Earlier today, geek guru Joss Whedon posted an open letter on fansite Whedonesque.com announcing a $10,000 bid for the rights to the Terminator franchise. (The Financial Times first reported the very real auction, with Sony Pictures and Summit Entertainment reputedly among those in the running.) Almost immediately, the web lit up wondering just how serious Whedon was (sample suggestion for how he’d change the franchise: “Christian Bale’s John Connor will get a throat lozenge”). So EW phoned Whedon, and asked him: Was he just being funny? Or making a bid for the franchise by way of being funny?
His first response: “What do you mean, funny?! You think $10,000 is funny?!”
His second response: “Here’s the thing: It’s not a slam on The Terminator. I love The Terminator. That part’s totally true. I was thinking to myself, ‘Not since they auctioned off frames from The Little Mermaid have I wished I had more money this much. So you know what, never hurts to ask.’ I loved the movies, even the later movies. I loved the mythology. I loved the TV show [The Sarah Connor Chronicles]–like, really loved. Not for pretend. And not just because of [star] Summer [Glau].
“But mostly, it’s just me being a dumb-ass, because that seems to be what I do best — I’m not even very good at that. So, no, I do not think they’re going to call me and say ‘Congratulations! We’ll have that $10,000 now.’ Although, it would be non-exclusive. Other people could make Terminator movies and TV shows too. I’m just putting that out there in case you publish this.
“But I adore the franchise. I literally did learn a huge amount from that [franchise]. [The Terminator] came out when I was in college, and I was like, This is how you construct a story. It’s very important to me. That part was true. The part where I think I’m going to get it, not so true. And certain ideas, like [bidding for] The Lord of the Rings and the Batman franchise, also possibly not true. If they will give them to me for $10,000, I absolutely would write a check. That’s true. They just didn’t say those [properties] were for sale. They said they were on back-order, is what I understand. It’s all ridiculous, but it comes from love.”
So there you have it, but all joking aside, no matter who actually ends up controlling the rights to the Terminator, it seems like Whedon just made a savvy play to be the new creative force behind it. Would you like to see him try his hand at the franchise, or do you think there is someone better suited to it?
Photo Credit: Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos
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Joss Whedon rocks! I would love to see him take on this project. He can put a whole new spin on the franchise.
Oh I’d love to see him take over. Wouldn’t it be swell if he resurrected the TV show…impossible, but swell.
I’d rather see him do a Buffy movie! Or at least put SMG in the Terminator he cld possibly make! Those 2 make beautiful things together!
Joss Whedon needs to find a way to express his genius. He needs to be independent of studios and networks, so he can be free to tell his stories before they get canceled. I will never forgive Fox for killing FIREFLY.
I agree Firefly ending so soon was tragic. I would love to see Whedon put his creative touches to the Terminator.
Oh lord people get over it. Whedonites are overdoing it quite a bit, it’s like FOX execs were found to be molesting blind kittens with cancer instead of just canceling a TV show lol
“Oh lord people get over it. Whedonites are overdoing it quite a bit, it’s like FOX execs were found to be molesting blind kittens with cancer instead of just canceling a TV show lol”
Qouted for humour and truth.
If he can get TSCC back on TV next to Dollhouse, and get them BOTH the marketing they deserve, he could have a serious juggernaut on his hands.
Will it happen? Nah. But it could.
Dollhouse is (sadly) doomed, so getting back TSCC is SO not going to happpen.
Why does Joss put up with FOX when they treat his shows SO POORLY?!?!??!?!
Would be a bit of an odd fit, but I’ll watch anything by Joss Whedon.
I’d like to see him team up with Josh Friedman, Toni Graphia, Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller instead of bringing in his gang (Minear, Espenson et co), but beyond that, I’d love nothing more than to see Terminator wind up in the right hands for change.
And the prospect of crazy Whedon fans and crazy T:SCC fans uniting is a scary prospect indeed. Hope it happens.
Wow! That would be a massive, unstoppable group with a highly unstable (but still fun) mass psychosis.
Joss Whedon + Terminator = a fun time!!!
Joss + anything = a fun time.
Joss + this joke = ridiculous
Joss Whedon is a great fan but, please, he already screwed up Alien. Keep him away from The Terminator.
your lack of information is showing…The alien script Joss Whedon wrote was drastically altered by the time the last frame was shot. Please get a clue before stating nonsense.
Yeah, wtf, but Atlantis and Titan AE happened. And Firefly got canceled and the Wonder Woman and Goners projects got shelved and Dollhouse is a disaster and Cabin in the Woods has been pushed back a year it’s such a mess. I think this is a joke offer, there’s not really any need to fight, but I don’t think Katie’s stupid, I think she has a point. I think you owe Katie an apology.
