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Development of New Dr. Who Movie Confirmed

Posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly

dr_who

It doesn’t quite add up to me, but the first official confirmation of an in-development Dr. Who movie has been buried by the BBC at the bottom of a considerably less interesting article on one of the Who spin-off TV shows.

Widely acclaimed as the best Dr. ever, David Tennant has this past week completed the filming of his final episodes of the show. In the next month, filming begins with the next Dr., to be played by Matt Smith. Unlike, say, James Bond, Dracula or… er… Reggie Perrin, each actor to play the role of Dr. in the series is actually a new, regenerated incarnation of the same character in the same continuity so the swapping out of actors requires no kind of rebooting. I’ve been hearing rumors for a while that the transfer from Tennant to Smith would be an odd one, however…

According to several well-informed Whovians, including /Film reader Mark Kardwell at Bad Librarianship, the Tennant-Smith regeneration could well be happening off screen. That seems to leave the door open for Tennant to appear in a feature film, thereby keeping the most popular Dr. alive and not interfering with the production schedule of the show.

It has been rumored that Tennant was after a feature film deal, and now I guess the rumors will change to claims that he actually got one. Everybody wants Tennant to be the Who who’s Who. We love him.

The next ‘proper’ season of Dr. Who will start on the BBC next spring. As well as the Dr. morphing, there’s been a change of guard behind the scenes. Show runner Russell T. Davies, credited with giving us the best ever run on the show, will be off to pastures new while Steven Moffat, for my money the best writer the series ever had, is taking over the reigns.

Neil Gaiman seems to have written an episode of that next season. Whenever pressed on the matter he will skirt around it and issue non-denial denials, but his behaviour and comments on the matter - and those of his friends, most particularly Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman - actually have me 100% convinced. Will he also be called upon to write the feature? Less likely, but wouldn’t it be great?

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  • "a script is in development" not quite as exciting as you make it out to be.
    Also I'd be dissapointed if there was no onscreen regeneration. Doesn't mean that you couldn't have Tennant as the Doctor in a movie anyway.
  • You know it will happen. It is BOUND to.
  • Who Ha
    This is just confusing. Not LOST confusing, but business confusing.
  • I'll take more Tennant as the Doctor anyway I can get it. I can't believe we're down to 3 more specials with him.
  • Ya who knows how long things happen bettween episodes. Just becasue Matt Smith is Doctoring about on the little screen does not mean that David Tenant cant be Doctoring about on the big screen at an earlier time in the Doctors life (but of course not nessecarily an earlier time...). As long as they are clever about it and dont contradict each other...both could happen at same time. Now I think that would be pretty dumb, and confusing to fans...but it could be done.

    If it is then done this way then it will be very hard for Smith to capture fans hearts when they can still cling onto everyone's favorite Doctor since Tom Baker on the big screen.
  • Andrew
    Tennant? Best Doctor ever? That is a statement left open for much debate. Don't get me wrong, he is wonderful in the role, but the best ever when compared to Pertwee, Baker, and McCoy? Let's not kick the tires just yet.

    A "Who" movie would be great, if done right. It would have to be made on a massive scale. The Doctor would have to face something bigger and more threatening then anything he has come across before, which would be a tall order at this point.
  • not a whovian by any stretch of the imagination but tennant who rocked my socks off, it'd be a shame if they did a movie with anyone but him.
  • not a whovian by any stretch of the imagination but tennant's doctor rocked my socks off, it'd be a shame if they did a movie with anyone but him.
  • Tennant was one of the more charismatic Who's there's ever been but calling him the best might be stepping on some toes. Regardless, Steven Moffat, this is the guy who did the show Coupling and wrote the Doctor Who episode 'Blink,' right? I have the utmost faith in him. 'Blink' is one of the best episode of any television show ever. Do yourself a favor and try to find a way to watch it. It's on Netflix's 'Instant' browsing.
  • machernucha
    the steven moffat era should be great. His episodes that appeared in the past couple of seasons have been the standout ep's, including Blink (my fav episode) and the Library. Have to see what the new Medical student (ahem i mean the child-like matt smith) will be like, but a doctor who movie with tennant has the makings of being an epic adventure.
  • As a big Doctor Who fan I don't know how to feel about this. I would love to see a large budget feature film starring Tennant but at the same time the television model works so well for the series and I don't want them to take something away from that to make a movie.
  • I think this could be very interesting if they do indeed not show the Tenant to Smith regeneration. Maybe there is some big battle we only hear about where The Doctor gets injured and regenerates. And then finally we get to see the movie about how it all happened. I am excited about the possibility but hopefully Moffat will be running the movie and not Davies, the last few episodes he's done have left much to be desired.
  • machernucha
    big battle - maybe the time war he's always on about?
  • Sheeeeeet. Neil Gaiman? David Tennant? Movie? Damn, guys. Gotta cover that one like a jimmy hat!
  • alannalynn
    I'm a very excited American right now! lol.
  • who?
  • Woo Who!
  • macentric
    While I have not watched much of the newer Dr. Who series, I watched almost all of the previous show before PBS in Chicago stopped airing new episodes, I truly think it would be difficult to be a "better" Dr. than Tom Baker.

