Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Writer And Producer Open Up

Poor Whit Anderson. As the writer of the new, rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie she’s going to draw an awful lot of angry fire and I can’t really imagine what kind of screenplay she’d have to whip up to even crawl away, let alone walk unscathed, from the inevitable, barbed comparisons to Joss Whedon.

Previously, it wasn’t known who was writing the project but The LA Times have revealed that Ms. Anderson is chipping away now, “fighting through” the process of putting Buffy back on the page. There’s no solid plot or character info on offer, of course, but she did offer the following interpretation of the heart of the story:

The thing that was so wonderful about Buffy is what made it special was so timeless. The deep struggle she had with duty and destiny, that tug between what you’re supposed to be doing and what you want to be doing. The fate of the world is on her shoulders but some days she wakes up and she just doesn’t want to do it. And are we doomed and destined to love someone?  That conflict was very interesting to me. Those are the things I loved about her and her world. She also represents – like all the heroes – something empowering for us. She’s reminds us of what we could be if we were in our top form, the best of us if we were at our very best, and even then we still see the vulnerability and doubts she has inside. That’s where we all connect.

The film’s producer is Charles Roven, of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, 12 Monkeys, Three Kings and many more. It’s interesting to see he came on board after Anderson, apparently impressed by her clever ideas. Here’s the closest thing to a meaningful statement he has to offer for the article:

Whit’s take is pretty compelling and a lot of fun, and it’s interesting to see all of this re-imagined. This is a completely new reboot. Tone is extremely important… It needs to be relevant to today, too, and that is what Whit has found a way to do.

She has? Brilliant! The drinks are on me.

Okay, we’ll see. Nothing would make me happier than a new writer who could compete with Whedon and the best of his Buffy collaborators. And, besides, even if this film doesn’t really compare, I’ll settle for something smart, well put together and fun.

Roven thinks the film will reach screens by the end of 2012, maybe even in 2011. The article dances around whether or not there’s a director working on the project (“there is no announced director”), but I’d guess there likely is. Make it Peyton Reed and I’ll actually start looking forward to the film.