Mitchell’s right. Joss Whedon has done some great stuff, but only the cultists believe he’s got the Midas touch. His track record indicates anything but.
no mitchell’s incredibly uninformed.
cabin in the woods tested so well that they’re now upgrading it to 3D to make sure its a theatrical presence, dumbass.
and how would katie be owed an apology? she wasnt called stupid, she was called on her lack of information. which is true.
the script Joss submitted was rewritten.
so should we blame Kevin Smith for Superman Returns too? or JJ Abrams? both wrote scripts that were ripped apart by Warner Bros. and Superman Returns was the result.
I agree. Whedon doesn’t have a midas touch, and the only his cult followers and entertainment publications seem to think he’s the BEST THING EVER. The initial success of Buffy and Angel prob had more to do with them being on the WB in late 90s and being part of the teen/tween explosion of that era.
Surely you must be right, since your logic is so sound. Case in point: teens/tweens never explode at any other time.
….and here we go. No such thing as the Midas touch for people who are actually talented. And you’d be a fool to believe that. Momma Whedon didn’t raise no fool. However, Joss DOES have the ability to consistently write engaging stories. How things go from page to screen is largely a roll of the dice. In short, if Joss writes it, I’ll watch it. My rule of thumb. YMMV.
Joss Whedon + Big Franchise = Epic Flop
Is it just me, or does $10,000 seem really low for the rights to the franchise?
I thought it was a joke on his part. That’s why he said he was a dumb@ss
Nothing gets by you.
There are a lot of franchises I’d love to see Joss tackle some day (Star Trek being at the top of the list), but I admit I can’t really see him in charge of Terminator…
If Whedon made a new Terminator movie, I would actually go to it, like, the day it came out. I was tempted to see Salvation, but not enough to actually go to the theatre.
We can call Joss the Whedonator
Buffy the Terminator Slayer!
Eliza Dushku:The Dollhouse Chronicles!
Would there be any space cowboys in it?
Only if they were recording Christmas songs with Lady GaGa
(If you don’t get it, look it up)
I would love to see what Whedon could do w/ the franchise. I liked the last movie, but it just doesn’t compare to the 1st and 2nd movies and the TV show. As for the 3rd film, I like to pretend that one never happened.
I agree. Terminator without Sarah Connor just isn’t the same. I also agree that seeing Joss take on the terminator franchise would be fun.
Joss Whedon + Terminator = Genius!
I would love it if Whendon got a hold of the Terminator franchise. He’d be one of the few directors next to Cameron or Nolan that could pull it from the fire. But one thing bugs me and it’s the continued battering of Bales Batman voice. Everyone seems so offended that he tired to give the Batman character its own personality by making his voice more menacing. Why? What is really so freaking wrong with the voice? I mean did everyone want him to do the exact same thing every other actor did with the Batman character which is a big fat nothing. They either stood there and said nothing or flounced around like a fairy and spoke in the same voice as the Wayne character. I mean if the director didn’t agree with the actors choice then the director wouldn’t have let him go ahead with it. Sorry for the rant but I’m fed up.
What’s really so freaking wrong with the voice? The fact that it’s so over the top that it’s not menacing — it’s hilarious. Which is not really the reaction I want to have to Batman being tough. By the way, extra points for jerkwaddery by throwing in gratuitous homophobia with your comments. If you think guys compensating desperately with fake rough voices while wearing latex rubber is super-heterosexual, this world will be full of discovery and adventure for you.
hmm.. even though i believe we’re on opposite sides of the fence here,
i’m giving a massive win to Mike for that spanking. well done sir.
Mike sweetie I was actually talking about Adam Wests portrayal, you want over top performance there you go. A performance (sadly) that has been used as reference more times than I can count for many gay parades. I’m not homophobic and my remark wasn’t meant that way. It was meant as a shinning example of a performer putting nothing into another character he was supposed to be playing. He puts on his shiny PJ’s with a cape and trouts his fat ass out to go fight crime with his same attitude and voice as his Wayne character. And yes I am aware that TV show wasn’t meant to be serious, that’s probably why I didn’t like watching it in reruns. But thank you for jumping straight to the conclusion that I’m some sort of homophobic moron and thanks Alex for backing up his narrow mined view point. Great job both of you give yourselves a pat on the back.
to leigh –
way to lash out. read my original comment again when the smoke clears.. though maybe i didnt make the context clear enough
i wasnt commending mike to striking against his perceived homophobia, i was giving him style points. pretty sure i even said mike and i “were on opposite sides”
see he was witty, whereas you come across as a shrill judgmental harpie. so thats why i gave him the win. i dont allow myself do be swayed by personal biases when objectively judging passive-aggressive arguments between strangers on an internet forum…
well this is one of those rare times that we all lose
its probably the only thing you can make fun of from TDK, and the trolls have to attack something haha
but for actual logical reasons.. Bale would know that Bruce would HAVE to change his voice, being ya know, arguably gotham’s most famous citizen? it was either go gruff or fake an accent, and i dont see batman throwing on a lisp or a brogue.
