Sunday Links for July 10

This was a wacky week with the release of San Diego Comic Con programming schedules.  So, that means that the majority of news is that the programming schedules are being released.  Here are some other tidbits that you might have missed....

This week is really the beginning of the end with the final film installment of the Harry Potter series.  I hope you got tickets because over 2,000 screenings have already sold out, making it Fandango's "fastest-selling title of the year so far."

(via Cinema Blend)

Rumors are flying that the Playstation 4 will debut in 2012.  This new system will be upgraded with motion technology similar to kinect.  Hopefully, the one feature they leave behind is the crazy high price.

(via Mashable)

With all of the media overload, it is nice to look back and see what made you a fan.  JR Pepper of Pink Raygun does just that in this sweet article.

(via Pink Raygun)

Paramount has set up their very own animation studio.  With a new studio in house, Dreamworks Animation is being kicked to the curb.  

(via Den of Geek)

On the creepy newsfeed, this guy installed spyware on random computers in Apple Stores to take pictures of people for his art project.  Apple found out and the Secret Service shut him down.  I really hope he doesn't have a picture of me drooling over a laptop.

(via Geekologie)

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Assemble the troops, we have a demon to fight.

Courtesy of Active Dollhouse

When will movie execs learn not to mess with our favorite characters? While I understand that rebooting a story is cheaper than creating a new one, when it is done poorly, it just brings the whole saga down. Which is why I died a little this afternoon.

Today we learned that Warner Bros. will be rebooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Joss Whedon at the helm. More than a few things about this infuriate me, so here they are:

1 - This news is maddening since they say in the press release that:


"There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen."


As a member of this "active fan base", I just want to say this is not what I want. This is not what my fellow Buffy fans want. We want our slayer to be continued by her creator, Joss Whedon. This is the same person that is continuing the Buffy character right now in comics. Did they miss that?

Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics

2 - Speaking of Joss, what is this statement?


"Warner Bros. Pictures optioned the rights from creators Fran and Kaz Kuzui"


Am I missing something or didn't Joss Whedon create Buffy? They are producers. I will credit them with helping give BtVS a chance to be seen but they didn't create it. They paid for it. I paid for this computer but that doesn't mean that I can say I built it and Dell can go to hell.


3 - BtVS (the show) only ended in 2003. With most remakes happening decades after the end, why rush this? If you really care about the character's development, take the time to work on it. According to the LA Times, this could be out late 2011 or 2012. To work on having it out in 2012, the same time as Joss Whedon's Avengers, seems to be rushed. I wonder why?

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

4 - To have this written by a complete newcomer also worries me. Whit Anderson has done nothing that I can find. Taking on rebooting a fairly recent story as a first project sounds like a daunting and overwhelming task. Most actors, writers and directors are often scared to reimagine beloved characters, lest bringing the wrath of the fans. As fans, we achieved Serenity from a TV show, Firefly, that was canceled almost immediately. We convinced Fox to give Dollhouse a chance to tell its story. When we have shown our passion for these characters, the industry has taken notice. I wish that Whit Anderson feels that fear and respect for us, for Joss and for this character. We all deserve it.

"Now, we can do this the hard way or... well, actually, there's just the hard way. "

Yes, I can admit, perhaps I am jumping the gun and getting a little too excited about this, but I grew up with Buffy, Xander and Willow. They were a year ahead of me in school. They dealt with things I feared before I did: the Prom, Graduation, College Roommates.... Right now, I feel like my fandom is being tarnished and I don't like it. We need to let Warner Bros. know that this is not what we want and they will have to do it without us and our $$.

Source: For those interested, here is a link to the full release on The Wrap.



*Update* Joss has spoken. As with every other time the industry has screwed him over, he has responded with humor, intelligence, and most importantly, class. For that, Joss, we love you all the more.