Whedon Waited Too Long: The Sad Reality Of The Rumoured Spike Movie

In the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, few characters were as complex or beloved as Spike. The platinum-haired vampire with a punk rock attitude was originally introduced as a villain but quickly became a fan favourite due to his charisma, dry wit, and later his surprising depth. When the series came to an end in 2003, fans were left wondering what would become of Spike after his transition into the spin off series Angel. In 2004, plans were announced for a Spike-centric movie that would have explored the character's post-Buffy adventures. The film promised to dive deeper into Spike's past and present, and to give fans even more of what they loved about the character. 

Despite initial excitement and promises of production, the Spike movie ultimately never came to be. We're taking a closer look at the proposed Buffy spin-off, exploring why the Spike movie didn't materialise, and what we might have seen if Spike had his own feature film.

What was the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Spike Movie about?

In 2014, Dark Horse Comics released "Spike: Into The Light," a graphic novel based on a proposed movie script by James Marsters for a film centered around the character of Spike from Buffy and Angel. Marsters' script was discussed with Joss Whedon and eventually made into a comic by Derlis Santacruz, Dan Jackson, and Steve Morris. Set between the end of Season 6 and the beginning of Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story follows Spike's struggles as a newly soulful and homeless vampire trying to survive without resorting to his criminal past. As he seeks redemption, he encounters a monster threatening children and confronts his past, all while needing a new pair of boots. The comic loosely follows the plot of the proposed movie and provides fans with a glimpse into what could have been a new chapter in the Spike story.

See below of Tim Minear's idea for the Spike Movie script.

Why did James Masters not want to be involved in the Spike movie?

When asked by Whedon in 2004 if James Masters would be willing to portray Spike in future projects, Marsters stated that he would be available for up to seven years following the conclusion of the "Angel" series. He believed that he had become too old for the part by 2011. 

The notion had been abandoned by 2006, and James Marsters, who played the character Spike, affirmed in 2012 that he would not be returning to the role due to his age. In a June 2016 interview, Marsters mentioned that he may reprise his role as Spike if technological advancements were sufficient to persuade viewers that Spike had not aged.

There Was Going To Be An Angel Movie?

In 2004, when the television series Angel was cancelled, the WB expressed interest in creating Angel TV movies. However, it was later revealed that David Boreanaz, who had portrayed the character for eight years on television, was only willing to reprise his role if it was for a theatrical release.

Who Would Write The Spike Movie?

Tim Minear shared in 2005 that he “had lunch with Joss and he asked me if I wanted to write and direct some blond vampire movie thing”.

The Spike movie was set to have Tim Minear as the primary writer and director with the support of Whedon. Minear had planned a story different from Marster's proposed script. The cast was planned to include James Marsters as Spike, Amy Acker as Illyria, and possibly Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg. J. August Richards was also set to reprise his role as Charles Gunn, who would play the main villain after being turned into a vampire. Whedon revealed that the Spike movie would take place after "the end of Buffy and Angel".

David Janollari, President of Entertainment at The WB at the time said in January 2006 that, "We'd love to do a Spike movie with Joss Whedon." However he also added that "Joss Whedon is busy, fast becoming a kind of a big feature filmmaker. He's simply not available to us. But he knows, and you guys all know, the door is open any time that he wants to do that, for us to do that movie."

Who Would Star in The Spike Movie?

After 2004, Whedon's focus shifted towards other projects, including Serenity, Wonder Woman, and Astonishing X-Men. Nonetheless, he had conversations with some people about the possibility of making the Spike movie. He expressed interest in having Amy Acker involved in the project and mentioned that Alyson Hannigan might appear if she was available. Whedon even hinted at the possibility of linking the Spike movie with the Buffy comics he was planning to write for Dark Horse in 2007.

Whedon has persistently pursued the production and broadcasting of the Spike movie, enlisting the help of interested parties led by Minear and featuring Marsters and Acker. In March 2006, Whedon disclosed on the UK TV Channel MTV Screenplay that he was still actively working to bring the Spike movie to fruition. At the Saturn Awards in May 2006, Whedon announced that he had pitched the idea to multiple entities, which presumably includes 20th Century Fox, the rights holder of the Buffyverse, but had not yet received any response.

Amy Acker annouced at a convention in May 2006 that the Spike movie would probably not be happening, “I think its safe to say that’s not happening anymore, cause if they were, they’d be getting done right now. There was supposed to be three of them –- one for Spike, a Faith one and also one for Willow. I think it's safe to say that now because it's not going to happen”. 

In June of 2006, Joss Whedon said that funding for the Spike movie was a problem: "There are certain characters I’ve been saving because I thought I might make movies about them, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. I think money is standing in the way".

While various reasons have been cited for the project's demise, including difficulties in securing financing and obtaining feedback from key entities, it seems that the Spike movie remains a tantalising possibility that may never be realised. Nevertheless, fans of the iconic vampire can still enjoy James Marsters' outstanding performance in the original television series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which remains a beloved classic in the annals of television history.

Thanks for reading "Whedon Waited Too Long: The Sad Reality Of The Rumoured Spike Movie" on January Media.