Whedon's DOLLHOUSE difficulties
Sunday, April 19, 2009
In a characteristically frank and freewheeling new interview with Wizard, Joss Whedon discussed some of the difficulties involved in the start-up period for his troubled new series, Dollhouse.
You know, it is tougher, particularly this year because I had a 45-minute note session that was followed by an executive telling me how much he loved Dr. Horrible [Whedon's online musical parody] which was obviously made without the benefit of network notes. And then I had Cabin in the Woods greenlit at MGM with no notes, which was rare for a movie, so I've been in this wonderful rarified position. But, having said that, I also, always, have to go in there knowing that their priorities may not be mine but their perspective is valid. If they know what they're doing, and I think these guys do, they're worth listening to. And even somebody who doesn't necessarily get what you're doing might be the one to say, "Hey, look, the emperor's naked."
Whedon also revealed he has the show planned out for the next six years.
When I pitched it, I gave them a six-year plan with a lot of leeway for change. But what I really mapped out was the first 13, and even though we start in a different place than I had originally intended, we end up exactly where I'd intended in the 12th episode. Then, in the 13th episode, things just get stranger. There's some twisted sh-- coming.
Finally, Whedon took a swipe at an unnamed actor from one of his previous series. When asked what he's learned the hard way producing his shows, he said:
Cast for sanity. That means make sure that the people that you're excited by as actors are people that you can live with for seven years. Now, obviously, you can only guess at that, but a vibe is a very important thing. And that goes for writers and crew members as well. I've gradually gotten better and better at surrounding myself with really sweet, decent, professional people.
So, reading between the lines, who had "sanity" issues on Whedon's previous series? The most obvious troublemaker would be Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was openly critical of the show at various times during its run. Emma Caulfield (Buffy's Anya) is another possibility because she's rather outspoken and has conservative views that stand in sharp contrast to Whedon's, but I've never heard anybody say she's difficult to work with and when I interviewed her a few years back she was just as sweet as pie. (And not just Hollywood-BS sweet, she's the real deal.) Otherwise, Whedon has had glowing praise for most of his other actors and has worked with many of them on multiple projects.
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Technocrati tags: [Dollhouse][Joss Whedon]
You know, it is tougher, particularly this year because I had a 45-minute note session that was followed by an executive telling me how much he loved Dr. Horrible [Whedon's online musical parody] which was obviously made without the benefit of network notes. And then I had Cabin in the Woods greenlit at MGM with no notes, which was rare for a movie, so I've been in this wonderful rarified position. But, having said that, I also, always, have to go in there knowing that their priorities may not be mine but their perspective is valid. If they know what they're doing, and I think these guys do, they're worth listening to. And even somebody who doesn't necessarily get what you're doing might be the one to say, "Hey, look, the emperor's naked."
Whedon also revealed he has the show planned out for the next six years.
When I pitched it, I gave them a six-year plan with a lot of leeway for change. But what I really mapped out was the first 13, and even though we start in a different place than I had originally intended, we end up exactly where I'd intended in the 12th episode. Then, in the 13th episode, things just get stranger. There's some twisted sh-- coming.
Finally, Whedon took a swipe at an unnamed actor from one of his previous series. When asked what he's learned the hard way producing his shows, he said:
Cast for sanity. That means make sure that the people that you're excited by as actors are people that you can live with for seven years. Now, obviously, you can only guess at that, but a vibe is a very important thing. And that goes for writers and crew members as well. I've gradually gotten better and better at surrounding myself with really sweet, decent, professional people.
So, reading between the lines, who had "sanity" issues on Whedon's previous series? The most obvious troublemaker would be Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was openly critical of the show at various times during its run. Emma Caulfield (Buffy's Anya) is another possibility because she's rather outspoken and has conservative views that stand in sharp contrast to Whedon's, but I've never heard anybody say she's difficult to work with and when I interviewed her a few years back she was just as sweet as pie. (And not just Hollywood-BS sweet, she's the real deal.) Otherwise, Whedon has had glowing praise for most of his other actors and has worked with many of them on multiple projects.
Got a tip for Monsters and Rockets? Want to contribute to the site? Send us an email.
Technocrati tags: [Dollhouse][Joss Whedon]
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