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No Doctor Who movie just yet

"If and when the movie happens it will need to star television's Doctor Who," insists Steven Moffat.

After those confusing reports about a possible Doctor Who movie that would operate independently from the TV series (including with other cast members), producer Steven Moffat has allayed concerns.

“There are no developed plans for a Doctor Who movie at the moment,” he tells The Sun.

“It’s an incredibly exciting idea to get that magic blue box flying across our cinema screens.

“But if and when the movie happens it will need to star television’s Doctor Who — and there’s only ever one of those at a time.”

His comments follow Harry Potter director David Yates exploring a film with Jane Tranter, head of L.A.-based BBC Worldwide Prods.

“The brilliant David Yates was talking off the cuff and a little prematurely,” explained Moffat.

Phew!

A new Christmas special airs on Boxing Day on ABC1.

8 Responses

  1. Moffatt moved straight away on Twitter to put this rubbish to bed – although I suppose he was a litle obtuse for the Sun and co and had to actually come out and say it. This has done little to “allay” fans excitement or fears depending on who you talk to – a Tardis has been sited at Warners.
    Some are saying Moffatt only came out to put is oar in the water and lobby for the writing job on the movie. To be honest I don’t care either way. Doctor Who is the Beeb’s cash cow – they will have to weigh up if they will make a tonne of money if they make this movie or if it will just damage the series. I’m not a fan of Yates but I trust Jane Trantor. And its not as if this would even be the first Doctor Who movie.

  2. Could we perhaps see once the television series ends, Doctor Who live on at the cinemas with a movie every couple of years, but turn it into something of a James Bond franchise whereby an actor has the role for a few of the movies before they move on and someone else is selected.

  3. Thank heaven for that. The yanks would have made a total mess of it.

    And honestly, with the show now made in HD and in 16:9 and with excellent state of the art effects, I’d rather have 13x45mins epiosdes each year than one 100 minute movie every 3 years or so.

  4. @ Kevin – I think we’ve already seen Moffat address the lives thingy. When River saves the Doctor with all her extra regenerations. I wouldn’t be surprised if that gets revisited again down the road.

  5. BBC would need to sell the overseas rights to raise the money for any Dr. Who cinema film, that’d need to have a large budget if they don’t want it to look like TV and it’d also have to have a lot more action than the TV show normally would. The Doctor is meant to have 13 lives and is currently on his 11th, so when his 13th has been used up, that’d the best angle to go with.

  6. Phew?

    What Moffat has said doesn’t contradict anything Yates has said, and in truth Moffat doesn’t have the say over who will star in a Doctor Who movie. I love Steven Moffat and what he’s done for Doctor Who, but David Yates has a lot of pull and it’s the BBC that owns Doctor Who, not Steven Moffat. If the Director General and the Controller of BBC and BBC Worldwide and various other BBC execs decide that David Yates can proceed with a Doctor Who movie independent of the series, ultimately Steven Moffat has no say over it.

    All David Yates has said is that he’s developing a movie with Jane Tranter and he intends for that movie to be a reboot independent over Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat. There’s been no allaying of so-called concerns, and in truth Doctor Who fans really need to get some perspective on this issue.

    If this movie goes ahead with the current television Doctor, then we can kiss goodbye to at least one year of television Doctor Who, because it is unrealistic and impractical to think that a series of Doctor Who and a big screen Doctor Who movie could be made in the same year.

    And frankly, I don’t care what they do with the movie as long as it doesn’t affect the television series. The moment the television series is in danger of being taken off air for even a season, then I say, Mr Yates, reboot to your heart’s content.

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