Looking Way Ahead

TV Guide reports that Mr Whedon (some refer to him as God) has signed up for another write/direct combo with Universal. Here's what they say:

GOING, GOING, GONER: Buffyverse ruler Joss Whedon — whose Firefly flick Serenity hits theaters one week from today — has inked a seven-figure deal with Universal to write and direct the fantasy thriller Goner. "It's the story of a young woman's journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics," he tells Variety. "It's certainly darker than Serenity, and there are a lot of left turns along the way. It is something I had in mind for a while, and it just poured out of me when I finished my film." Of course, Goner will have to wait until Whedon finishes Warner Bros.' big-screen Wonder Woman flick and (hopefully) gets the ball rolling on that long-rumored Spike TV movie (hint hint, nudge nudge, slap slap).

Would I like to see another Buffy related production? Of course! Do I particularly want to see one based around Spike? Not as much.

I read in an interview (at the moment I can't remember with whom) a while ago that said that Spike is at his best when he is working off someone else as an annoyance or outsider. It's why he worked so well on Angel. Being the antithesis of Angel created many memorable moments in the show's final season. The same works with his time on Buffy: firstly it was Spike and Dru, then Spike and Xander, then Spike and Giles, then Spike and Harmony, then Spike and Buffy (you guess which of those combos were sexual...). So for a Spike centric story to have the best potential to succeed he would have to be paired with someone who provides the greatest conflict. As both Gellar and Boreanaz have both expressed no interest in revisiting the roles there are fewer interesting combinations. Dru would be the next obvious choice, but taking into account the status of the characters at the end of Angel season five I would imagine that would lead to a historical story, or perhaps one well entrenched with flashbacks.

Spike and Andrew Ride Again perhaps?