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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Series Reboot With Black Lead In Works From Monica Owusu-Breen & Joss Whedon

bitbydeath

Member
I’ve never heard/seen midnight texas before but she was also involved with Agents of SHIELD which is a good sign.

Midnight, Texas creator Monica Owusu-Breen has been tapped as writer, executive producer and showrunner of the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with the original series’ creator and showrunner Whedon set to executive produce alongside original series’ exec producers Gail Berman, Fran Kazui and Kaz Kazui as well as Joe Earley from Berman’s Jackal Group.

The new version, which will be pitched to streaming and cable networks this summer, will be contemporary, building on the mythology of the original. Per the producers: “Like our world, it will be richly diverse, and like the original, some aspects of the series could be seen as metaphors for issues facing us all today.”

According to sources, the diversity in the show’s description reflects the producers’ intention for the new slayer to be African American. The sources cautioned that the project is still in nascent stages with no script, and many details are still in flux.

https://deadline.com/2018/07/buffy-...ad-monica-owusu-breen-joss-whedon-1202430592/
 

Hanon

Banned
i hope it's something like them having a new slayer who's black, or it takes place in the same universe under a new name. calling it "buffy" and having a black protag sounds confusing to the mythology.
 

bitbydeath

Member
i hope it's something like them having a new slayer who's black, or it takes place in the same universe under a new name. calling it "buffy" and having a black protag sounds confusing to the mythology.

As long as the writings good it doesn’t matter. We’ve had black slayers before in the OG show.
 

Joe T.

Member
Once More, With Diversity

I liked the original, thought it was ahead of its time and fairly entertaining, campiness and all. I suspect they're drooling all over themselves, eager to seize on the social issues an African American girl would face in that role. Good luck to them because it's not easy winning over viewers with so many great series out there.
 

Ke0

Member
Looking forward to it IIRC Monica has worked on Alias, Lost, Agents of Shield, and Fringe. With Joss onboard as well, I have faith.

Still sad we never got that Faith spin off, since Eliza went with Dollhouse instead.
 

Gander

Banned
Melissa O'Neil is like the most attractive woman ever but I guess she is too old for this role. I'd like to see her in something though.
 

Papa

Banned
Why not just make a new show with a black lead instead of this revisionist approach that invites blackwashing criticism?
 

Papa

Banned
Melissa O'Neil is like the most attractive woman ever but I guess she is too old for this role. I'd like to see her in something though.

images


Her?
 
S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
Buffy was a mediocre show when it came out but we didn't have a supernatural series/tv show like it when it came out so people gave it a pass. This is gonna be eh.
 

DESTROYA

Member
Hope it’s more of a continuation of the series than a reboot, it’ll all just make more sense.
 
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haxan7

Volunteered as Tribute
Ehh, how long does it usually take from when a series is pitched until I can watch it?

It's good info to know, but this sounds like it's a LONG way out.

Hope it’s more of a continuation of the series than a reboot, it’ll all just make more sense.
It'll probably be a reboot. But I hope for Buffy: TNG too.

A 2021 launch would make it 18 years from the end of the original. Star Trek: TNG premiered 18 years from the cancellation of the original series.

:)
 
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Enygger_Tzu

Banned
Of course, it has to put the foot on normies' door.

I wonder, will there also be an outrage for this lady to step down and let a REAL vampire hunter take reigns as lead?

You know for, representation.
 

Dunki

Member
It has a lot of the original creators behind it so I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Joss Whedon is a huge advocate of social justice. So I would nt be so sure of this. As for black actress. I do not care as long young teens could fap to her like many teens did with Sarah michelle gellar XD

21af795a35effa29-600x400.jpg
 
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Lastyou1

Banned
Wasted opportunity, a black transexual vampire slayer woman would have been better. Especially with alt-right vampires.

/s
 

Cato

Banned
Wasted opportunity, a black transexual vampire slayer woman would have been better. Especially with alt-right vampires.

You forgot. She is blind, but her wheelchair can fly and shoot lasers..
Who needs character development or competent writing when you have all this?

As always when there is a re-launch where the only reason is black/woman/else-face and not about new writing or anything remotely interesting, I am skeptical on how well this will perform.
 

dbztrk

Member
I would prefer that this version be a continuation of the original Buffyverse. I like the idea of callbacks to the original and maybe even having some of the original characters pop in from time to time. If they are not going that route because it's a legit reboot, then I would prefer that this take place in an alternate dimension. We know that these exist as per the original series. This way it doesn't negate or mess with the original series and it could potentially allow for a cross over with some of the original characters.

Also, I hope that this show stays true to not just the metaphors aspects of the original but the human/emotional aspects that the Buffyverse is known for. Buffy and Angel had me in my feelings on numerous occasions and I want to have those same feels with this series.

Don't fuck this up!
 
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Why does the story need to be re-told?
why does any story need to be re-told? Ha, beat that lol.

Why not just make a new show with a black lead instead of this revisionist approach that invites blackwashing criticism?

Does it really invite it? I rarely have seen it as opposed to whitewashing. While it's not black washing, Jason Momoa as Aquaman hasn't brought up any criticism(on the same level as white washing) as Aquaman in the comics is white.
 
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Ke0

Member
It was far right by modern standards.

You might to do a rewatch mate. It was pretty progressive, they touched on rape, school shooting, Nazis being scum, bullying, racism. In the last few seasons one of the reoccurring characters was black and he talked about how hard it was growing up black without his mom, a Slayer who was killed by Spike. They even go into her back story, a single mother who was a Slayer in NY and how hard that was for her having to choose between being a mother and raising her son to understand the world will not be kind to him bc of his skin color (IIRC his mother was an activist, or suggested she was), or her duty as a Slayer.

