FAITH SPINOFF? Comments from Mutant Enemy, Fox, UPN, etc.

February 27, 2003

Following the news that SMG will leave 'Buffy' next year, Joss was interviewed by Variety and he made some comments about a spinoff:

UPN execs have indicated their interest in a spinoff of "Buffy," and Whedon said he's willing. The timetable is up in the air, however.

While UPN would no doubt prefer a new series as early as this fall, "I think ideally the best thing to do would be to wait and not rush anything," Whedon said. "There are paradigms that I've posited that could start next year ... (but) whatever came next, it would have to have at its center an idea as worthy as ('Buffy' and spinoff 'Angel') were. And somebody who's pretty."

Though UPN doesn't have the rights to a "Buffy" follow-up, Whedon said the network "came through for us at a time nobody would."

February 25, 2003

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eliza has been cast as the lead in Fox's untitled John Feldman drama pilot for director Phillip Noyce.

Here's the full article:

Eliza Dushku has been cast as the lead in Fox's untitled John Feldman drama pilot for director Phillip Noyce, while the WB Network has tapped "Gilmore Girls" co-star Jared Padalecki for the title role in its drama pilot "MacGyver."

The untitled John Feldman project, from 20th Century Fox TV and Original TV, centers on a graduate student (Dushku) who goes back in time to relive a day in order to prevent tragedies. Noyce was recently tapped to direct the pilot, replacing Rob Cohen, who was originally attached as director/executive producer.

The pilot's writer/executive producer Feldman said Dushku was the prototype for the character. "Onscreen and off, she is smart, strong, beautiful and embodies all the characteristics that are imperative to the character," he said.

Dushku returned to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" this season, spurring rumors about a possible spinoff of the UPN drama built around her character Faith. The untitled John Feldman project hails from the same studio, 20th TV, which produces "Buffy."

Dushku most recently appeared in the feature "City by the Sea." Her feature credits also include "Bring It On" and "Soul Survivors." She recently signed with CAA and is managed by the Firm.

February 22, 2003

Slayage.com posted a transcript of a Q&A with Joss Whedon, from the December issue of SFX magazine. Question number 43:

Would you do Faith the Vampire Slayer if Eliza Dushku would commit to it? Sure.

February 7, 2003

Chris Buchanan spoke again, this time to SCI FI Wire, about a Faith spinoff:

SCI FI Wire
Buffy Faith Spinoff Mulled

Christopher Buchanan - president of Mutant Enemy, the production company behind UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer - told SCI FI Wire that producers are considering a spinoff starring Eliza Dushku as the renegade Slayer Faith, but that no deals have been signed yet. "I believe that's something that's being bounced around, along with other things, too," Buchanan said in an interview.

Dushku is currently shooting guest spots on Buffy and its spinoff series, The WB's Angel. Fan Web sites have carried rumors recently that Dushku had signed to star in a spinoff, with some rumors suggesting the contract was for two years. Buchanan said that he was unaware of any such deal. "Certainly, because she's around doing Buffy and Angel, I know there've been discussions," Buchanan said. But, he added, "We're kind of sitting on our hands until UPN and Fox figure out what they want to do."

Though Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar has made no official announcements yet, it's expected that she won't sign up for more Buffy once her contract expires at the end of the current seventh season. Speculation has centered on whether UPN will renew the series without Gellar or seek a spinoff.

The article was also picked up by E! Online and the NY Post.

January 15, 2003

From an interview with Chris Buchanan, the president of Mutant Enemy:

The return of vampire slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) for the last five episodes of the season has fueled rumors of a spin-off.

"Joss has certainly had conversations with her that I'm not privy to, so I couldn't say what they talked about," Buchanan said. "It's something we've talked about internally, how cool it would be to have a Faith show 'cause we love Eliza, but we have no idea if she's interested, no idea if UPN is interested."