    I also have a hard time believing that they will be able to top the achievement of all of the, to that point Dr.'s, in The 5 Doctors. Though they might be able to do something interesting if they could weave together a movie with all of the current generation doctors!
  • Mel
    If there were ever to be a Doctor Who movie, Tennant's the one to do it. They better figure something out because I won't be paying to see a Matt Smith-Doctor Who movie.
  • Kat
    I am sure the BBC will alter any plans they have made just to get your precious £7 or hwever much the movie would cost in cinema.
  • evanz
    AHHHHHHHHH!!!

    It's "Doctor Who". Never say "Dr." to a Who fan.
  • evanz
    Also, everyone knows the best Doctor was Tom Baker. David Tennant is good. Damn good. But he just can't quite fit into the gigantic scarf.
  • I love Doctor Who (old and new) but Tennant wanted to leave. Time to move on to the next.
    He shouldn't have it both ways.
  • GallifreyanBaseball
    Two words, baby! TIME WAR!

    Enter McGann and Eccleston.
  • I'll take as much Tennant as the Doctor as I can get! Love him as the Doctor. I just started the 4th season and I'm already dreading the finale.
  • sparcs
    maybe like the really early Doctor movies where he is a human and he invented the TARDIS in his back yard....???

    Time war would be good...

    I thought that it might be interesting if the Doctor went through a "willful" regen... he has been very mopy of late and getting to that "point in life" where he wants to partner up but finds it too painful...would explain a young Matt Doctor all I dont want to be tied downness???
  • langy
    they should do a movie showing the Time Wars.....there are so many unanswered questions about this pivotal part of the whole Dr Who story.....been mentioned so amny times, and yet we as fans know so little about it....

    bring it on........
  • Emma
    Hmm a Dr Who film?... well who am I to stop the delectable David from taking centre stage/screen? Even if the premise of the film i.e. what's being discussed here, is quite tenuous. Think it was probably agreed from the outset between Davies and Tennant that his Dr would have a finite life span, from the sounds of the interviews I've read the casting was quite flukey even though casanova naturally led to that conclusion, so my point is that neither one may have been able to make a film contractually or would have thought a film would be in the offing.

    My hope is they make the film as British, zany and an eccentric as possible, I think that's what we warm to (no offense to International fans) but its refreshing to see London as an alien target and a thoroughly British character as the lead, we've lost Bond to Bourne and Harry Potter has proven this formula can work...
  • Jack
    david tennant is super as the doctor and maybe the time war could be shown on the big screen, causing a trio of movies. maybe even other DR"S could make cameos! Look forward to the movie, but give #11 a chance.
  • Phil
    Personally, I had mixed feelings when I heard the rumours (as that's all they are, let's face it); on the one hand, it would be great to see the film Dr Who back like what we saw in the sixties plus I love David Tennant as the Doctor; on the other hand I can't help thinking that Tennant should limit himself to appearances in Torchwood and SJA and let the new guy have a stab at the limelight - after all, that's how it's happened in the past. Still, I suppose this is science fiction and as we know, no-one stays dead for very long in science fiction!!!!

    Still, I suppose they could do it. After all, they did it with Star Trek.
  • Bassett
    Better be in 3D!
  • zygonboy
    As one the worlds BIGGEST whovians...........EVER!!!!! I think once a Doctor leaves the show that's the way it should stay.....regardless of their popularity. To have a movie with DT whilst MS is the offical, up to date Doc would only undermine him!!

    ALL the Doctors' have their strong points. In my opinion there's not been a bad actor playing the part yet just.......different to the last one (which is the way it should be!!!)

    Forget about movies. It didn't work in the nineties and it wont work in the teenies either. DW belongs on the small screen....ONLY.

    And finally.....wait for MS to appear as the Doctor BEFORE passing judgement please.
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