Hell, there was also Kendra a Slayer who routinely told Buffy to her face she was privileged.

That's not far right at all
 
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NahaNago

Member
Couldn't they have just done a spin off with a new slayer or are all of the other slayers dead now. That universe is massive having it focus only on vampires seems a bit silly considering how many foes buffy and angel has fought.
 

kunonabi

Member
Blackwashing ??

Yeah like thats a huge issue in Hollywood. Man some people hate seeing a diverse cast

Nothing wrong with a diverse cast it just sucks to see white and occasionally Asian characters blackwashed for the sake of politics. You could have just a told a new story about a different slayer. The IP lends itself to that incredibly well.

A Buffy reboot was always going to he garbage anyway so this is an easy pass regardless of the inflammatory casting.
 

BraveOne

Member
Nothing wrong with a diverse cast it just sucks to see white and occasionally Asian characters blackwashed for the sake of politics. You could have just a told a new story about a different slayer. The IP lends itself to that incredibly well.

A Buffy reboot was always going to he garbage anyway so this is an easy pass regardless of the inflammatory casting.


White people have enough representation in the media , whitewashing is a bigger crime in the industry than recasting key characters to better fit the diverse audience.

Plus it also helps that the same person who made the original is also the one recasting for it. Minorities need a bigger representation in TV and Film and this is just one of the steps to making it happen. Nothing wrong with doing it no one is gonna lose their job because the protagonist is now Black
 

Dunki

Member
Why should they ?

Its a reboot.. a retelling of the story
Because these characters will now never get their own personality. Just like Miles Morales will always be another Spider-Man. Now this person will be the black Buffy.

ALso now it has to live up the fucking legend called Buffy aka Sarah Michelle Gellar and you only can lose. Good luck trying to even come close to their legacy.

2,w=756,q=high,c=0.bild.jpg
 
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Because these characters will now never get their own personality. Just like Miles Morales will always be another Spider-Man. Now this person will be the black Buffy.

.
Is the problem with Miles is that he is just a black spider-man or that he is written poorly? As long as the writing is fine, I see nothing wrong. But comics usually don't have good writing for the most part. Not to mention where there are so many writers.
 
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I wish they could find a way to continue the story but Joss threw all that out the window with the season 7 ending and the follow up comic seasons. A new slayer would be cool.

It would be fun if they could do something like Doctor Who and just have a new Slayer every few years. One dies and another potential awakens somewhere else in the world. "_______ the Vampire Slayer".
 
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Dunki

Member
Is the problem with Miles is that he is just a black spider-man or that he is written poorly?
The problem is that he will ALWAYS stay in the shadow of the legend Peter Parker. No character could go against it. And here it is the same. This new black actress will now get a TON of pressure and if this series does not live up to the legend which it will not it will destroy a big chunk of her careeer.
 
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kunonabi

Member
White people have enough representation in the media , whitewashing is a bigger crime in the industry than recasting key characters to better fit the diverse audience.

Plus it also helps that the same person who made the original is also the one recasting for it. Minorities need a bigger representation in TV and Film and this is just one of the steps to making it happen. Nothing wrong with doing it no one is gonna lose their job because the protagonist is now Black

Better representation is fine but they should get their own characters to do it with. Whitewashing isnt any better but it doesnt happen nearly as much as it used to and when it does people bitch to high heaven. Well, unless Marvel does it anyway.
 

Gander

Banned
The guy who was playing Kid Flash suddenly left the series I wonder if he would be showing up in this?
 

Spheyr

Banned
White people have enough representation in the media , whitewashing is a bigger crime in the industry than recasting key characters to better fit the diverse audience.

Plus it also helps that the same person who made the original is also the one recasting for it. Minorities need a bigger representation in TV and Film and this is just one of the steps to making it happen. Nothing wrong with doing it no one is gonna lose their job because the protagonist is now Black
Black people are 13% of the population in the US, and over-represented in American media compared to their representation in demographics.


Here's a racial breakdown for movies:

ymMW9ID.png


And TV

f2ABJWs.png



You've got plenty of representation.
 
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Atrus

Gold Member
Story doesn't need a reboot, just a continuation. There were plenty of other slayers on the show, including Kendra who was black and I think the first ever slayer was as well. They were even training multiple slayers at one point.

In this way, they can do their own thing while calling up the past show when they need to. The show doesn't need the word 'Buffy' in it, just go with another valley-girl type name like Chloe, Lexi, Kayla, Paris, etc.
 
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Used to love Buffy when I was younger. Couldn't possibly watch it today though. The main character became more and more unbearable as the show went on, and its SJW politics stick out to me like a sore thumb these days.

If I watched the show today, I'd probably end up hoping the bad guys win.
 
Story doesn't need a reboot, just a continuation. There were plenty of other slayers on the show, including Kendra who was black and I think the first ever slayer was as well. There were even training multiple slayers at one point.

In this way, they can do their own thing while calling up the past show when they need to. The show doesn't need the word 'Buffy' in it, just go with another valley-girl type name like Chloe, Lexi, Kayla, Paris, etc.

to me its like the textbook route of "diversity". generally when a tv show or movie tries to be diverse it just ends up a black girl with an afro. through their diversity it ends up not being diverse because they all just choose the same type of girl
 
to me its like the textbook route of "diversity". generally when a tv show or movie tries to be diverse it just ends up a black girl with an afro. through their diversity it ends up not being diverse because they all just choose the same type of girl
How dare you get sick of seeing sassy, stronk, independent wamen of colour? What are you, a Neo Nahtzee?
 

Denton

Member
No issues with black lead (or asian, or caucasian, or alien), but making her play the character of "Buffy Summers" is some bullshit.
Give her a new character FFS.
 
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