November 1, 2002

Joss talks about the Buffy spinoff options to Wanda at E! Online:

How likely is it that Sarah Michelle Gellar will stick around? A source close to the show tells me not very. "The buzz around set," he says, "is it's 90 percent sure Sarah will not sign on, that she feels it's time to focus on other things, like her film career. If she does sign on for another year, it will probably be for part of the season, not the full 22 episodes. They're sort of preparing for that."

And that means the cultivation of a spinoff, most likely with Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) or Faith (Eliza Dushku). The producers have been working to redeem Trachtenberg's character this season after the shrieky little sis grated on fans' nerves last season. (The new mandate: No more whining.) They're also bringing back Dushku for this season's last five episodes, which obviously could segue nicely into a Faith follow-up.

Still, Whedon insists Dushku's return has little to do with a spinoff. "Eliza's coming back because we're doing a hell of a season finale this year. I love her, and I think she belongs in the mix. But that doesn't mean it's going to be the Faith show--although God knows I'd watch it. It doesn't mean anything beyond that we got the opportunity to see her again, which we hadn't had for a while."

When asked about other spinoff possibilities, such as a Dawn show, Whedon said, "At this point, the answer to every question is, 'Yes, maybe.' We're sort of prepared for anything.

October 25, 2002

From a TV Guide interview with Joss Whedon:

Whether or not Whedon's vampire saga bites the dust, the workaholic says this season's plots will not be impacted. "It doesn't really make a difference to me creatively, because I build every season to be self-contained," he explains. "I do think where we're heading this year is kind of monumental. It's going to be a big finish in May, so that if it is the last season, that's great. And if it's not, if Buffy continues or some incarnation of Buffy continues, it will serve that as well. There's always more stories to tell."

In other words, it's probably no small coincidence that Eliza Dushku will reprise her role as Buffy's Slayer nemesis at season's end. Speculation has it that should Gellar opt to hang up her stakes in May, Dushku may be recruited to headline a spinoff. "That possibility exists," confirms Whedon, adding cryptically, "It's one of many."

September 23, 2002

From an interview with Marti Noxon:

SCI FI WIRE
Buffy Season 8 Mulled

Marti Noxon, executive producer of UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told SCI FI Wire that producers are already mulling options for how to continue the show beyond the upcoming seventh season, with or without star Sarah Michelle Gellar. Among the possibilities: a show centered on Buffy's little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) or one centered on wayward slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), Noxon said in an interview. Gellar's contract expires at the end of the new season, and she has previously expressed doubts about returning full-time.

An eighth season of Buffy "is a discussion that we've begun to start having ... with both [producing studio] Fox and UPN," Noxon said. "But it's really ... stages. I think the main thing that [creator] Joss [Whedon] feels, and I also feel, is that we wouldn't continue if we didn't feel that we had something exciting to bring to the table. If it felt like we were desperately trying to keep the franchise alive, that's not something that I think interests him. I think it's much more about, can we come up with a concept that might be either Sarah-free or Sarah-light that feels, you know, like a show worth doing? And if we're all excited about doing it and have the same level of passion, then gung ho, you know? But if we don't, I think nobody sort of wants to see a pale imitation of what was. It's a tough call. It's a tough thing. We'll see. But we do have some ideas. And Joss has some great ideas. And we're kicking those all around. And we don't know. Sarah has not said definitively no, but I think it's pretty likely that she'd at least want to scale her involvement back." ...

Noxon confirmed that Faith will return toward the end of the seventh season. But whether or not she's poised to replace Buffy "depends entirely on [Dushku]," who has an active film career, Noxon said. "But it's definitely a very interesting possibility. I know some fans ... are pretty excited about that. So we'll see. I mean, I can really see that show. I know what that show is. And so that's nice, you know? She's such a good character. And Eliza's very charismatic. So I can see what that show would be. But again, many, many hurdles. And I don't even know if Eliza's interested." Buffy kicks off its new season on Sept. 24 in its regular 8 p.m. ET/PT Tuesday time slot. .