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Authors: Candace Havens
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A few months later the studio panicked, worrying that they wouldn’t be able to generate the box-office success they needed without Weaver. They made her a deal she couldn’t refuse and asked Joss to go back to the drawing board. Joss initially rebelled, thinking, “bullshit, she’s dead,” but came around to thinking that reviving Ripley could be very powerful. But, much as he tried to do in season six of
Buffy,
Joss wanted to make her resurrection real, and not without a price.
Buffy,
Joss wanted to make her resurrection real, and not without a price.
“We’re not just saying, ‘We’ve brought her back, let’s make the movie.’ It’s the central issue of the movie, the fact that we bring her back. We know that once you do that, everything must be different. When somebody comes back from the dead, especially in a movie where death is the ultimate threat, you can’t just say ‘It’s okay, anybody can die and come back.’ It’s very important to me that it’s a very tortuous, grotesque process so that people will viscerally feel what it’s like to be horribly reborn in a lab. And then the whole question of what is she is raised. Is she human? Has she changed? There is the factor that she was pregnant with an alien. Is she all woman? Is there a little something wrong there? There are a lot of issues.”
There was some wonderful writing and a number of compelling scenes in
Alien Resurrection
, in particular the scene where Ripley discovers the remains of earlier attempts to clone her. The Ripley character is complex and subtle; she is uncertain of who she is and where her loyalties lie—and so are we. In
Alien Resurrection,
Weaver was given the opportunity to really stretch herself in portraying the reborn, part-alien Ripley. And leave it to Whedon to transform superheroine Ripley into a character many times tougher than the original!
Alien Resurrection
, in particular the scene where Ripley discovers the remains of earlier attempts to clone her. The Ripley character is complex and subtle; she is uncertain of who she is and where her loyalties lie—and so are we. In
Alien Resurrection,
Weaver was given the opportunity to really stretch herself in portraying the reborn, part-alien Ripley. And leave it to Whedon to transform superheroine Ripley into a character many times tougher than the original!
Alien Resurrection
did well in the box office while receiving mixed reviews from critics. But the harshest criticism of the movie came from Whedon himself, who felt the director had ruined an excellent script. “I liked the script for
Alien Resurrection,”
he explained. “But the movie? I . . . hated it. I thought it was as badly directed as a movie could be and I thought it was bad in ways that I didn’t know movies could be bad. I learned more from that movie than anything I’ve ever been involved in. I thought it was badly cast and badly shot. I didn’t like the production design. Everything that was wrong in the script was incredibly highlighted by it, and everything that was right about the script was squashed, with one or two very minor exceptions. I just couldn’t believe how much I hated it. I wasn’t really involved in production. I went to dailies once and thought, ‘This doesn’t seem right, but I’m sure it’s fine.’ I saw the director’s cut with the studio brass and I actually began to cry. Then I started to put on a brave face and tried to be a team player, because Fox is my home. But I feel enough time has passed; it’s out on video and I can say with impunity that I was just shattered by how crappy it was.
did well in the box office while receiving mixed reviews from critics. But the harshest criticism of the movie came from Whedon himself, who felt the director had ruined an excellent script. “I liked the script for
Alien Resurrection,”
he explained. “But the movie? I . . . hated it. I thought it was as badly directed as a movie could be and I thought it was bad in ways that I didn’t know movies could be bad. I learned more from that movie than anything I’ve ever been involved in. I thought it was badly cast and badly shot. I didn’t like the production design. Everything that was wrong in the script was incredibly highlighted by it, and everything that was right about the script was squashed, with one or two very minor exceptions. I just couldn’t believe how much I hated it. I wasn’t really involved in production. I went to dailies once and thought, ‘This doesn’t seem right, but I’m sure it’s fine.’ I saw the director’s cut with the studio brass and I actually began to cry. Then I started to put on a brave face and tried to be a team player, because Fox is my home. But I feel enough time has passed; it’s out on video and I can say with impunity that I was just shattered by how crappy it was.
