Joss Whedon

Jesse Knight chats with Joss Whedon, the creator of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL and the upcoming film SERENITY. In this, the conclusion of a three-part interview, Whedon discusses his planned film version of WONDER WOMAN and more.

DARKWORLDS: What has been inspiring you lately as far as film or TV?

WHEDON: The amount of WITHOUT A TRACE I’ve been watching has been pretty embarrassing. We have young kids, so when you have kids, you take naps, you basically have 45-minute windows. I finally did see THE INCREDIBLES, and everybody was right about that. But I have to say the movie that made me absolutely the most gleeful in the last year was SHAUN OF THE DEAD. That’s the kind of movie that makes me want to make movies.

DW: And those guys are fans of yours too, aren’t they?

WHEDON: Are they? That’s cool.

DW: Well, they have a (UK TV) show and I know there are references and jokes about BUFFY and ANGEL.

WHEDON: Sweet! I met Simon Pegg backstage at a convention, we were about to go on, and I didn’t know who he was or what was going on, and I said “Hey. Hi... I don’t where we’re meeting.” Because I’m always terrified before I do a panel. And then I saw the movie and I was like, “Oh, you’re way cooler than me. I should’ve been politer some.”

DW: Why do you get like that before a panel?

WHEDON: Public speaking makes me nervous. And I couldn’t have an easier audience than a bunch of fans. (laughter) But I still just get like that. There’s great, notable Shakespearean actors who still get nervous before a performance, so I think that I’m not in danger of getting over it any time soon.

DW: Is there any news on WONDER WOMAN?

WHEDON: There is no news. Just that I plan to start writing it some time.

DW: It’s not at your leisure, right?

WHEDON: It is, pretty much. There is no start date. One of the reasons I took the project is that they don’t need it yesterday. So I have time to kick back, recover a little bit from this experience and more importantly get it right. It will be, I think, an easier job than SERENITY was, for writing anyway, because it does have an easy sell.

DW: What are you working on today?

WHEDON: Today, we’re doing a little ADR (for SERENITY, the upcoming film based on Whedon’s TV series FIREFLY). I’m going to see Nathan (Fillion) and Morena (Baccarin) for looping some lines. And then, let’s see, I think I have another special effects meeting and I have to deal with the marketing thing, and then... you know, there’s a bunch of stuff. I’m not even positive. I just show up, and then someone tells me what I have to solve. And it’s actually a light day. Next week, we do the last temp mix. Oh god, I have to deal with a really difficult actress right now, so... if you could print it in your article: “Baccarin makes life a hell for Whedon.” And so homely. Such a homely creature. So I guess I gotta do that.