”
“I always used to say no because it’s in its bubble and it’s so perfect. But watching ‘And Just Like That…’ (the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series) and seeing ‘Dexter: Original Sin,’ and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.’”
It seems the new concept has shifted her from “maybe” to all in…
When will the new ‘Buffy’ series be on screens?
Hulu has yet to make any official announcement –– and indeed, hasn’t confirmed any of the details, so we’ll have to wait and see whether this even makes it into production, let alone learn a launch date for the eventual show on the streaming service.
(L to R) David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Franchise:
What did Ben Affleck say about directing at DC Studios?
Asked whether he’d be up for directing a DC movie, Affleck had this to say,
“I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
This is likely news –– at least in public –– to James Gunn, who took to Twitter in December replying to a fan question about Affleck by saying this:
“Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project.”
You can read more about what Gunn said here:
Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project. https://t.co/Haz1APdlVN
Affleck also did not hold back from talking about how unhappy he was while making the theatrical version of ‘Justice League’.
Here’s what he said,
“That was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in a business which is full of some shitty experiences. It broke my heart. There was an idea of someone [Joss Whedon] coming in, like, “I’ll rescue you and we’ll do 60 days of shooting and I’ll write a whole thing around what you have. I’ve got the secret.” And it wasn’t the secret. That was hard. And I started to drink too much. I was back at the hotel in London, it was either that or jump out the window. And I just thought, ‘This isn’t the life I want. My kids aren’t here. I’m miserable.’ You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit, and most of it you’re just standing against the computer screen going, ‘If this nuclear waste gets loose, we’ll …’ That’s fine. I don’t condescend to that or put it down, but I got to a point where I found it creatively not satisfying. Also just, you’re sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, “I don’t want to participate in this in any way. And I don’t want to squander any more of my life, of which I have a limited amount.”
Despite that, he still squeezed back into the “rubber suit” for ‘The Flash’, where he reprises the role of Batman. And he feels like he finally got a handle on the role.
Affleck said this of coming back to the role,
“I did finally figure out how to play that character, and I nailed it in ‘The Flash’. For the five minutes I’m there, it’s really great. A lot of it’s just tone. You’ve got to figure out, what’s your version of the person? Who is the guy that fits what you can do? I tried to fit myself into a Batman.’
‘Air’, in which he also plays as Nike co-founder and former CEO Phil Knight, will be in theaters on April 5th before it then heads to Prime Video.
‘Air’ is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. It is set to release exclusive in theaters on April 5, 2023.
Joss Whedon’s return to series television will boast, as his signature, a big ensemble cast.
His upcoming HBO project, the sci-fi drama “The Nevers,” has added 12 series regulars.
In “The Nevers,” a group of Victorian women “find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.”
Whedon will serve as executive producer, showrunner, writer, and director. HBO has yet to set a premiere date.
The new cast members include Whedon’s “Dollhouse” alum Olivia Williams, as well as “Grantchester” star James Norton.
Here is the full ensemble lineup along with their character descriptions:
Olivia Williams as Lavinia Bidlow – A wealthy spinster and champion of the “Touched”, Lavinia funds the Orphanage (where Amalia and many of the Touched live) through her vast family fortune. She is stern and old-fashioned, but as strong-willed and clever as anyone she confronts.
James Norton as Hugo Swann – A pansexual posh boy whose charm has about five years left on its lease. He runs a secret club and a side trade in blackmail. He’s devoted to fulfilling everyone’s worst impression of him – and fascinated by the Touched.
Tom Riley (“Dark Heart”) as Augustus “Augie” Bidlow – A sweet, disarming nerd and Lavinia’s younger brother. A keen ornithologist, Augie is happy to let his older sister take the reins of the family fortune. He finds the Touched unnerving, but is drawn to them by his increasing infatuation with Miss Adair, and by the schemes of his nefarious best friend, Hugo.
Ann Skelly (“Vikings”) as Penance Adair – Amalia’s dearest friend, and one of the first women to join her cause. A devout – yet heretically progressive – Irish girl, Penance has genius for invention. She is delighted by her power, and her default is love and acceptance. But she’s firm in her moral sense, and will be guided by what’s right over what’s expedient every time.
Ben Chaplin (“Cinderella) as Detective Frank Mundi – Big, gruff, and deeply moral, Detective Mundi trusts no one, least of all himself: his reputation for sudden violence (and excessive drink) is not unwarranted. Frank finds himself caught between the powerful, who ignore the the laws of the land, and newly empowered, who ignore the laws of physics.
Pip Torrens (“The Crown”) as Lord Massen – Staunch, unflappable and merciless in his defense of the British Empire, this former General, now Peer, may be the only man who sees clearly what havoc these few strange people can wreak upon the established order. Which he will protect, one way or another.
