Original Buffy cast returning for new sequel Audible series

[matt]

ew.com/podcasts/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-stars-returning-audible-series/


Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is bringing back original cast members James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Head, Juliet Landau, Emma Caulfield Ford, Amber Benson, James Charles Leary, and Danny Strong.


It's time to return to the Hellmouth!



EW can exclusively reveal that original Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars are returning for a new story set in the show's universe, but this time with Spike (James Marsters) as the hero. Audible's Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is an audio original set 20 years after the series finale and features Marsters reprising his role along with Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Head, Juliet Landau, Emma Caulfield Ford, Amber Benson, James Charles Leary, and Danny Strong, as well as newcomer Laya DeLeon Hayes.




The Slayers story begins as Spike has gone deep undercover in Los Angeles, convincing the forces of darkness that he's back to his evil ways. But when his cover is compromised by 16-year-old Indira Nunnally (Hayes), Spike finds himself on baby-slayer-sitting duty once more. While he attempts to track down a watcher for his eager new protégé, their paths collide with the veteran Slayer of a parallel reality where Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) never existed, and Cordelia Chase (Carpenter) is the one-and-only Slayer. And Cordelia needs Spike's help with a classic big bad terrorizing her world... his old flame, Drusilla (Landau).

Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, won't make an appearance we're afraid, and that's covered in the plot. The story will pick up a decade after that series finale, as Spike tries to blend in among the forces of darkness in Los Angeles. Sadly, the game is up thanks to teen Slayer Indira Nunnally (Laya DeLeon Hayes), who blows his cover. Tasked with finding a Watcher for her, Spike finds his way into a parallel universe in which Buffy Summers doesn't exist (we've been here before) and Spike's ex Drusilla is the big villain.



"I'm ecstatic to be back with my dear friends for this next chapter in the Buffyverse, as we take listeners on a familiar but unexpected journey chock full of horror, passion and mischief," Marsters says. "I'm excited for old and new fans to experience this beloved world of vampire slaying like never before, brought to life through immersive audio storytelling."


"Slayers: A Buffyverse Story offers a fresh, dynamic take on a cult-classic that takes listeners on a fun and nostalgic ride," Rachel Ghiazza, Chief Content Officer at Audible, says. "The all-star cast reprising beloved roles, as well as newcomers, bring to life a storyline that will entertain fans of the original series and pull in first-time Sunnydale visitors."



Slayers: A Buffyverse Story was written by Benson and Christopher Golden, and directed by Benson, Golden, and Kc Wayland. It premieres Oct. 12, and fans can get a deeper look at the new series at New York Comic Con with a panel on Oct. 13 at 1:30 p.m. ET and at Audible's Slayers-themed activation all weekend long.

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story will premiere October 12 on Audible, which has shared a video that shows the likes of Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), Amber Benson (Tara), and Juliet Landau (Drusilla) returning to their iconic roles in the recording booth.

[Tim]

Kind of like how Big Finish audios kept Doctor Who alive between the Classic and Modern series.

[Dark Avenger]

Oct 5, 2023 23:21:01 GMT -5 Tim said:

Kind of like how Big Finish audios kept Doctor Who alive between the Classic and Modern series.

Yeah you're right. 

It's pretty neat to see the cast reunite for this. At least this can be done at any point, since its an audio. Timeline makes no difference. So the cast can audio their characters being 20 years younger. 

[Tim]

Yup.

[Sunday]

Oct 9, 2023 17:30:37 GMT -5 Dark Avenger said:

Oct 5, 2023 23:21:01 GMT -5 Tim said:

Kind of like how Big Finish audios kept Doctor Who alive between the Classic and Modern series.

Yeah you're right. 

It's pretty neat to see the cast reunite for this. At least this can be done at any point, since its an audio. Timeline makes no difference. So the cast can audio their characters being 20 years younger. 

It sure does. It is much more flexible for the cast. Plus vampires don't age so the actors can voice them as if they're immortal. 

If this gets off the grounds with success. Maybe it could see more done in the future and or more shows jumping on the bandwagon. 

[SpnFanJackie]

Sounds good. Not sure if it's available outside of the US.

[Dark Avenger]

Oct 14, 2023 0:55:18 GMT -5 SpnFanJackie said:

Sounds good. Not sure if it's available outside of the US.

Yeah I'm not sure. But maybe someone will upload it so we all can listen to it.