“I really had high hopes for it,” he added. “I worked really hard on it for a really long time. But you know what? It was an epiphany; a wake-up call. After that I said, ‘The next person who ruins one of my scripts is going to be me.’ I have always wanted to direct. I’m not just a bitter writer trying to protect his shit. I think they’re two very different talents, but there is an element of ‘Enough already!’ It really drives home the argument of why television is so much more satisfying. It was the final crappy humiliation of my crappy film career.”
Whedon was now determined to find a venue that would give him more control. But he was painfully aware that while he was clearly being recognized for his talents as a writer, he was still best known for his
Buffy
movie script. As he said a few years earlier, “I’m still ‘Joss
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Whedon,’ which is really depressing.”
Buffy
movie script. As he said a few years earlier, “I’m still ‘Joss
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Whedon,’ which is really depressing.”
Ironically, it was
Buffy
itself and Joss’s reputation as the creator of
Buffy
that would give him his first opportunity to realize the creative control he craved.
Buffy
itself and Joss’s reputation as the creator of
Buffy
that would give him his first opportunity to realize the creative control he craved.
Sigourney Weaver returns for Alien
Resurrection,
a low point in Joss’s film career.
Resurrection,
a low point in Joss’s film career.
I saw the director’s cut with the studio brass and I actually began to cry.—Joss
3
Buffy: Round Two
“My wife, at the premiere [of Buffy], was sort of líke, ‘well, you know honey, maybe in a few years you could make it agaín, the way you wanted to: I went, ’Oh, ha ha, honey, that doesn’t happen in Hollywood! You’re so naíve!’ Well . . . it really doesn’t.”“Somebody came along and kissed Sleeping Beauty Joss and said, ‘You can have your dream back now.’”—Joss Whedon
J
oss was getting used to disappointment. Despite his successes as a screenwriter, despite the money and the growing recognition, very little of his creative output had made it to the screen intact, in a fashion that he could be proud of. Most disappointing of all was
Buffy,
in which he had invested so much of his heart and mind. But Joss would get a second chance at
Buffy
and the result would change his life.
oss was getting used to disappointment. Despite his successes as a screenwriter, despite the money and the growing recognition, very little of his creative output had made it to the screen intact, in a fashion that he could be proud of. Most disappointing of all was
Buffy,
in which he had invested so much of his heart and mind. But Joss would get a second chance at
Buffy
and the result would change his life.
Gail Berman, an executive with Sandollar Productions, decided that
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
would make a great television show. Berman believed the concept had great potential and, even more, she recognized the potential of Joss Whedon.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
would make a great television show. Berman believed the concept had great potential and, even more, she recognized the potential of Joss Whedon.
“There was something about that original script that made me believe there was much more to this guy and his vampire slayer than any of us could have imagined,” says Berman. “Joss is a genius, and given half a chance to show what he could do, I knew magic would happen. The script was fun with an edge. There wasn’t anything else like it out there.”
It took a bit of cajoling to get Joss to consider the TV possibilities for
Buffy
. Joss loved the movies. What he had dreamed about his whole life, what had crystallized for him at Wesleyan, was his passion for movies. The big time, the big money was in movies. Television was what his father and grandfather had done. He was determined not to simply follow in their footsteps.
Buffy
. Joss loved the movies. What he had dreamed about his whole life, what had crystallized for him at Wesleyan, was his passion for movies. The big time, the big money was in movies. Television was what his father and grandfather had done. He was determined not to simply follow in their footsteps.
But he wasn’t happy Despite the success he’d experienced as a screenwriter, he didn’t feel satisfied. Everything he’d written had either been ruined on the screen or it had been changed enough so that it was no longer fully his work. Joss came to the realization that television might be able to give him what he craved–genuine creative control over the final product. “At the time I still wasn’t ready to go back to television, but then I realized I’d have a lot more control if I did. I liked the idea that I would be in charge of every aspect of the show, and the only person I could blame if it failed was me.”
