EW Party Is TV Fan Heaven
Some exciting news about Dollhouse; straight from the horses mouth!
I spent a good while chatting with the one and only Joss Whedon (pinch me!), who told me they he just wrapped on the pilot shoot for Dollhouse Friday, and that he has a very good feeling about the series because "Eliza Dushku can play anything, and in this series, she does." Can. Not. Wait. He also very kindly shared this info about the show:
• Joss directs the second episode as well as the finished-on-Friday pilot, just to get things rolling.
• Sarah Fain and Elizabeth Craft are the show runners.
• Steve DeKnight and Tim Minear are both consulting producers on the series.
• Tim is writing and directing the midseason two-parter, namely episodes seven and eight.
• Joss would love to get Jane Espenson to join the gang too, if he could, but she's on Battlestar at the moment and the show's budget might not permit it. (Is it just me or do you want to send Fox a check right about now?)
• As reported earlier this week, Dollhouse will go at midseason, and, according to Joss, it's likely premiering in January.
• There is no Dollhouse presentation planned at the Fox event, but Eliza Dushku might appear on behalf of the show.
• Joss: "I'm still having so much fun. I keep waiting for it to not be fun anymore."
Source: E! Watch with Kristin
EW & Vavoom Upfront Party
Eliza is currently in NYC where she attended several events last night, most notably the 'Entertainment Weekly & Vavoom Host Annual Upfront Party' with brother Nate, as well as the 'Official Concert After Party for Kanye West' -- I've added a mixture of MQ and HQ images to the gallery -- I love Eliza's dress, she looks gorgeous. 
Gallery links and previews are below, enjoy!
In other, related news, the pilot has wrapped filming and has been named 'Echo'. Variety is also reporting that the series shall premiere January 2009, but confirmation of the exact date is expected tomorrow (May 15) in a press release, so be sure to check back for that! I'm also hoping that the cast of Dollhouse will make an appearance, so fingers crossed. 
Gallery Links
- Entertainment Weekly & Vavoom Host Annual Upfront Party - Arrivals/Inside
- Absolut 100 Official Concert After Party for Kanye West
Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain Q&A
There is a fantastic (non-spoilery) question and answer session with writers Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain about the upcoming Dollhouse -- they were part of the writing team on Angel. 
It has also been revealed that Tim Minear (Drive, Angel, etc) is writing episode 7 -- whoo! -- and that the writing team have already started writing episode 8!
All I can say is that the interview is definitely a must read. Read it in full at dollhousetvforum.com (opens in a new window.) Enjoy!
‘Dollhouse’ News Round-up
A quick summary of the latest news surrounding the upcoming Dollhouse:
- Every role currently available has now been cast; the most exciting piece of news I've found is the casting of Amy Acker as Dr. Claire Saunders.
- The Dollhouse pilot is currently shooting with Joss; FOX has ordered seven episodes.
- Dollverse recently posted that, "Dollhouse to be presented to press and advertisers May 15th. We should find out if Dollhouse is Fall or mid-season then."
- Several reviews of the pilot script that have popped up online have been very complimentary.
And I believe that's everything so far.
‘Dollhouse’ News
A round-up of the latest news surrounding Dollhouse, including the full list of characters! Extracts are below; click on the source links to read the articles in full (opens in a new window.)
Joss Whedon will be working with more familiar collaborators on his new series Dollhouse, as the duo of Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain join the writing staff. Craft and Wain first worked with Whedon as writers on Angel during the last two seasons of that series. They then joined The Shield, before leaving to work as the showrunners on ABC's recent Women's Murder Club.
Source: IGN
None of these parts have been cast yet (as far as we know), but here are the characters Joss has come up with:
• Adelle Dewitt, the forty-something ice queen who runs the Dollhouse where Echo and the other "dolls" stay while they're blanked out between missions. It sounds like she'll be creepy and unsavory.
• Paul Ballard, a thirty-something G-man who will become a sort of love interest for Echo (although will she remember him between gigs?).
• Boyd Langton, who's Echo's "handler" and a sort of father figure to her. Sort of the Giles to her Buffy.
• Topher Brink, the geek who programs Echo and the other "dolls," and may enjoy his work a little too much.
• Sierra, one of Echo's fellow "dolls" and the closest thing to a friend she has
• Victor, another "doll," who's amazingly handsome and who has to "play" everyone from Errol Flynn to Robert DeNiro on missions.
• November, another "doll," who's chubbier and more goofy. (She's compared to Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray.)
• Dr. Claire Sanders, a gorgeous older woman whom Topher is in love with.
Source: io9.com
From Buffy to the Dollhouse
It looks like Eliza has set up her own production company, under the name of 'Boston Diva'.
Eliza Dushku may finally be welcoming viewers to her Dollhouse.
The former Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress had announced plans to co-produce and star in a new action-drama from her Buffy creator Joss Whedon mere days before Hollywood's scribes went on strike last November.
Now with the writers off the picket lines, Dollhouse is presumably back on track for a fall launch.
"Joss is a friend. I love him. We want to play hard. We're excited," she tells Sun Media.
...For Dushku, the series marks more than her reunion with Whedon -- it's also the first project she's produced under her budding Boston Diva shingle.
"I just turned 27 and I feel like I'm branching out into who I want to be in this business."
Source: Edmonton Sun
‘Mutant Enemy Day’ Interview
IGN have published an interview with Joss Whedon, Summer Glau and Eliza Dushku about the 'Mutant Enemy Day' strike. Below is an extract featuring Eliza's interview; the full interview can be read here (opens in a new window.)
And finally, under the cut is an extract from Joss Whedon's interview about upcoming show Dollhouse and Eliza's part.
Eliza Dushku also told me she was glad to see so many fans joining the writers and actors on the picket line, remarking "I think it's impressive and it's strong and it's really showing what these people are made of. Their support is deep that they'll walk the walk. We all will." Duskhu said that for her the strike was about the writers "Being taken care of properly in the fairest way, so we'll stand here and support that as long as it takes."
As for TV fans upset about the strike and their shows not being on the air, Dushku said she hoped they would understand that "You don't have shows without writers and writers can't live without their respect and the compensation and their rights. So we gotta join together and remember that if it were actors we would hope that there would be a show of support and hopefully everyone will understand."
‘Dollhouse’ Rumours & Writers’ Strike
The writers' strike is now in effect which means that Joss's and Eliza's new show, Dollhouse will not be happening any time soon as it has now been put on hold - it all depends on if the issues are resolved. Read more at the wonderful new site, Dollverse.
In casting news, Joss has confirmed to Ausiello that a male character will be involved with her Echo alter ego, but, Whedon noted, "not in a buddy way. Their relationship will take some time to come together and will be constantly evolving." If you're thinking Buffy and Angel, Part Deux, think again. "Echo is not capable of having a true love," he insists, since she becomes someone new, body and soul, every week. On the other hand, he contradicts, because of that, in a way, "She'll have a true love every week. It's part of her plight that when she feels something strongly, it gets taken away from her. And the person she's closest to in the show, her relationship with him will not in any way be simple. Nobody in this piece comes away clean."
There are also rumours that Buffy alum, James Marsters, may be joining the show - I'll be sure to keep you guys posted on that!