There's work beginning on a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer film, but hold on fans of the original the big news is that there's going to be no Joss Whedon, and they're already pitching this as a remake or relaunch, and the article is careful to point out that it's not a sequel or prequel.

I do find it a bit surprising that they really do think that they could remake Buffy, not because of the first film as that isn't the greatest and could easily be remade, but because of what the television series has made the property. Is there really any way forward, or backwards, from that?

Interestingly the original people behind Buffy are still involved, the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband Kaz Kuzui are the names behind the property, they have retained the rights since the first film when they originally brought the script to the big screen from Joss Whedon. They've since had connections with both the Buffy and Angel television series.

Now they are returning with the company behind all those Asian remakes, Vertigo Entertainment, and they're going to try and relaunch Buffy as a film, and perhaps a franchise.

However is it all too late? Has the television series squeezed every drop of life out of the character and typecast the role with one actor, and writer, for all time?

Apparently not according to the studios through The Hollywood Reporter as the remake is going ahead.

The plan is to use the mythology of Buffy to allow a new character to come forward and to make a new, darker Buffy film and perhaps series. The only connection to the television series will be the key fact that every generation has its own vampire slayer, and so this will be [Insert name] the Vampire Slayer: The Next Generation, or some other such thing.

Apparently the Kuzui's are approached continuously about getting hold of the rights to remake the story, make a sequel or a prequel, or any combination, but they've been very protective, until Vertigo appeared with a new idea.

"It was Roy's interest in taking Buffy into a new place that grabbed us...It was based on our respect for what he does, and his particular sensitivity to Asian filmmakers, that we wanted to work with him."

Those are Fran Rubel Kuzui's words about Roy Lee and Vertigo's approach and Roy Lee's ideas for the film, hopefully they stretch a little further from darker and event-sized as the article suggests.

They don't rule out a connection to Joss Whedon though, although the article clearly points out that they haven't approached him. Now they're out looking for the writer to begin the project.

Did you know Paul Reubens was in this film too (see previous story)? The cast was pretty surprising with Rutger Hauer, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Swank, David Arquette, Thomas Jane and Ben Affleck, that's not mentioning the leads of Kirsty Swanson and Luke Perry.

However if this works we can be guaranteed a franchise of Slayer films, and perhaps a return to television too. Is it time for a new generation's Buffy? Will they make it work and just how different are they going to have to make it in order for it to succeed?