Joss Talks “Dollhouse”, Strike

IGN.com conducted an interview with Joss Whedon at last week’s “Mutant Enemy Day” on the picket line, named in honor of Joss Whedon’s production company. Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly, was joined by writers from all of those aforementioned shows — including Tim Minear, Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson, David Fury, Doug Petrie, Ben Edlund, Brett Matthews, Drew Goddard and more — not to mention a large collection of fans (some of whom had flown from around the world to show support) and many notable actors from Whedon’s work, including Nathan Fillion, Nicholas Brendon, Summer Glau, Eliza Dushku, J. August Richards, Juliet Landau, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, and more. According to fan reports, Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, began the day by bringing 1000 donuts to those in attendance.

Here’s an excerpt in which Joss talks about Dollhouse:

IGN TV: Your new show was announced about a week before this strike started. I assume you’d be working on it right now if things were different?

Whedon: Yes, actually we’d be close to filming the first episode. But that’s not gonna happen. Nor am I secretly working on it, as many people talk about. First of all, there’s too much strike work to be done. And second of all, it doesn’t feel right. So I’m very happy to pick it up once the strike is resolved, whenever that is, but in the meantime I don’t go near it.

IGN TV: When this is all over, what can you say about Dollhouse and what it will deliver?

Whedon: What can I say about the show? Well, first of all, have you seen Eliza?! It’s basically going to deliver as many different genres and as many different identities and as many different rhythms and feelings with Eliza. And that was the idea of it, was a show that would keep both of us on our toes and that would really challenge us, both in terms of storytelling and in terms of the morality of the show. It’s very dark and very weird. Eliza is a good, smart, liberal, dedicated person, who wants to make a show of substance. When we had lunch and I came up with this idea, she got it instantly. She got the humanity of it. She’s perfect for it. It’s really about showing America how much Eliza can do that she hasn’t had a chance to do yet.

IGN TV: In terms of tone, will it be similar to any of your previous work?

Whedon: Not really. It’s different. It’s new ground, which is the only ground I should be watching, except for this ground in front of Fox, which for me right now is pretty old.

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