While in Nashville this past week, we had a chance to meet up with an associate of Dolly Parton's Sandollar Production Company, which recently sold the Buffy the Vampire Slayer rights to Warner Bros. for a big screen reboot. The source claims that Glee's Heather Morris has been brought up many times in regards to who will follow in Kristy Swanson and Sarah Michelle Gellar's footsteps. And now we are hearing that the actress is actively being sought to take on this highly coveted role.
While not much is known about this continuation of the franchise, we have learned that the tone will be more in step with the WB series that ran from 1997 to 2003, than it will the original 1992 feature film. The hope is to incorporate a neo-Valley Girl tone that will find this version of the character more in-line with her original Kristy Swanson incarnation, while at the same time presenting a fresh and hip take on the character for today's more sauve audiences.
The source indicates that Heather Morris's comedic timing is a perfect fit for Buffy Summers, and that her background as a dancer and a gymnast will be greatly utilized in the skill set that Buffy is supposed to have as a Slayer. In this new reboot, Buffy will no longer be in high school, but instead facing the same hardships that a lot of young college graduates have today in struggling to find a paying job and a healthy relationship. Though she plays a teenager on Glee, the 23 year-old-actress is actually the right age for this newly rebooted take on the character.
Before appearing on Glee, Morris portrayed a cheerleader in Fired Up and served as a back-up dancer for Beyoncé Knowles from 2007 to 2008 during the singer's Single Ladies tour. Right now, Heather's participation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer should only be considered a rumor.
Source: Movie Web
No. Without Joss Whedon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Allison Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Nicholas Brendon, James Marsters, Michelle Trachtenberg, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, Tom Lenk, Eliza Dushku, Alexis Denisof... what's the point?
ReplyDeleteUhm....F*** NO.
ReplyDeleteThis is a travesty and must be stopped! No reboot without the original cast, and especially Joss Whedon!!!
ReplyDeleteHuge BTVS fan and I have no problem seeing her in the role.
ReplyDeleteI could give a crap. You lost me at "reboot."
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very bad idea. Has she even shown that she can do heavy material like in Buffy? All I've ever seen her do is comedy on Glee. Oh, well the reboot is bound to be an epic fail without Whedon anyway. So I guess it doesn't really matter who they cast.
ReplyDeleteI love Heather Morris, but I cannot see her as Buffy.
ReplyDeleteThe Office, V, Knight Rider, Hawaii 5-0, and now Buffy? Enough with the remakes! If they must remake something, why not remake something older? 10 - 20 years from now maybe a Buffy remake would be okay. For now I'd be interested in remakes of Happy Days, MASH, Alf, Night Court, or Quantum Leap.
ReplyDeleteHere I was, all set to write off the reboot and then they consider getting one of the few actresses I would actually like to see in the part. Hope it works out. Heather Morris would be a great choice.
ReplyDeleteI think I am the only person who is pleased that they are going to be doing a reboot of the show. I would love for it to become something that each generation has a go at bringing to the screen. When this film is due out it will have been 19 years since the first film and 8 years since the show finished, which is perfect timing imo. Leave it much longer and the original fan base is too old.
ReplyDeleteWould also really love for vampires to go back to how they were in the Buffy world. All this twilight shit and sparkly vamps make me groan :(
I love her as Brittany on "Glee", but I don't think she's got that much of an acting range to play Buffy...
ReplyDeleteI agree with about being skeptical, but in a 90 minute movie the "heavy material" is pretty limited and can be carried by others in a cast. Have to remember in the original movie and in the first number of episodes of the series, Buffy is a spoiled cheerleader and more known for her comedic quips than any dramatic acting. Heather definitely has comedic timing. Other than Jane Lynch she has the best timing on Glee. Can she act? I have no clue, but I had no clue she could dance until I saw her on Glee and she can dance without doubt. I had no clue she could be given comedy lines and steal every scene she is in, but she all too often does on Glee. So until I see her do poorly in the movie (assuming she is even cast in it as this is just a rumor) I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteI think anyone comparing this to the TV series is right about it being a failure. However as a fan of vampire movies and shows for a few decades now, I always look forward to new vampire movies. A girl as the chosen one killing off vamps is a good plot start... so I have no issue with a reboot or remake. It would have been better if the kept "Vampire Slayer" and had a new slayer not named Buffy, but frankly they can call he Buffy Summers and if the movie is any good on its own merits I will enjoy it.
I agree completely! I do not expect it to be the Whedon series, but that in no way limits it to being a terrible movie or rebooted series! Whedon's casting and sense of humor made THAT series what it was.... now onto this new project. Who knows what actor or what director or writer could stand out and shape the series into something very good.....or of course very bad is a possibility too. As far as I am concerned, the more non-"shiny" vampire media out there is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAwwww I miss Night Court. I used to watch reruns on TVLand or A&E or something. Fun show.
ReplyDeleteImagine some actress we know as a ditsy blonde cheerleader possibly being cast in a movie role of a ditsy blonde cheerleader? The HORROR! Seriously, how can people not see a girl most famous for playing a comedic quipping blonde cheerleader as Buffy Summers? Look is perfect, athletic ability is perfect, comedic timing is perfect... now can she act? Personally I don't know Heather, but I doubt in real lie she is just like her character Brittany.... so to me she already has proven she can act on some level.