Well excuse me than, sorry to come across as a “shrill judgmental harpie”? Thanks for how did you put it, “i dont allow myself do be swayed by personal biases when objectively judging passive-aggressive arguments between strangers on an internet forum.” Yup, you’re right we all lose on this one.
Yikes Alex, this is a joke offer, remember? But Katie IS owed an apology. She said she wouldn’t want Joss Whedon taking over the Terminator franchise. And every writer fails, but Joss Whedon is on a seven-year losing streak that would curl the toes of a lot of fans. Katie’s totally right to worry. And as for Cabin in the Woods, movies are supposed to have a theatrical presence WITHOUT 3-D technology, it doesn’t mean good things that they think they need it to justify it as a movie.
haha i know but a boy can dream.
7 year losing streak?? you cant seriously be telling me that you equate artistic success solely with financial gains?
dollhouse has been very uneven, but has had some brilliant moments and at its worse (backup singer ep i’m looking at you) its still original.
and firefly?? ya ya we dont need to have it lionized yet again, but holy shit there literally is not a weak spot in the first (and only) season and later feature film.
Joss being given a massive budget, a wellknown filmverse to work with, and builtin fan support from two camps? for the sake of mankind, i have to believe it would be a hit.
Except, the only ones who seem to think this way are Whedonites and select entertainment publications (who don’t always get it right, EW was hyping Snakes on a Plane as the next classic…they got that one right, lol).
I would consider an internet musical starring Neil Patrick Harris, independently produced and which managed to make a profit based solely on word of mouth blow away any perception of a 7 year losing streak. It has been hailed as one of the most individual things to come along in a while, in terms of format, style and pure talent.
Also Dollhouse asks questions about Humanity, the soul and what it means to be human that have shaken and inspired me. Yes I do believe that he can do no wrong when left to his own devices. This is because I have never seen something on this end which has disappointed me. Sometimes his work seems to campy and superficial. I enjoy it on that level. Then I go back and watch it again and find whole new levels that amaze me. His work is something that gets more interesting every time I watch it, which is not something I can say about many things.
If magically Joss were given full control of the Terminator Franchise, he would not only do it justice with his own talent, but I believe he would find worthy hands to put it in from actors to writers, to production team.
And yes, us Whedonites would combine with my fellow Metal Lovers and create a fan-base so wonderful no power in the verse could stop us. We would be leaves on the wind. (If you don’t get that, go watch Alan Tudyk in Firefly. He is genius.)
“Also Dollhouse asks questions about Humanity, the soul and what it means to be human that have shaken and inspired me. Yes I do believe that he can do no wrong when left to his own devices.”
And never mind the plot and continuity errors, the inherent corniness etc.
Oh you’re one of those. Never mind.
“(If you don’t get that, go watch Alan Tudyk in Firefly. He is genius.)”
Genius? Yeah, that’s just what I thought when I saw his bad Heath Ledger in Dollhouse.
If those Firefly folks can find a way to stink out an already struggling show, they’ll do it (Baldwin\Torres excepting).
and ya i concede your point about 3d technology… to a point.
joss’(typical) audience is young but educated, and tech savy. not the type who usually spends money at theatres for non-event movies.
granted, it could all be studio spin, but i dont see them investing money to reconvert footage to 3D (they’re also doing this to Iron Man 2, and i’m pretty sure thats guaranteed hit either way)
bottom line, 3D is the studio’s latest big hope to keep butts in the theatre seats, and at least they think Cabin’s worth the investment.. will it pay off? we shall see
mitchell, i’m happy to say ive misjudged you, you argue quite well and are not as trollish as i’d like to believe my detractors are.