At first the idea was to make
Buffy
into a half-hour children’s show, a girl-power version of
Power Rangers
. Joss played with this idea, but soon realized he didn’t want to do a
Buffy
that was silly or just for fun. He wanted to do
Buffy
for real, with powerful emotions and genuine horror. He wanted it dark.
Buffy
into a half-hour children’s show, a girl-power version of
Power Rangers
. Joss played with this idea, but soon realized he didn’t want to do a
Buffy
that was silly or just for fun. He wanted to do
Buffy
for real, with powerful emotions and genuine horror. He wanted it dark.
So Joss set out to do a presentation film, sort of a mini-pilot. It included most of the cast that would ultimately star in
Buffy
, although the role of Willow was played by Riff Regan. Joss had never directed professionally before, but he had studied film for years and had a natural talent for creating powerful visuals. He had a strong script and he knew exactly what he wanted on screen. But he was given a weak crew and he didn’t know how to effectively communicate with them. “I was a firsttime guy who didn’t know what he was doing, surrounded by old veterans who didn’t know what they were doing,” Joss complained. The result was pretty dreadful. But the power of the concept and the script came through. WB approved twelve episodes of
Buffy
as a midseason replacement on the fledgling network. No one knew at the time that
Buffy
would soon set the tone for the entire network.
Buffy
, although the role of Willow was played by Riff Regan. Joss had never directed professionally before, but he had studied film for years and had a natural talent for creating powerful visuals. He had a strong script and he knew exactly what he wanted on screen. But he was given a weak crew and he didn’t know how to effectively communicate with them. “I was a firsttime guy who didn’t know what he was doing, surrounded by old veterans who didn’t know what they were doing,” Joss complained. The result was pretty dreadful. But the power of the concept and the script came through. WB approved twelve episodes of
Buffy
as a midseason replacement on the fledgling network. No one knew at the time that
Buffy
would soon set the tone for the entire network.
From the beginning, the title was an obstacle. The network tried to get Whedon to change it from
Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Slayer
, but Joss was adamant. “I believe that anyone who isn’t open to a show with this title isn’t invited to the party. I made the title very specifically to say ‘This is what it is.’ It wears itself on its sleeve. It’s sophomoric, it’s silly, it’s comedy-horror-action; it’s all there in the title. Having the metaphor to work with makes the show better, and having the silly title makes the show cooler. At least to me.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Slayer
, but Joss was adamant. “I believe that anyone who isn’t open to a show with this title isn’t invited to the party. I made the title very specifically to say ‘This is what it is.’ It wears itself on its sleeve. It’s sophomoric, it’s silly, it’s comedy-horror-action; it’s all there in the title. Having the metaphor to work with makes the show better, and having the silly title makes the show cooler. At least to me.”
I believe that anyone who isn’t open to a show with this title party.—Joss
Essential to Joss’s concept for
Buffy
was to take all of the misery of his high school years and put them into the series. “I don’t know about you, but in high school I turned everything inside and it was all so horrible and dramatic. Everyone always says it’s part of being a teen, but it isn’t easy for anyone. It may be all those hormones; I’m not really sure but there’s just so much emotion happening and nowhere to let them go. You blow everything out of proportion, and the tiniest thing can set you off. You have no control over the situations you are in, and that’s something that we use in our show on a continuing basis. I don’t care how together you are during that time of your life, everyone experiences those seesawing emotions. Puberty basically sucks.”
Buffy
was to take all of the misery of his high school years and put them into the series. “I don’t know about you, but in high school I turned everything inside and it was all so horrible and dramatic. Everyone always says it’s part of being a teen, but it isn’t easy for anyone. It may be all those hormones; I’m not really sure but there’s just so much emotion happening and nowhere to let them go. You blow everything out of proportion, and the tiniest thing can set you off. You have no control over the situations you are in, and that’s something that we use in our show on a continuing basis. I don’t care how together you are during that time of your life, everyone experiences those seesawing emotions. Puberty basically sucks.”
