The Internet Explodes: A Doctor Who movie RE-BOOT?!

As I saw a tweeter on Twitter say:

In the voice of David Tennant: "What? What? WHAT?!"

No, no, no, no, non, nein, nada,  just NO.

I want to be nice. I truly do.

I like David Yates, and he finished the HARRY POTTER film series quite well (for the most part). He has a number of awards under his belt. For all intents and purposes he is one of the better directors out there making films. But there are some properties you don’t touch. There are some properties that are currently stronger than ever. There are some properties with a rabid fanbase that will never accept messing with the object of their fandom.

The news came down last night that David Yates (VIA Jane Tranter of BBC Worldwide) announced, and then BBC America had tweeted that they were “starting work” on a Doctor Who movie ( < --- yeah, that’s right I’m not even capitalizing the idea like I normally do with titles, take THAT establishment) that would “start from scratch” and essentially Re-Boot the franchise.

WTF?!

Let me tell you guys something. First of all I don’t believe that the BBC (who owns the property) would ever let someone make a movie (bad or good) with a FLAGSHIP title that has a long history and mythos and let it be “re-booted from scratch”. I just don’t, so let’s get that out of the way first.

Secondly, when a fanbase (for a property) reacts to news like this with such upset and anger, the same fanbase you want to win over and be your audience...it’s not the best idea. My hope is that the backlash is significant that we won't see something that plans to rip a hole in continuity and canon and change something that is already established, and established well.

The show is doing swimmingly well round the globe. RTD brought it back and made it a big hit in Britain again, and a cult hit in North America, and then Moffat made it an even bigger hit in North America and worldwide...and someone thinks it’s primed for a film version? WHY? Seriously, why does our show, if it is good, have to grow up and be a film? It just doesn't. A film version should not happen unless A. The show is off the air, or B. It is doing horribly bad with ratings ect. Otherwise why mess with something that is working just fine? 

Let’s think of some genre films that were made while their TV incarnations were still airing. X-FILES: A mostly horrible film that was followed by the TV show’s most ridiculous and lacklustre seasons....and then there was...oh wait...I’m out. That’s all I can think of. No seriously, that ought to be a sign right there. NO ONE makes a film version of a TV shows while the show is still airing, it’s TV show suicide. Either the film will be of better quality and show the TV version up (which I think we can agree won't happen here), or the film will be horrible and fans will be left distraught that anyone messed with their program in the first place.

Is the Peter Cushing movie canon (not really, but so far he’s our only anomaly)? Is the TV movie from the 90’s (that one at least seems to be canon since the 8^th Doctor has been acknowledged)? I’m pretty sure that RTD and Moffat have built a STRONG base for a FUTURE film. You see that? In ten years time when the show might have run its course and gone off the air, then a film version would be a viable project. Right now though, it’s experiencing the same sort of internet backlash that so many “film projects” do and I hope that will prove to David Yates and Jane Tranter that we, the fans (though I'm sure I don't speak for every fan, I'm probably not off base to assume a lot agree), don’t want this. Find another property to flog and maim because we won't support this sort of nonsense idea at the box office.