Kirsty Swanson & Sarah Michelle Gellar have each had their chance to pull off the high heels and wooden stake look whilst playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer but as more news emerges about the reboot of the franchise (without Godlike master, Joss Whedon!) it appears that Glee’s own Heather Morris (who currently plays Brittany in FOX’s ratings smash) is waiting patiently in the sidelines to find out whether she will be the next ‘Chosen One’. (See what I did there?)
Movieweb.com reports from a source that the news of Heather’s role must still be considered rumour but Warner Bros. (who recently completed their purchase of the screen rights of Buffy) have been watching her and feel that her comedic timing is ideal for the role and with her background in dancing and as a gymnast, these are all great skills already available at the helm of an actress who will be required to do some hefty stunts (remember all that kicking and grunting back in the day?) as the 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.”
Questions are surrounding what the reboot of the franchise will do to both the story and fans alike. The original 1992 feature film starred Kirsty Swanson, was directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui (who along with husband, Kaz partially own the rights to Buffy) and written by Joss Whedon. The film’s original concept was to play devil’s advocate and present a parody of horror films (which at the time had seen an increase in revenue). Much discussion came out of the film, whether it be the concepts of parody, the reinvigoration of the vampire story (which we have seen again recently) or the characterisation of the main protagonist, Buffy and what having a female fighter would do for the screen.
The film faired moderately and since has secured a loyal cult following but in 1997, writer Joss Whedon created the TV series of the same name. This series presented a much darker tone than the original film but was a clear innovation in so many genres on primetime television, be they the sci-fi genre, the horror genre, the teen drama and in some cases (more than you’d think), the comedy genre. From 1997-2003, Sarah Michelle Geller along with a brilliant cast of young actors played out the story of Buffy. The stories started in high school, continued to the college years, played out a death (or three…) of the title star and even continued into the real world with Buffy as she has to get a job and look after her sister, Dawn.
But with little information about this reboot which is due for release in 2012, many are wondering why none of the original cast (film/TV series) have been contracted for the story, nor the original writers or creators. Instead, the Kuzui’s are starting at the beginning (perhaps not in terms of the story) and allowing a whole new set of writers and actors to step into the roles (and what a hard job they are going to have to follow!). Is this good for the franchise or could it ruin the Buffy name?