[Katie]

variety.com/2023/tv/features/buffy-cast-reunion-audible-slayers-cordelia-spike-tara-1235749663/

The cast of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is ready to reclaim the narrative. Through the new Audible original, “Slayers: A Buffyverse Story,” several actors from the acclaimed drama series are back together to play their beloved characters once again — this time in an audio original podcast.



“Slayers” is co-written by Amber Benson, who portrayed Tara in “Buffy,” and Christopher Golden, who has penned multiple books in the “Buffyverse.” Before the COVID pandemic, Benson began calling her former costars to see who might want to be involved, focusing on the characters she felt weren’t serviced enough in the original show. She also wanted to find a way to highlight what it means to be a slayer who is also a woman of color.



That’s where Laya DeLeon Hayes came in, portraying 16-year-old Slayer Indira Nunnally in the new series, which takes place in 2013, 10 years after “Buffy” ended. James Marsters returns as Spike, the narrator of “Slayers” who is searching for a watcher for Indira. On that journey, they collide with a slayer from “a parallel reality where Buffy Summers never existed.” In this universe, Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) is the one-and-only Slayer — and the big bad is Spike’s former pet, Drusilla (Juliet Landau). “Buffy” stars Anthony Head (as Giles), Emma Caulfield Ford (as Anya and Anyaka), James Charles Leary (as Clem) and Danny Strong (as ghost Jonathan) also star.



“I want to live in the meta world where Charisma Carpenter is Cordelia, the Vampire Slayer. That was the pull for me,” says Benson of why she created “Slayers.”



Joss Whedon is the original creator of all of these characters. In 2021, Carpenter, among numerous others, alleged that Whedon abused his power on the set of “Buffy” and its spinoff, “Angel.” She claimed that she was fired from the show, resulting in Cordelia being killed off.



Variety has confirmed that Whedon gave the “Slayers” creators the OK to create a new story with these characters. Whedon did not respond to Variety‘s request for comment.



In an exclusive interview, Benson, Marsters and Carpenter dove into the new Audible original, which debuts on Oct. 12. Due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, they could not speak on their experiences on “Buffy,” “Angel” or any other struck work.



Amber, why did you want to do this now?



Amber Benson: The reason I got excited about doing “Slayers” was because I wanted to see Charisma be a vampire slayer. I want to live in the meta world where Charisma Carpenter is Cordelia, the Vampire Slayer. That was the pull for me. We spent a ton of time trying to create satisfying arcs for all of these characters that we love so much. It’s been a labor of love. For me, doing this was about diving into a world where I get to have some control over things.



Why set it in 2013 instead of 2023?



Benson: We wanted a passage of time so there was an entrenched world where slayers existed in our world and they were everywhere — especially because we have Laya who takes audiences through this mythology. She’s like a fangirl of vampire slaying, and is on the Reddit forums. We didn’t want it so entrenched that we were so far removed from other times. We wanted that sweet spot of the world knows about this stuff, but it’s not an old hat.


What was it like getting back in the room to record with everyone?



James Marsters: We love each other so much that it was absolutely fabulous. I was just able to watch Charisma step into this role and have it make complete sense. It is so far from the Charisma that we started with years ago. It couldn’t be further, and yet, it makes absolute sense. Just her as an actor, being able to give a strong, loving, slightly world-weary, wise perspective to it, this absolutely seems like what Cordelia would be like in 2013. And I loved watching Amber take her character in a completely new direction. It absolutely makes sense, but it couldn’t be further from the Tara that we started with. And I was in awe of Juliet Landau.



And then Seth Green showed up! He’s not even in it, but he was recording something else in another booth at the building, and he heard we were in there. He comes in, and the whole thing stops. We didn’t do any work for 45 minutes because we’ve just gotta love on Seth. It was a complete love fest the whole time. We’re all in a really good place. All of our lives are going really well, so we could brag about how well we’re doing. Plus, meeting Laya DeLeon Hayes, having her fold into our family — and she’s the most experienced voice actor of all of us!



The last time you played Spike was in 2004. How did feel stepping back into it?



Marsters: I had told the producers way back when: “I’ve been doing Spike for about seven years, and if you want me to do the character, you’ve got about seven more years. I think we can get away with it for a 14-year window.” Spike is a vampire, he ain’t aging, but James is! Seven years came and went; it hadn’t happened, and I put it in the rear-view mirror. Then Amber calls me! And it was perfect.



Tara was a very important character on TV, and it was really devastating how that arc ended. Amber, can you hint at what she’s like now in this alternate universe?



