He wrote episodes of “Rosanne” and penned the screenplays for “Alien Resurrection” and “Toy Story,” but, inevitably, what Joss Whedon is best known for is having created “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.” Most recently, he shifted from the small screen to the silver screen, helming the feature film “Serenity,” inspired by his sci-fi series, “Firefly,” but he’s currently working on the screenplay for the feature film version of “Wonder Woman,” which he’ll also be directing. Whedon put his muse on hold for a few minutes to hype the forthcoming release of “Serenity” on DVD, and, in an all-too-brief chat with Bullz-Eye, he discussed his feelings on how the movie did at the box office, the odds of seeing the characters from “Buffy” and “Angel” again in straight-to-DVD features, and in no way holds back when describing how the studio effed up his “Alien” script.
BE: Were there ever really any plans to continue “Buffy” with Michele Trachtenberg (who played Buffy’s sister, Dawn) taking over the central role?
JW: Nope. No, there weren’t. I mean, I love Michele, and I do think that she had more to offer than we got to see, but, ultimately, I don’t think I would anchor the show around her because…well, she really was Buffy’s sister. Not like Niles and Frasier, necessarily, but similar enough that you’re telling too much of the same story. If there was a spin-off, she would of course been asked to be a major part of it, but not the central, titular character. I mean, not not central, but just not the one. There are a couple of characters around whom I would build a series, but, mostly, it would just be different groups. If it came to DVD movies or something, then that’s different. Then, every character has their own reason to headline a movie, including Dawn…although I think Michele is probably off doing other things…because you find that it’s easier to do for two hours than it is to do for, say, seven seasons.
BE: With “Angel,” was there ever really any chance in hell that it was going to get a sixth season, or did the WB basically just say, “Okay, that’s it; you get one reprieve, but that’s all, no matter how good it gets”…?
JW: You know what? There probably was a chance in hell. I look back and think back at all the people who fought so hard. I was so exhausted by what had happened with “Firefly” and with the fifth season of “Angel,” which I worked a lot harder on than I had expected to, that I feel like, as I have grown older – and, oddly, shorter – I could’ve maybe fought. It never occurred to me that I could fight. When the head of the network tells you you’re cancelled, it never occurred to me to say, “Well, no, it’s not!” And I kinda regret that. I just thought that the law had been laid down. Now, I look back and think, what care I for the law? I’ve broken it enough times, and I probably could’ve then, had I not been so tired.
BE: What was up with the “Firefly” stars dropping into roles on “Buffy” and “Angel”? Did you promise them work if their show tanked?
JW: No, you know, I was against it at first. I thought, it’ll seem incestuous and weird. But then, they’re, like, Joss, nobody saw “Firefly.” No one will know. You know these actors are great, you know you love working with them, you know you need somebody bigger than life for the role, and, so, get over it. And I did. Rather dramatically.
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