Joss Whedon has some big plans with Dr Horrible. What started as a fun project to keep off the crazies during the Writers Strike, Clan Whedon +1 put their heads together and a low 6 figure budget to produce a web feature film called Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog. And its become a raving success “breaking the internet” on its first day and remaining the top downloaded iTunes file under the TV Category.
But the fans need not worry. Dr Horrible isn’t over.
An online comic has already been released, a graphic novel is planned and the commentary track on the DVD release will all be sung by the cast and creators. There could be a sequel as well, Harris said.
“Joss has some strange, giant master plan that includes much more than a sequel,” Harris said. “Joss thinks on a great many levels, so when he was pitching it to us, he said, ‘And this will take over the world, and there will be sequels and musicals on stage and feature films and we’ll get our own television network and they’ll name awards after us’ and things like that.”
The mass marketing reminds me of Mel Brooks in Spaceballs. Its not about the movie. The real money is in the MERCHANDIZING! And he couldn’t be more right.
The fans have been itching for some quality Whedon for a while now. Its been 6 years since the sad overlooking of Firefly got it cancelled, and 4 years since Angel went off the air. Ironicly, when Buffy was cancelled by the WB it was ‘uncancelled’ when UPN picked it up for 2 more seasons. Later the WB network would buy out UPN to form a new network “CW”
Now if you recall back then Joss got really bitter with TV and vowed never to return, so it makes sense that he would do this Dr Horrible thing direct to the web. If not just for the fun of working with his brothers just for kicks, but maybe just to show the networks that he has a following that no other TV writer can muster. People WILL watch his shows.
We will see if this holds true. Joss is in fact returning to TV with a midseason series Dollhouse staring Buffy Alum Eliza Dushku.
If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog now. It streams free in three acts at the website. It expires at midnight tonight (Sunday) and after that the only way to see it will be to buy it on iTunes or pick up the DVD eventually available in stores.
It’s so worth it.