Benson: She’s a very kind-hearted character, and we wanted to give her some meat. So we found a way, without spoiling anything, to give her something to sink her teeth into. We also wanted to keep the goodness of her, and it’s still in there, but we go to some darker places. And selfishly, as an actor, I wanted to work with Charisma, to do more with James, to spend time with Juliet. I have a lot of fun stuff with Juliet!



Charisma, you’ve been very vocal about your experience on “Buffy.” What was your reaction to getting the ask to come back into this world and bring Cordelia back? Were you hesitant at all?



Charisma Carpenter: When I got a call from Amber in 2020, I said, “You know, my friend, I would follow you anywhere. Of course, I want to be a part of it.” I didn’t know where it would end up, or certainly what medium it would be in, but it wouldn’t matter. I would just do it because I trust her vision. I trust her and I respect her talent as a writer and creator and I just love her to pieces.



How did it feel for you to be able to give Cordelia this entirely new life?



Carpenter: I think I felt a bit lost. Because the description of Cordelia and the scenes were the world-weary, kind of doom and gloom. I’m kind of saddled with this young slayer that’s super excited. How do I play this embattled slayer, who’s living their purpose and sees it really as the burden that it is — taking on the big bad — and infusing that with the Cordelia from before, which is sassy and witty and pithy and all those superficial things? How do I balance them? So for me, it was such an interesting dilemma to figure out. I spent a lot of time with Christopher and Amber, stressed, going, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” I didn’t think it was possible to bring more layers to Cordelia, because I feel like she went through so much in terms of her character arc from beginning to end.



Marsters: It’s so funny because, from my perspective, you came in and effortlessly did this. It didn’t seem to be a struggle at all!






When this was announced, many referred to it as a Spike-focused series because he’s the narrator, but this universe has always been so about female empowerment. Do you guys see it that way?



Marsters: I saw that, and was like, “Oh, didn’t clock that before. I don’t think so, but OK! It’s called ‘Slayers!'”



Benson: And he came up with that name!



Marsters: Yeah, first we thought of “Spike and Dru,” but reading the script, that wasn’t really the thing. We have two new slayers that we haven’t had before: Cordelia and Indira. We’ve been promising the audience there’s a new slayer for a new generation. Every generation has one. We never made good on that promise. So, you had to wait — now you get two.



Benson: I think it’s a multi-pronged narrative. We have amazing Spike stuff. And he is the narrator and he takes us through this and has so many amazing arcs and relationships. The Juliet/James combo is electrifying.



Marsters: Spike is a great character, but he doesn’t encapsulate the theme. I’m in the project a lot, but what are you going to call it, “Spike, the Vampire, Slayer of Vampires?” It’s not the same thing. It is much more exciting to keep it focused, as it always has been, on a woman who is overcoming the challenges of life, and using a vampire demon metaphor to talk about those challenges. That’s one of the big strengths of the project since the beginning. I was glad with all the changes, all the updates and all of the surprises that we’re offering, that that kernel is kept. I would never want to get away from that.



Benson: Charisma, you should also talk about this because the “Justice for Cordelia” aspect is very important.



Charisma, please! Let’s hear it!



Carpenter: One of the most important things to me about “Slayers” is that it is an opportunity to give the “Buffyverse” fandom permission to enjoy the show, enjoy these characters again in a way that is representative of perseverance, of work ethic, of the familiar. It has really been made clear to me how much entertainment in general and the previous show and what this future show will do to provide comfort, empowerment, self-belief and reminders of our purpose. I think it will be an opportunity to give credit and justice to Tara, to Anya, to Cordelia. Because that show involved hundreds of people to make, and it wasn’t about just one person. So I feel like it’s really a beautiful thing to have this opportunity to bring her back to life — Cordelia specifically — and have her live out a very empowering life, and share her wisdom from that battle. I just feel like it’s very poetic in a lot of ways.



Spike is a bit of a controversial character, especially through the 2023 lens. Amber, how did you come to the decision to have him narrate?



Benson: No. 1, it’s always important to separate the actor from the character. And I know that James has spoken about this. He is one of the best humans, I adore James. But yeah, there is problematic stuff with the character, especially around consent. We really wanted to do something different and not live in the past. So for us, it was sort of a reinvention of the Spike character. We wanted to see more of that human and empathetic version of Spike. That was really important to us — the more James-version of Spike. He still has all the Spike bells and whistles. He’s still sexy as hell. But we also wanted to see that humanity and I think that was one of the reasons James Leary is such a big part of this. There is a humanity. James really wanted to make sure we still kept him Spike, but we updated for 2023.


