Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Now that Dr. Horrible has been accepted into the Evil League of Evil, what’s next? A lot more Horrible and Evil stuff, which we asked Joss Whedon and Dr. Horrible himself, Neil Patrick Harris, to help us decipher.

In the works already? A soundtrack so you can actually sing along to “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” which will be downloadable in a “couple of weeks,” Joss said. Then a DVD, to be out later this year, which will feature all sorts of nifty extras. Possible sequels. And just when you thought it wasn’t possible, even more.

The DVD is going to take a little longer just because it’s going to feature new songs in the form of a musical commentary. (They call it “Commentary: The Musical.”)

JW: “It’ll run over the course of the film as actual commentary but will be a full sing-through musical.”

NPH: “Will it be characters singing in character? Or will it be us as performers singing about the creation of the show, Joss?”

JW: “It’ll be a literal commentary, with us as performers and creators singing about the things we were going through, and all of that made much sillier than it actually was. It is a musical based on our own opinions. For regular commentaries, you keep the sound on but low. This one will have to be off. No competing! When I’m singing, you don’t sing! America wants to hear me! They loved me in ‘Assassins.’”

Um, Joss, that was Neil they loved. They’re also planning a featurette on the aftermath of the release, what with the free streams crashing the server on the first day it was out (because it was getting 200,000 hits an hour), becoming the number one video on iTunes, and launching all sorts of fan horri-sodes (My fave is “Dr. Horrible: The Early Years”). “It blowed up real good, as they say,” Joss said.

And since a videographer captured the whole process from read-throughs onward, there’s all sorts of embarrassing footage to use as extras — such as Joss singing like Captain Hammer and NPH singing like a chipmunk for a sped-up moment that didn’t work out.

NPH: “You think someone was filming me doing that horrible green screen thing? I hope not.”

JW: “I hope so.”

And then the most telling extra — since it sets the stage for possible sequels — an interview with the Evil League of Evil themselves. “I wouldn’t call it Part Four, because it’s not like we’re going to do only a 12-minute sequel to this,” Joss said, “but should we continue, the Evil League of Evil will play a major role.” Then turning to NPH, “They’ll play your role. You’re not in it.”

NPH: “Why? I sang all right.”

JW: “You’re good, you’re not great. You’re the touring company. You’re not making Broadway. You’re just not ready.”

Sounds like the Evil League of Evil might have a vacancy — and wouldn’t you know it, they’re accepting applications. No, seriously — Whedon and company want folks to submit three-minute videos from potential supervillains and the 10 best will get on the DVD. Will it be hard to get in?

JW: “Not if they know how to kill!”

NPH: “I would encourage people sending in their submissions to know that the Evil League of Evil is no joke. It’s legitimately hard-core to get in. I would know.”