Zackary Momoh (“Seven Seconds”) as Doctor Horatio Cousens – One of the few successful West Indian physicians in London. Married with a young son, Horatio’s fortunes took a dark turn when he met Amalia and discovered his own ability. Now he works with her, and with the Beggar King, those who don’t care who is or isn’t “different.”
Amy Manson (“Once Upon a Time”) as Maladie – Committed by her husband (and genuinely unstable), she’s been warped by a power she can’t understand, and tortured by doctors intent on finding its source. She now lives underground, runs a gang and is on an infamous murder spree. She affects a theatrical parody of a bedlam waif, but mad as she is, she’s a woman with a purpose.
Nick Frost (“Shaun of the Dead”) as Declan Orrun, aka The Beggar King – Charismatic and brutal, Declan runs – or has a piece of – most of the low-level criminal activity in the city. He’s perfectly happy to help Amalia and her cause – and equally happy to sell them out. He backs winners, and the Touched are long odds.
Rochelle Neil (“Episodes”) as Annie Carbey, aka Bonfire – Annie is a career criminal who landed the ability to control fire and is happy to hire it out. Came up rough, stayed that way, but she’s neither impulsive nor cruel – just looking out for herself. No matter who she works with or for, Annie trusts only Annie, and the fire.
Eleanor Tomlinson (“Poldark”) as Mary Brighton – Gentle but surprisingly resilient, Mary pursued her dream of singing on stage. A disappointing career and a broken engagement haven’t diminished her spirit. She’s going to be great. She’s going to be very surprised how.
Denis O’Hare (“Big Little Lies”) as Dr. Edmund Hague – A gifted American surgeon, he uses his skills in the coldest, most brutal way possible. But it’s all in the name of progress!
“Speed” is now 25 years old. And just like stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, this classic action movie doesn’t show its age one bit. That’s the power of a strong, simple premise. Celebrate this movie milestone by learnign more about the making of “Speed.”
1. “Speed” can thanks its existence (at least in part) to legendary director Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa wrote the screenplay for 1985’s “Runaway Train,” the plot of which inspired Graham Yost to write “Speed.”
2. Yost originally titled his screenplay “Minimum Speed,” but decided to cut the adjective.
Miramax
3.Quentin Tarantino was among the directors approached. Though he turned it down, Tarantino later included “Speed” in a list of the best films released since the 1992 debut of “Reservoir Dogs.”
4. The film’s snappy dialogue can be credited to Joss Whedon, who performed an uncredited, last-minute rewrite and focused specifically on making Jack Traven’s lines better fit actor Keanu Reeves. Early (and now highly sought-after) posters feature a writing credit for Whedon.
20th Century Fox
5.Stephen Baldwin was originally offered the Jack Traven role, but turned it down after complaining the character (pre-Whedon rewrite) was too similar to “Die Hard” protagonist John McClane.
6. Both Halle Berry and Ellen DeGeneres were considered to play Annie Porter before Sandra Bullock was cast.
20th Century Fox
7. There’s a reason Annie is so adept at driving the runaway bus. Originally the screenplay revealed her backstory as an ambulance driver.
8. Studio executives were aghast at Reeves’ decision to cut his hair in a close-cropped, blue collar fashion, fearing it would hurt the movie’s marketability.
20th Century Fox
9. The film went over-budget, to the point where a test screening had to rely on storyboard animatics for the subway sequence. Fortunately, the audience’s response convinced Fox to hand over more money to finish the film.
10. The climax of the film was originally supposed to take place in Dodgers Stadium, but the setting shifted to LAX when the production couldn’t secure the rights to film at the stadium.
20th Century Fox
11. A total of 14 buses were used for production, with different buses designated for interior shots, undercarriage shots and high-speed scenes. Two buses were designated solely for explosion shots.
Clark Gregg has had a fascinating relationship with his Marvel Cinematic Universe character Agent Phil Coulson. The character showed up in the very first MCU movie, “Iron Man,” as sort of a throwaway cameo and a tip of the hat to the very big things the studio had in store. But little by little his cache grew, until in “The Avengers,” he was responsible for the formation of the team (at the expense of his life, unfortunately). From then, things have gotten really unpredictable; the formerly dead agent has been the focal point for a primetime television series called “Agents of SHIELD” (it’s run for more than 100 episodes) and, with this week’s “Captain Marvel,” we get to go back in time and see a young, fresh-faced Agent Coulson as he navigates the organization in the mid-1990s.
We got to sit down with Gregg and talk about his character’s unexpected journey, including a really tantalizing idea for a “Riverdale”-style spin-off.
Moviefone: Let’s start at the beginning. You did the original “Iron Man” as a favor to director Jon Favreau, correct?
Gregg: No it wasn’t a favor. I was wary about it because in the script it was a guy named Agent and he had about six lines, which I still would have done, because I love “Iron Man” and that was an amazing cast. But I think I had just been cut out of something except for like one thing. It was an extraneous storyline.
