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Undeveloped Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoffs

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The fictional Buffyverse established by TV series, Buffy and Angel, has had a strong cultural impact and a loyal fan base, and the creator Joss Whedon has been widely recognised as a talent within the entertainment industry. This has led to attempts to develop more on-screen ventures 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 such projects might remain unconvinced that such projects are fiancially viable.

Buffy the Animated Series

Main article: 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.

Faith the Vampire Slayer

Featuring Eliza Dushku as the popular antihero slayer Faith. Eliza Dushku would go on to star as the main character in the series Tru Calling instead of making the Faith spinoff with Tim Minear.

  • 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.[1]
  • 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."[2]

Ripper

Undeveloped Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoffs
File:Buffyep123.jpg
Giles in England in the Buffy episode, "Lessons"
Created byJoss Whedon
StarringAnthony Stewart Head
Country of originUSA/UK
No. of episodes0
Production
Running timen/a
Original release
NetworkBBC/Other

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 suggestions have suggested that if Ripper were ever made it would be a TV-movie or a DVD-movie[3]. Giles, played by British actor Anthony Stewart Head, was nicknamed 'Ripper' while he was dabbling in the occult during his rebellious youth.

Originally, the show was planned to be aired as a TV movie or miniseries on the BBC. However in an interview with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel magazine (December 2005 issue), Head suggested that Ripper "two hour movie, that might become part of a series of [Buffyverse] DVDs". Whedon is presently involved in Wonder Woman, Goners, and the Spike movie and as of 2006, there are still no concrete plans.

Slayer School

When the series Buffy was nearing it's end, Jane Espenson has said:

"I think Marti talked with Joss about Slayer School, I assume there was some back-and-forth pitching."[4]

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"). Espenson also revealed that Whedon did not feel that such a spinoff felt right.[5] It seems that the concept for "Slayer School" was never developed beyond a 'pitch' for a potential spinoff to replace Buffy.

Spike movie

Main article: Spike movie

Spike is a proposed movie based upon the character of Spike from Buffy & 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.

Notes and references

  1. ^ - Uk.filmforce.ign.com - Page 2 of an interview with Eliza Dushku
  2. ^ - Femme Fatale, May/June 2003. (details archived online here. The information from this interview is also reviwed by the BBC, and by Whedonesquers)
  3. ^ - UK Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Magazine, Issue 80, December 2005, p19
  4. ^ - Bbc.co.uk - Jane Espenson mentions the potential spinoff, "Slayer School".
  5. ^ - Aintitcool.com - Espenson's talk at a University reveals more details about Slayer School (also discussed by the BBC)

See also

Undeveloped Buffyverse productions

Buffy the Animated Series

See here

Faith the Vampire Slayer

Ripper

Slayer School

Spike movie

See here

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