Again, I know you can’t talk about the past projects here, but many of these characters weren’t there at the end — specifically Cordelia, who’d died in “Angel.” Are you ignoring the events of “Angel” completely?



Benson: We really created “Slayers” away from everything else. We wanted to create a world that felt familiar, but also was different — because I think putting your own stamp on something is really important. I think that’s what Chris and I wanted to do — find a way to do the things that we thought were important, some of those righting of wrongs things. That was important for us. We weren’t really looking at other versions of these worlds to draw from it really was. We tried to keep it its own unique thing.



Well, it is based on characters previously created. Was it a struggle to get permission to take ownership of these characters?



Benson: We can’t really talk about this stuff because of the strike and because also, sometimes, the creation is the creation, and the creators are totally removed. And for me, just personally, I will say this, I always had trouble going to conventions and not being honest about certain situations. And now that all of that is sort of grist for the mill, I feel this relief that I can love this world and these characters and have a little bit of a little tiny, tiny piece of ownership in them. I love this world, I love the family I have because of it. I love the fans I have in my life. A show is not always just the person that came up with a show. A show is a collaboration for us on “Slayers.”



Speaking broadly about ownership of creative material, it really is a collaborative media. It’s not one person. The auteur theory does not apply here. It takes a village.



Marsters: The genetic material is there because Amber breathed it. She is a fabulous writer, and Christopher Golden has been writing books in the Buffyverse for years. So it’s kind of a seamless continuum. It’s not just like a bunch of people who don’t know much about the lore or don’t care about it. There are people who’ve been involved from the beginning, in the driver’s seat.



Were there other characters or actors you wanted to bring back?



Benson: For us, the important thing is to do service to characters that maybe didn’t get the right servicing in other versions. So we really focused on that. That was really important for us.



Well, Seth Green popped in! Were there ever any talks of bringing him on?



Benson: We were talking about it, but we had such a full slate of characters that once we looked at it, we were like we can’t service everybody if you have too many characters. It was really important for us to make sure everybody had a satisfying arc. If we do multiple seasons, then we can bring in other people and give them new things to do. Seth is definitely on our list. Clare Kramer too, we would love to have Glory come and play. There’s just so many amazing characters to bring in.



Do you see this going for multiple seasons?



Benson: I would love to do more seasons. Emma Caulfield was like, “When do we do the next one?” We really would love to do more. We love the team at Audible and Audible UK. They’re all fans. They all love this world. So we would love to jump back in and do more. It’s really up to the fans!



“Slayers: A Buffyverse Story” is available exclusively on Audible on Oct. 12. This interview has been edited and condensed.

[Tim]

Nice pics.

[Melinda Halliwell]

It looks like this will be a good thing for Buffy fans.

I was surprised reading Amber Benson's heading and created this as I hadn't seen her behind the scenes before but upfront mainly as an actress though it's known some celebrities go on to write or direct things then.

Anyone disheartened about what happened with certain characters and how they were treated in the series or Angel in Cordelia's case will be happy knowing they're treated better here obviously.

And having someone who wrote Buffy books for years be on the project also is good so there's that continuation factor as well naturally.

[SpnFanJackie]

Oct 15, 2023 0:22:00 GMT -5 Melinda Halliwell said:

It looks like this will be a good thing for Buffy fans.

I was surprised reading Amber Benson's heading and created this as I hadn't seen her behind the scenes before but upfront mainly as an actress though it's known some celebrities go on to write or direct things then.

Anyone disheartened about what happened with certain characters and how they were treated in the series or Angel in Cordelia's case will be happy knowing they're treated better here obviously.

And having someone who wrote Buffy books for years be on the project also is good so there's that continuation factor as well naturally.

I agree, its a good thing for Buffy fans. An audio series is much more flexible.

I didn't know Amber was behind the scenes. But she's written other things in the past according to her profile, including two Buffy comics.

Yeah, he wrote the Buffy books for years, so the project is in good hands. So he knows the characters well. 

[Tim]

Worked for Doctor Who.

[Sunday]

[Dark Avenger]

I enjoyed the video. They all had a great time with it.

I found out Audible is available for me in Australia. Also, I don't have to pay for it, you are able to get a free trial and or get access to one audible podcast for free, and then you have to pay. So this Buffy one will be my free one.

[Trinity]

Haven't gotten around to this. I did find out I can listen to this via audible for free, I think you can listen to one audio book for free. So I won't need a subscription.