What was it?
I can’t remember that I knew I was traumatized by it because friends of mine were like, “Did I see you in this?” And I went, “Oh this is so humiliating.” When I’m 40. I am 40 and they’re saying to me, “Was that you in that?”
And I was afraid with that cast that would happen again. So I had a very tiny moment of hesitation before my wife slapped me in the back of the head and said, “You love this stuff. Yeah, go do it. Maybe they won’t cut you out.” And that thing happened that never happens that you always fantasize will happen where they go, “You know, we think we might add some more stuff for your character.”
And that was during production?
Yeah.
And then when did you know that you were coming back for other things?
Well, I thought it was weird. It was weird because again, even when it was like seven lines or something, they were like, “Would you want to make a three-picture deal?” And I was like, “Oh wow.” And they said, “Let’s just what they’re doing, they’re doing it with everybody, you know, the background is making a three-picture deal.” So I said “okay” but I didn’t think they would actually use it. And then four or five months later they said, “Listen, there’s a couple of scenes in ‘Iron Man 2,’” but I think one of them got cut out. It’s on the DVD. It’s me and Gwyneth during the hearings talking about chili and talking about how Tony Stark is blowing it.
I kept thinking, Well, that was fun, that was really cool, I love what they’re doing. And then they keep going, “Well, actually I think you’re going to be the one to find Thor’s hammer.” So I got to geek out over and over again.
Marvel Studios
And then you’re the catalyst for the Avengers getting together.
Yes. It was a funny phone call. I had been at Comic Con. I mean funnily after watching the panels at Comic Con, they said, “Actually you’re in the panel this time, in ‘Thor,’ you’re in the panel.” It’s like that’s cool. And I was backstage, I can’t believe I survived any of this. I was backstage waiting to do the panel and then a guy who I knew to be Joss Whedon comes up and goes, “Hey listen, the big surprise is we’re going to introduce the cast of ‘The Avengers’ and I’m writing something really great for you. Will you come on stage with the cast of ‘The Avengers?’”
At that point I thought it was la Make-A-Wish thing, just nobody had told me I was dying. And then I went out there. A couple of months later they said, “Hey, Joss wasn’t kidding. He really wrote you some great stuff in ‘The Avengers.’” So I was like, “Wow, this is amazing.” And they said, “Yeah, what happens to you is what brings the Avengers together.” And it was, that was the first moment I went, “Oh.”
So how did Joss tell you?
That was it. They sent me the script and I was like, “Wow, that’s so glorious.” I don’t think I’m dead, you know. But yeah, I mean, is this real? Do you guys want to shoot an alt version where I’m just wounded by Loki? They were like, “No, no, no.” Here’s what we can offer you. And they came over with an iPad and they showed me the early digital pre-viz of Hulk smashing Loki like a rag doll. I was like, “Well that makes me feel a little bit better.” But it was done. And then I don’t think anyone was prepared for, certainly not me, for the Colson lives [movement]; the hashtag and the global outrage. And I guess it was enough people that they thought, Maybe there’s a TV show here. I think Bob Iger said, “You know, I’ve seen some of these One Shots, why don’t we do a show?” And next thing you know I get a call from Josh and Jeff Loeb saying, “We think you might not be so dead. And here’s the interesting mythology that makes this a cool buy back.”
And “Agents of SHIELD” connects to “Captain Marvel” in the sense that you were resurrected with Kree technology, right?
Correct. Kree Technology and blood. There was a Kree body and there are those already who are suspecting it may be someone from this [“Captain Marvel”]. That was originally used as part of a, a super-secret program called the Tahiti project. And they had this in case they needed to resurrect the fallen Avenger. Why Nick Fury chose or ABC chose to use that on poor old Phil Coulson, because apparently it was a miserable experience and then to wipe all those memories because he was so traumatized, remains to be seen. But it became this metaphor for the cost of being brought back and post-traumatic stress. And it became this whole mystery all through the first season that was artful and brilliantly thought out by Joss.
Yeah, but now, you’re dead again.
Go figure.
Do you still enjoy playing the character?
I do. It’s really fun. If I didn’t, it would suck and I would have found a way to stay dead. But so far I go, “Really? I’m n still not dead?” And then they’re like, “Well listen, here’s our idea. What do you think?” And then tell me what, what the Whedons Jed and Mo now, what they have to say … I’m always kind of like, this is not going to be good. And then I hear it and I go, “Okay, that is too cool. I have to try to do that. That’s insane.”
Marvel Studios
So what was your reaction when they said we’re doing, a 90s-set buddy action movie?
