For seven years ‘Supernatural’ has graced the CW airwaves as one of the most popular genre shows in recent memory. But does the formula that’s made it such a cult hit translate to something more? Well, let’s see; two brothers battling denizens of Hell, hosts of Heaven and everything in between? Sounds like the perfect formula for a movie. Couple that with the thoroughly unimpressive offerings in the horror genre over the last decade, there’s plenty of room for a franchise that provides a built-in fan base who would eagerly pack the stadium seats for a Winchester big screen adventure.
An argument some may have could be that, after seven years (if the show ended after this season), so many characters gone, what would be left to tell? The answer: plenty. While I believe the movie would have been perfectly slotted to pick up after season five’s “Swan Song” finale, there are plenty of open stories that haven’t been fully explored. Where do things stand in Heaven with the war? Are Lucifer and Michael truly locked away for good? Where has Chuck ‘God’ Shurley gone? Is Purgatory and the souls therein hermetically sealed? Is the Leviathan distant cousin, Behemoth, calmly waiting to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world? What would happen if people as a whole found out that the things that go bump in the night and the monsters in the closet were real? So many stories and who better to tell them than Kripke, Sera Gamble and Company?
The storyline is a major part of a movie’s buzz, but it’s the characters that make a lasting impression. I’ve watched quite a few hours of television in my lifetime, and just as many movies. Prejudice aside, there are very few characters as thoroughly interesting as Sam and Dean Winchester. From the pop references and inside jokes to the sibling rivalry and emotional bond visible enough for all to see, their relationship alone could carry a film. Over the past seven seasons I’ve watched as Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki improved by leaps and bounds. They have developed the latent charisma necessary to carry a feature length vehicle by their own performances, not to mention the energy they give to one another when together on a scene, something that wasn’t always the case.
It goes without saying that I’m a dreamer; my predilections in entertainment are proof of that. Still, I’m not so far out there to think that a ‘Supernatural’ movie will find its way to my local Cineplex. I say why not ‘Supernatural’? When looking back at what has been on both ‘Supernatural’ and the current crop of horror movies that are provided, we see it has the characters, the story and, oh yea, a kick ass car to boot.
‘Supernatural’ has become a cult icon much like another of my favorites—’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Aside from its ensemble cast, ‘Buffy’ shared many of the same finer points for a big screen adaptation as ‘Supernatural’. No, it didn’t have a ’67 Impala for Buffy, Xander, Willow and the others to cruise around the mean streets of Sunnydale in, but it blended three-dimensional characters with compelling stories, drama, and pop references that littered intelligently witty dialogue. After nearly ten years of rumor, we’ve yet to see Joss Whedon’s masterful creation get the movie treatment (though his less popular, but dead before its time ‘Firefly’ did).
How long will ‘Supernatural’ last? That’s a question left to the CW and the principals—Ackles and Padalecki. It could end after this season or go three more, we don’t really know. Kripke’s original vision was five seasons and while “Swan Song” would have been the perfect ending to the show (similar to ‘Buffy’s’ season five finale, “The Gift”) I for one am thankful it didn’t end there. As long as good stories continue to be told, I’m more than happy to be treated to 22+ episodes per year. With that said, how cool would it be to end the show with a series finale bang that concludes with a well thought out two-hour bow to cement Kripke’s legacy? I, for one, would welcome Kripke taking his magic formula to the next level. And like Dean on a typical Saturday night, I’m pretty certain I’m not alone.
‘Supernatural’ fans: what are your thoughts? Should the Winchesters get the big screen treatment?