ReplyDeletereturn to the neo-Valley girl? after Whedon's Buffy? NO.
ReplyDeletesomehow, i don't think whether she can act or not is going to be an issue with this version.
ReplyDeleteRemember they can use none of the characters Introduced In TV Show.They can only use characters used
ReplyDeleteIn the movie for this reboot.This means besides Buffy herself no character people know from the series will
be used.Saying they want to use the tone of the series and not the film Is saying we want to ripoff the show as much as we can get away with.This Is trying to capilize on twilight and using Buffy.And Buffy becoming a slayer post collage Is stupid.
Personally I have no issues with anyone trying to capitalize on Twilight's success, or Vampire Diaries, or True Blood's success... gee alot of successful vampire shows out right now so why not do a movie? I knew none of the Buffyverse characters prior to the series other than Buffy and I grew to love them. So why would a movie with characters I do not know (other than Buffy) be any different? If some one is a fan of vampire media they will like any movie that is well made about vampires, despite the people who were more fans of the series than vampires in general hating the show. I'm sure even if the movie is a critical acclaimed Oscar nominated film (never gonna happen), some fans of BTVS series will hate the movie on principle. As for me, no matter if a 15 year old girl is chosen to kill vamps or a 45 year old middle aged house wife... I will be interested in seeing it because I like the vampire slayer concept in general. More specifically, if Buffy in the series was a college aged slayer before the show ended why can't a movie have a woman that age killing vampires?
ReplyDeleteBefore BTVS I did not know who 94% of those actors were, but I liked vampire movies and shows. Those names meant nothing to me until the series and I grew to love most of them. I don't see why a movie would need those actors in it for me to like it. The new BTVS movie is not trying to be the old series... just like the old series was not trying to be the older movie. Each incarnation puts its own spin on the original concept.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply a cash grab, piggy0backung off the success of Twilight. Joss whedon Wrote the original Buffy movie and was heavily involved with the TV show, and his imprint is clearly seen on those two projects. I highly doubt this new version wil have any of the same heart or wit as it's predecessors. also, it is way to soon for a reboot to this.
ReplyDeleteQuantum Leap is a golden recommendation, Alf wouldn't be bad, but what would they redo the doll? cause that would make it pointless... The others not so much, sitcoms don't really need reboots since they really only follow so many formats to begin with. MASH has a whole other set of issues.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with the whole "new slayer" concept... it's odd that a movie that so totally lends itself to sequels (Young girls with very short life spans killing vampires) has never really had one.
ReplyDeleteAnd how do you know that? I love people who just write off an actress all because of one role as if that actress can only play one role. Granted Glee was heather's first role but who says that Heather can't play other characters? I mean come on!
ReplyDeleteYeah totally! I dont think I could see the movie, I would always be thinking that they should be there instead of whoever actors are eventually chosen.
ReplyDeleteBecause the actress struggles with the role she has. She doesn't look like she could take on a role like "Buffy."
ReplyDeleteAnd I wouldn't say her look is "perfect." She looks nothing like a Buffy I would like.
Well the look thing is personal, but in a generic sense she is a "Buffy" - athletic, blonde cheerleader.. Honestly, I don't think she struggles with the role of Brittany at all, quite the contrary, she excelled in it and they brought her from background singer/dancer to full time cast member.
ReplyDeleteI'd really rather not have remakes at all and instead have more original stuff. Movies are even worse when it comes to originality. Everything in movies seems to be a sequel, remake, adaptation, or prequel lately. I'm not saying that it's all bad, but it just seems like the industry is out of ideas.
ReplyDeleteI also think it would be interesting to see a show come back after being ended or canceled if they brought back the same cast and crew and picked up where they left off or a little later. I can't think of any instance where this has ever happened, but it would be cool if it was the right show. I'd love to see Earth2 or Firefly come back.
ReplyDeleteThis new Buffy movie is a mistake, imo. I like Heather Morris, but what good is any Buffy story without it's creator?
ReplyDeleteI look at it as a vampire movie and for me it is a VERY GOOD thing in that sense. The Buffy aspect of it is secondary... with or without Whedon. I don't think any fans of BTVS that do not liek vampire media as much as they like Buffy will enjoy the movie no matter how good it is. Luckily, I love Buffy AND vampires so I can be excited for it and not go in with prejudice.
ReplyDeleteI love Heather as Brittany, buy I'm still not supporting this shit.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean her "look." I meant, I don't think she could cope with that kind of role.
ReplyDeleteIf we're talking generic, then we can pick about a thousand actresses out there.
I personally think she's quite a bad actress but that she's okay doing Brittany. But that's my own personal opinion and nobody will change my view on that. Just like I won't change your view on it.
Bottom line is, with everything working against it, this film really needs to get the fans onboard, especially when it comes to casting. And this will not do that.
There is no way you can think of a Buffy movie as a "vampire movie." Buffy is definitely not another vampire movie and should never be treated as such. It became sucha phenomenon because it proved it was so much more than that. Lump it in with the rest of the vampire shit and you show you don't know what Buffy is at all.
ReplyDeleteDrama queen much?
ReplyDeleteSamuel gave his opinion on what he's witnessed with Heather on Glee.
He has as much proof that she doesn't have range as you have proof that she does.
Calm down, Mildred.