I mean the idea of anything in the 90 sounds cool to me because I knew that I knew that Ryan and Anna would have a bad ass playlist involved and the idea of stripping away the jaded, battered SHIELD agent that Phil Coulson is in season five of “Agents of SHIELD” shield and going back to early days when he’s just man-crushing on Nick Fury and trying to figure out what the hell SHIELD really is, that sounded fun to me.
Did the technical aspect of it seem daunting?
I didn’t have to do it. They said, “we’ll get you a trainer” and they said “dude, there is no trainer who can get me back to the 90s.” And they said, “Well, not your face. And there was a really gruesome, I forgot about this … They said, “Can you stop by hair and makeup, they really want to meet you on Captain Marvel?” And I was like, “Okay.” So I go over, cause they’re at Sony and I’m shooting ‘SHIELD’ in Culver Studios about a mile away. And I go over and I walk in the trailer and it’s so funny, they’re like doctors. All of a sudden I had all of them crowd, about three or four different people within six inches of my face going, “Look at that. Okay, but we’re going to do about that.” Looking at my hair like, “Oh that’s not good. What are we going to do about that?” I mean it’s taken me months to recover from what’s happening, right. This is horrible. And they said, “Oh sorry, never mind. We were saying that out loud? No, it’s fine. You look great actually.” I said, “What do you want me to do, do you want me to move into a Botox clinic?” And they said, actually no, they need the wrinkles. Well good then I’ve got some stuff for them to use. And, uh, and then on the day it’s just really black dots on me, white dots on Sam, and we’re just imagining each other younger and fresher.
Where do you want to see Asian Colson go next?
I mean, I feel like I would be greedy to say anymore. I’ve already gotten so many periods of his life. You know, I would love the idea of a teenage, kind of “Riverdale” of SHIELD where some younger person got to put in the long hours, and I just came in to be like the voice in “How I Met Your Mother.”
The cast of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” had a mini reunion on Sunday, though two key figures were missing.
Most of the “Scooby gang” was present for a panel at the Wizard World Portland convention, including Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), Amber Benson (Tara), and James Marsters (Spike).
Feeling major FOMO, though, was “Buffy” series creator Joss Whedon. And Buffy herself, the Chosen One, Sarah Michelle Gellar was also not present.
Also taking part in the reunion were Julie Benz (Darla), Iyari Limon (Kennedy), James Leary (Clem), Clare Kramer (Glory), Alexis Denisof (Wesley), and Amy Acker (Fred from “Angel”).
“Buffy” ran from 1997 to 2003 on first The WB and then UPN. It yielded the spinoff “Angel” and inspired a passionate fandom.
Also now on Facebook Watch? Fellow Joss Whedon series “Angel” and “Firefly.” Very shiny. All three shows are also on Hulu, but you need a subscription for that.
Facebook is hoping you’ll set up a “Watch Party” with your friends. (Because studies show that most Facebook users have never even heard of Facebook Watch. Oops.) So, as Gellar says, “Grab Mr. Pointy and your Scooby gang” and start watching.
As an added bonus, talent from the three shows are expected to participate in live conversations via Watch Party. The “Buffy” co-viewing event happened today. “Angel” will start on Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. PT; and “Firefly” will launch Dec. 2 at 12 p.m. PT.
A reboot of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is finally happening and, this time, The Slayer will be black.
Monica Breen, who worked with “Buffy” creator Joss Whedon on ABC’s “Agents of SHIELD,” has been hired to write the new reboot and act as showrunner, according to THR.
The new version, reports Deadline, will be pitched to both streaming and cable networks this summer. It will also have a contemporary setting, building on the mythology established by the original series, which aired on both The WB and UPN. According to Deadline, per the reboot’s producers: “Like our world, it will be richly diverse, and like the original, some aspects of the series could be seen as metaphors for issues facing us all today.”
“The diversity in the show’s description reflects the producers’ intention for the new slayer to be African American,” according to Deadline’s sources. The series is still in its early days, the trade reports — no script yet, with many details still being ironed out on the story level.
The Buffyverse has had several black slayers, including Jamaican Kendra (Bianca Lawson), who was summoned after Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar)’s first untimely death. Not to mention The First Slayer and a ’70s vamp-killer whom Spike (James Marsters) memorably battled on the NYC subway. But Buffy herself (and her friends, love interests, and most of the villains) were all white.
It’s not clear how involved Whedon will be with the reboot, which doesn’t yet have a network attached. Whedon is currently working on “The Nevers” for HBO.
As recently as March of 2017, Whedon said he was concerned about a reboot of the cult favorite, telling THR: “I see a little bit of what I call monkey’s paw in these reboots. You bring something back, and even if it’s exactly as good as it was, the experience can’t be. You’ve already experienced it, and part of what was great was going through it for the first time. You have to meet expectations and adjust it for the climate, which is not easy.”
We’re intrigued. As long The Slayer doesn’t have an annoying little sister this time around.
