Nov 25, 2008 08:40 AM
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Twilight’s high-grossing opening weekend and legions of screaming fans prove it: people are shelling out big bucks to watch vampires. Summit Entertainment was certainly seeing dollar signs when it greenlit the movie’s sequel, New Moon, and HBO pledged a second season of True Blood after just two episodes. Even Guillermo Del Toro is getting in on the bloodsucking action with a trio of vampire novels. All this has some folks wondering if the market isn’t ripe for a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer feature film.
In 1998, Variety reported that Buffy creator Joss Whedon was working on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer feature film based on his television series. Of course, there was one Buffy movie way back in 1992, but that movie had little in common with the rich, allegorical TV show. Although the project apparently fell by the wayside, Whedon mentioned at this year’s PaleyFest that he would love to reunite the cast for a new Buffy show or movie.
Kevin Beaumont at End Of Show believes that now might be the perfect time for a Buffy movie. Not only has the Buffy television series been a commercial success in its own right, but it could ride the current wave of vampire goodwill:
“Buffy” is an international franchise, providing major DVD sales for 20th Century Fox, with brand recognition in all major territories. Most of the staff writers have gone on to big gigs, many winning major roles on hit TV shows. Show lead Sarah Michelle Gellar has gone on to front horror pic “The Grudge” and family friendly “Scooby Doo” (written by the foul mouthed and entirely hilarious James Gunn).
So, now all you need is a business reason.
And here it is: “Twilight”. ”Twilight” is essentially lite-horror, romance porn. But make no mistake - in it’s opening weekend, the modestly budgeted ($38m) flick took over $70m. For something to be considered successful enough for a sequel, a general rule of thumb is two and a half times the production budget on domestic release. “Twilight” should easily make that mark by its second weekend. It turns out a vampiresque story with added romance and teen appeal could be a worldwide hit. Who’d have thought?
Oh yes. Joss Whedon.
Of course, Twilight and True Blood are romances at heart, while Buffy was more about kicking evil’s butt (vampiric or otherwise). And the actors who played Buffy’s undead paramours, David Boreanaz and James Marsters, are getting a bit long in the fang to be taken seriously as eternally youthful beings. Still, the idea of ordinary people in otherworldly circumstances could appeal to Twilight fans too young to appreciate the Scooby Gang the first time around. Personally, as surely as I’d pay my nine bucks to see a Buffy feature film, I’m hoping Whedon will have his hands full with Dollhouse.
[via Whedonesque]
Send an email to Lauren Davis, the author of this post, at lauren@io9.com.
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