If you had asked me in the beginning if we were to be a successful show, would have told you that you are on smack.—Sarah Michelle Gellar
At the time of the launch,
Buffy’s
success was far from evident. In the world of network television, being a midseason replacement on the WB was pretty much the bottom. Joss had a small budget to work with, which made producing a quality show difficult, especially one that required special effects in every episode. “If you had asked me in the beginning if we were going to be a successful show, I would have told you that you are on smack,“ laughs Sarah Michelle Gellar. ”I didn’t think there was any way that people would get what we were doing. It was such genius but I was sure no one would watch.”
Buffy’s
success was far from evident. In the world of network television, being a midseason replacement on the WB was pretty much the bottom. Joss had a small budget to work with, which made producing a quality show difficult, especially one that required special effects in every episode. “If you had asked me in the beginning if we were going to be a successful show, I would have told you that you are on smack,“ laughs Sarah Michelle Gellar. ”I didn’t think there was any way that people would get what we were doing. It was such genius but I was sure no one would watch.”
Buffy’s
low status and limited budget made recruiting big-name talent almost impossible. But Joss turned out to have a knack for spotting talent and was able to hire an excellent writing and production team. Even more important, he attracted a team, especially writers, who had the potential to grow. Two of his early writers, Marti Noxon and David Greenwalt, would become executive producers of their own shows (Noxon would executive-produce
Buffy
in season five, and Greenwalt would executive-produce
Angel
from its launch).
low status and limited budget made recruiting big-name talent almost impossible. But Joss turned out to have a knack for spotting talent and was able to hire an excellent writing and production team. Even more important, he attracted a team, especially writers, who had the potential to grow. Two of his early writers, Marti Noxon and David Greenwalt, would become executive producers of their own shows (Noxon would executive-produce
Buffy
in season five, and Greenwalt would executive-produce
Angel
from its launch).
I called my mom to tell her that I got this job, and I was shaking with shaking with excitement. I called her from a pay phone, and there was this long pause, and she said, ‘Oh, honey, next year you’ll do better.’—Marti Noxon
When Noxon initially joined the
Buffy
team as a writer, she was thrilled to be part of a show with such a smart writing and high-quality team. But getting others to share her excitement wasn’t as easy. “When I got this job, it was the first season I’d ever gone out for television work. I had been working on plays and stuff,” says Noxon. ”I called my mom to tell her that I got this job, and I was shaking with excitement. I called her from a pay phone, and there was this long pause, and she said, ‘Oh, honey, next year you’ll do better.’”
Buffy
team as a writer, she was thrilled to be part of a show with such a smart writing and high-quality team. But getting others to share her excitement wasn’t as easy. “When I got this job, it was the first season I’d ever gone out for television work. I had been working on plays and stuff,” says Noxon. ”I called my mom to tell her that I got this job, and I was shaking with excitement. I called her from a pay phone, and there was this long pause, and she said, ‘Oh, honey, next year you’ll do better.’”
Joss’s energy and vision attracted top people and motivated them to do their best work for him. He was able to attract a production, design, and special-effects team who were able to work miracles with a tiny budget.
“The thing is, you have to find the right people who can work together,” says Whedon. “I’ve been on sets where there were too many egos and people weren’t talking. The director can’t deal with the actors and so on. It’s ridiculous. Part of the control thing was finding a way that all of these people could work together on a happy set.
“The truth is they have all sold their souls to me,” laughs Joss Whedon as he discusses his cast. It must be true, because Joss managed to attract a stellar cast and succeeded in keeping them working well together for seven years. His stars ranged from show business veterans (Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head) to relative newcomers (David Boreanaz, Nicholas Brendon), but each of them proved capable of powerful, nuanced performances. With the exception of secondary characters Eliza Dushku and Seth Green, both of whom he lost to the movies, Joss managed to keep all of his important actors in the fold, despite the fact that many of them were not regulars. (And Dushku returns to
Buffy
for a number of episodes in season seven).
Buffy
for a number of episodes in season seven).
BOOK: Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy
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