I don’t think either of us is going to convince the other. But I think there’s such a thing as a pro-position troll that personally insults dissenters and tries to get any challenging post deleted. You don’t seem to be one of those, but they exist. Katie had the right to say she’d rather have somebody else write Terminator. There was no need to insult her, a lot of people feel the way she does.
wtf didn’t even insult katie, and he didn’t say that she didn’t have a right to an opinion. He just noted (in an impolite manner, yes) that her information on Joss Whedon’s alien script was incorrect. Was he rude? maybe. Did he insult her? no.
no i do enjoy a lively debate with someone who can actually bring some substance to the table and not just spew talking points at me. ok enough of this circle jerk.
whether or not we agree on the level of joss’ talent… my desperate need for closure begs me to ask at least one thing haha..
can ye not at least admit that the franchise MIGHT be better served in the hands of Joss (whilst noting his body of work), THAN McG?
.. for gods sakes mitchell. charlies angels 2.
i rest my case.
Joss and TSCC OMG the thought of it makes me want to pee my pants lol
I think Whedon pays EW $10,000 a week to constantly swing from his nutsack.
amen!
Double amen!
They’d have to move their lips from his ass to do that and I don’t see that happening any time soon…
I was hoping Whedon would buy it out so we could get a third season to Sarah Connor Chronicles. It’s a shame FOX is such a crappy network that they refused to greenlight a third season of TSCC. The second season was badass! Boo, FOX.
Well we just saw with Dollhouse that even when the numbers are down Fox is now afraid to cancel Joss’s shows (probably because of firefly). That alone should be a reason for Joss to take over TSCC.
You mean a great premiere and three ep finale makes up for the 18 eps of badly-acted boredom between them?
haha XFEver is literally desperate to get a rise out of someone..
lurking, waiting until someone posts something he can disagree with with zero eloquence, and BOOM he strikes.
yep, this would be a classic troll move.
Joss + Josh Friedman developing a movie that continues right where TSCC left off.
I’m drooling just thinking about it…
I’m so sick of hearing about Joss Whedon and his alleged genius! Just the sound of his name makes me want to tear my ears off.
No one’s stopping you.
I can not agree that Joss is a genius. What has he made that actually transcends the genre? Buffy is not genius, having a hot young girl in the lead role makes money for you, does not prove genius. Firefly? Am I the only one that did not like this show?
A western sci-fi, what like Star Trek? Really… I like Joss’ stuff, it is just not genius and never will be.
A western sci-fi? Try Outlaw Star. That was the series he ripped off er…paid homage to for Firefly. Hell, the way Summer Glau’s characters is introduced on Firefly was a copy…er, homage, to way they introduced the character of Melfina on Outlaw Star. And the 2 shows have other similarities as well…
If you’ve actually ever watched Buffy, you’d know the stupidity of reducing that show’s success to simply “having a hot young girl in the lead role”. If that’s all it takes to make a show, then “The Beautiful” would’ve outlasted two episodes.
*Correction: “The Beautiful Life”
You’re not the only one who didn’t like Firefly. I thought it was dreadful. Poorly written, poorly acted – I couldn’t even stand looking at the actors.
No one’s forcing you to watch it. If you hate Whedon so much why are you reading this article.
Why don’t you just steer clear of anything that has to do with him and his shows.
It’s not like the headline is obscure.
Buffy was much more than a simple hot girl who fought vampires, if you watched the show you would know that. The entire show is a metaphor for life and death and growing up in the modern world.
Agreed on Firefly. Most over-rated show ever, and ripped off so many others. Plus the acting with a couple of exceptions (Baldwin\Torres) reeke like six month old shit.
But Buffy was a little more than a hot girl in the lead (at least in its early years).
Go, Joss!
I love Dollhouse so much. My friend lent me her season 1 DVD and I was absolutely blown away. Need to get caught up on season 2 now.
The first and second installments of the Terminator were the only two that were any good. The rest were horrible. Someone who loves the series should control it.
It’s sad how Joss needs to keep himself in the media spotlight. And even sadder that EW plays along with him. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall for the fate of Dollhouse and realized, crap, noone cares about stuff I create, maybe I can pull a JJ Abrams and reboot an existing franchise and hope that becomes a financial success?
He didn’t post it on some newspaper… or go and publicize that he went out and wrote this letter.
This letter was posted on his own fan website for the enjoyment of his fans.
BTW, Joss doesn’t need to get media in order to know that people care about his work. All he has to do is go out in public and see one his many fans, like myself whose life has been changed by his work. Growing up with Buffy taught me to be strong and that life is not perfect. Without it, I would have been left to series like 7th Heaven or Dawson’s Creek.
Err, Joss posted this at at website dedicated to him. That’s it.
Then many media outlets picked it up. I was totally surprised they did so. But that’s the main point – the media did this *on their own*, Joss didn’t need to do anything, he wasn’t pimping himself (which is what you’re implying).