Joss Whedon Is Really Going to Give This Movies Thing Another Try, Huh?

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This might be a weird thing to say about the man who's writing and directing "The Avengers," one of the most-anticipated movies of next year, but it certainly seems like Joss Whedon's ascension to Big-Time Hollywood Player is finally moving full steam ahead. It's not that Whedon hasn't written scripts or made features before, but as we're about six months away from "The Avengers," all of a sudden Whedon's film profile is suddenly starting to look much more promising than his TV career, which has long been his bread and butter.

We mention this because of today's story that Whedon's "micro-studio," Bellwether Pictures, just announced their next project: a supernatural romance written by Whedon called "In Your Eyes." (This after revealing last week that he made a modern-day version of "Much Ado About Nothing" around the same time as he did "The Avengers.")

This was the key quote, for our money:

"When I wrote In Your Eyes, I didn't have the wherewithal (or the moxie) to make it without an established production house," Whedon wrote in a statement. "I believe, as I did then, that it's a pretty timeless romance, and now, with the creation of Bellwether Pictures (and [director] Brin Hill's elegant, passionate take on the piece), I have the opportunity to prove it."

And because he's Whedon, he then made a dopey, self-deprecating joke: "I also have a 37% increase in moxie."

But you can kinda understand why. Whether for film or television, Whedon isn't a guy who's been at a loss for ideas. He's one of the writers on the first "Toy Story." He was the man behind "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its spinoff, "Angel." If we don't mention "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," the internet will explode with the fury of 10,000 angry commenters. But he's also a guy known for his bad luck. His TV shows "Firefly" and "Dollhouse" were well-reviewed but received poor ratings. He tried and failed to get a film version of "Wonder Woman" off the ground. His film "Serenity" (based on "Firefly") was a commercial bust. And while he's been a rewrite guy who's worked on some major film projects, he's usually ended up unhappy with how the finished films turned out. For a long time, Whedon seemed like the fanboy favorite who simply couldn't break through to a level that his most passionate supporters felt that he should have.

But now look at him. If "The Avengers" hits -- and we feel like it probably will -- then the guy can write his own ticket. And he's already started to do just that. Even his horror-comedy "The Cabin in the Woods," which stars his "Avengers" Thor Chris Hemsworth, is finally seeing the light of day after being trapped over at MGM for a couple years. And he's no doubt hoping his name will help get more projects moving forward. The Comic-Con crowd has long waited for the rest of the world to figure out what they love so much about Whedon. We may be about at the point when that happens. Still, it's important to remember that the last film of his that anyone has seen came out six years ago. You can't blame Whedon for being a little self-deprecating -- you sorta have to in his business.

'Avengers' Director Joss Whedon Launches Next Film Under Bellwether Pictures Banner [Deadline]