David Yates was interviewed on the red carpet the other day about his plans for the Doctor Who movie which amounted to little more than we had already heard the man say - he was seeking out a writer to bring it to life. However, it prompted an interesting response from Steven Moffat who, the last time Yates spoke, seemed to know nothing about a movie and indeed suggested it would have nothing to do with them. This time, Mr Moffat, has said that any movie would be made by the current development team, would star the current Doctor and would not be a Hollywood reboot. Which seems to be the exact opposite of what David Yates originally said - it would be a reboot, it would not have anything to do with Steven Moffat and would be independant of the television series. Clearly there is some miscommunication somewhere, or alternatively, someone is a very unhappy showrunner.
Fans, of course, have fallen apart at the merest suggestion that the movie should be a reboot, and having retrieved their daggers from Steven Moffat's back, they quickly plunged them into David Yates'. But is Yates' original plan such a bad idea?
The first thing that should be noted is that Yates hasn't actually committed to directing the movie - he's merely developing it with Jane Tranter. It does seem very likely that the man would direct, and frankly he's probably the best person for the job. His handling of the Harry Potter films was nothing short of superb, and he seems to understand how a film of a different media needs to be made; getting rid of what is unnecessary and refining the story to be film friendly. In truth, fans should be happy that someone like Yates is the man being entrusted with the film.
So, should Steven Moffat, or even Russell T Davies be involved? The fact is that both these gentlemen would probably be more than a little miffed if, on being given the show, they were told to go back and consult with their predecessors for a bit of advice. At best it smacks of unprofessionalism; at worst it indicates that the choice to make the film was not the right one at all. David Yates, like Davies, Moffat and all of their predecessors, should be given the freedom to develop Doctor Who in whatever manner he so chooses. To be forced to fall in line with another's creative vision is a waste of getting someone like Yates to make the film.
Now, before we move onto the next point, let me make one thing clear - I want the UK television series to remain on air, being made every year, as has been the status quo since 2005. Now I say this, because we need to understand one thing - if a movie uses the current television Doctor (and let's be serious, by the time the film is made it won't be Matt Smith), the television show will be suspended. It is simply not feasible for an actor to make a big-budget sci-fi Doctor Who film and a full 14 episode series of Doctor Who in one year. If the movie goes ahead with the current Doctor, the series will be put on hold for at least a year. If the movie is successful, the BBC may even consider ending the series. After all in a time when the BBC is strapped for cash, if Hollywood can provide money to bring a big budget Who film in every couple of years, why waste their own to make a series? From a purely economic point of view, it would make more sense to end the series and let the movies progress, making money for the BBC without the series costs involved.
I don't care if there is a US version of Doctor Who, of if there is a big screen reboot, I don't want to see the television series end. And if a reboot is what it takes to keep me getting 13 episodes every year on BBC1, then I say reboot for all it's worth.
Everyone needs to get a slight sense of perspective in regards to this movie. A big screen Doctor Who movie will need to be a success internationally, and most importantly America. You can pretend all you like, but the truth is that, at present, Doctor Who is not an American success. Yes, it rates very well on BBC America, but if it went to NBC or CBS and had those same ratings, it would be cancelled within three weeks. The Playboy Club was getting three times the ratings Doctor Who gets in America, and it was canned after three weeks. Doctor Who is lucky in America as, on BBC America, the rules are different. A successful movie cannot rely on the television series to make it in America. Fans will see it no matter what, and the English audience will also see it. More importantly, the general English audience won't care if it's a reboot.
Finally, we also have to realise that reboots are not the kiss of death they use to be. Casino Royale breathed new life into the James Bond franchise and was more successful than Die Another Day. The Star Trek reboot proved that that franchise also had a life in it, despite the fact that the last few films and television series seemed to suggest it was on it's very last legs. But take another angle - the Ultimate Marvel reboot comics were just as successful as the regular series (more so in some cases), and both were running at the same time. Though Doctor Who is in a healthy position, a reboot film could be just as good as the series that spawned it, and if handled by a competent production team (and at present it seems that that seems to be in place), then we could get the best of both worlds - a regular television series, and a regular movie series. Really, what's not to like?
Fans, of course, have fallen apart at the merest suggestion that the movie should be a reboot, and having retrieved their daggers from Steven Moffat's back, they quickly plunged them into David Yates'. But is Yates' original plan such a bad idea?
The first thing that should be noted is that Yates hasn't actually committed to directing the movie - he's merely developing it with Jane Tranter. It does seem very likely that the man would direct, and frankly he's probably the best person for the job. His handling of the Harry Potter films was nothing short of superb, and he seems to understand how a film of a different media needs to be made; getting rid of what is unnecessary and refining the story to be film friendly. In truth, fans should be happy that someone like Yates is the man being entrusted with the film.
So, should Steven Moffat, or even Russell T Davies be involved? The fact is that both these gentlemen would probably be more than a little miffed if, on being given the show, they were told to go back and consult with their predecessors for a bit of advice. At best it smacks of unprofessionalism; at worst it indicates that the choice to make the film was not the right one at all. David Yates, like Davies, Moffat and all of their predecessors, should be given the freedom to develop Doctor Who in whatever manner he so chooses. To be forced to fall in line with another's creative vision is a waste of getting someone like Yates to make the film.
Now, before we move onto the next point, let me make one thing clear - I want the UK television series to remain on air, being made every year, as has been the status quo since 2005. Now I say this, because we need to understand one thing - if a movie uses the current television Doctor (and let's be serious, by the time the film is made it won't be Matt Smith), the television show will be suspended. It is simply not feasible for an actor to make a big-budget sci-fi Doctor Who film and a full 14 episode series of Doctor Who in one year. If the movie goes ahead with the current Doctor, the series will be put on hold for at least a year. If the movie is successful, the BBC may even consider ending the series. After all in a time when the BBC is strapped for cash, if Hollywood can provide money to bring a big budget Who film in every couple of years, why waste their own to make a series? From a purely economic point of view, it would make more sense to end the series and let the movies progress, making money for the BBC without the series costs involved.
I don't care if there is a US version of Doctor Who, of if there is a big screen reboot, I don't want to see the television series end. And if a reboot is what it takes to keep me getting 13 episodes every year on BBC1, then I say reboot for all it's worth.
Everyone needs to get a slight sense of perspective in regards to this movie. A big screen Doctor Who movie will need to be a success internationally, and most importantly America. You can pretend all you like, but the truth is that, at present, Doctor Who is not an American success. Yes, it rates very well on BBC America, but if it went to NBC or CBS and had those same ratings, it would be cancelled within three weeks. The Playboy Club was getting three times the ratings Doctor Who gets in America, and it was canned after three weeks. Doctor Who is lucky in America as, on BBC America, the rules are different. A successful movie cannot rely on the television series to make it in America. Fans will see it no matter what, and the English audience will also see it. More importantly, the general English audience won't care if it's a reboot.
Finally, we also have to realise that reboots are not the kiss of death they use to be. Casino Royale breathed new life into the James Bond franchise and was more successful than Die Another Day. The Star Trek reboot proved that that franchise also had a life in it, despite the fact that the last few films and television series seemed to suggest it was on it's very last legs. But take another angle - the Ultimate Marvel reboot comics were just as successful as the regular series (more so in some cases), and both were running at the same time. Though Doctor Who is in a healthy position, a reboot film could be just as good as the series that spawned it, and if handled by a competent production team (and at present it seems that that seems to be in place), then we could get the best of both worlds - a regular television series, and a regular movie series. Really, what's not to like?
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