Could “Firefly” Come Back?
In a post on TV By the Numbers, Nick C. raises the possibility that “Firefly” could make a return to the small-screen, either as a series or a couple of TV movies on Fox or NBC.
I think from my talks with the people running FOX that they would bring it back under the right circumstances. However, you must understand that right now Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, and Alan Tudyk (plus he was killed in SERENITY) all have gigs for the foreseeable future. However don’t underestimate the power of a movie. FOX could likely be easily talked into a Movie or two for next season. They could air after an NFL game or playoff game. The movies would easily sell on DVD.
The question now falls into rights, but the guys at FOX wouldn’t be alone. If Universal is now in possession of future rights to projects, NBC or USA wouldn’t mind getting in on the cash opportunity either. A couple movies shot and made for TV and then released on DVD would be profitable for anyone involved. At the same time the cast would still be able to keep doing their normal gigs. Just shoot the movie around their schedules.
A Movie made for TV does a few things. One it reminds fans of why they love the Brand. For another it brings new viewer possibilities to the Brand. A movie could spike the original series DVD and Blu-Ray sales as well as SERENITY sales. For the network that runs it they find out how viable a Brand it can be. Is it worthy of bringing back? The ratings will make the point for them. I’m betting it would pull a 3.0+ with ease. Bring in $150k to $220k a spot and for a 2 hour film that is nothing to sneeze at. Set a budget of $4M for the movie and you’re looking at serious profit before DVD sales ever enter the equation.
All of these are good reasons for Browncoats to have hope that “Firefly” could make a return. However, as a long time “Doctor Who” fan who endured fourteen years of rumors of the series’ potential return at some nebulous time in the near-future, I warn my fellow “Firefly” fans not to get too zealous until we get some official word from Fox, Universal, Joss Whedon, etc.
That said, I would love to see something like this happen and as soon as we have official news, we’ll bring it to you right here at Slice of SciFi.
It would great if Sci-Fi or NBC could do a series of Firefly movies or a mini series.
AHHH! THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!! I really want this to happen but sometimes I feel like an addict about to break an addiction. Then something like this is dangled in front of my face and I am an addict once again! Going thru withdrawals… must have Firefly… must have shiny goodness…
we can dream can’t we? woot!
and you guys really need a way to post these stories directly to our facebook wall.
thanks!
When will people stop prattling on about Firefly? Never gonna happen!
I’m a committed Browncoat, but I’m not sure I would want to see a $4 million dollar Firefly movie. Serenity cost $40 million, and that was a small budget compared to most big movies these days.
No movie would be preferable to a disappointing one.
This is something that I would not bet money on.
This is sort of cruel
Given that half the cast and the creator/writer/director/producer are keeping busy with full-time TV gigs these days, it doesn’t seem likely. I’m sure they’d all jump at the chance to do a movie over the summer hiatus if a studio or network waved a suitable amount of money in front of them, but a lot of stars would have to align in order for that to happen, primarily Joss having the time to actually write a script. Personally, I’m pretty content with what we’ve got unless and until that happens.
I would really love for this to happen but I think everyone is right to be cautious. Do it right or don’t do it at all. Don’t “Crystal Skull” our big damn heroes!
That said, I would enjoy seeing Steven Brust’s fan-fiction piece produced into a TV movie! Check it, browncoats! http://dreamcafe.com/firefly.html
DON’T TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS!!!
How about one of those populat reboots of Firefly to bring Wash back? Then there is no worries about the old cast. They can use some red platonium to create an alternate Firefly timeline.
*shrugs* I would welcome it, if it happened, but I’m not holding my breath. I’ve loved most of what the cast have been doing since the end of Firefly, Castle in particular, Nathan Fillion plays that role to perfection. (I wanted to like Drive, but I couldn’t get into it… and yet I was still annoyed when it was canceled. Go figure.) I’m looking forward to V, and the Stargate appearances have been fun. Oh, and of course Terminator…. I’m starting to wonder if Summer can play a part that doesn’t require her to look vacant a lot.
Hm. OH! Yeah, Firefly. I could do with some more of that, I certainly wouldn’t refuse it if they offered it.
I doubt this. All the actors have moved on
I wrote this four years ago, shortly after watching Serenity . . .
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I’m going to blasphemy . . .
. . . I’m not too anxious for Firefly to come back. By this I mean a continuation of the characters and story from the original series in the Firefly verse.
Before stones are cast, and invectives slung my way, hear me out. There are two big reasons why I say this:
1) The original was, is, and is likely to remain one of the best things I’ve ever seen. I don’t believe that characters dynamics, story line, and congruence of other factors can be repeated.
2) As much as I liked the movie, it did cap the story line. But more important, it changed the dynamics of the characters from the original show, and of course, it killed off a few. While I can understand the reasons for Josh doing what he did (I say that, but not really), I am not willing to take the chance another movie will further alter the universe I’ve come to rely on as an escape from the drudgery of life.
Those two things combine add up to one big reason. As Firefly has grown in importance to me, I am less willing to risk changes to my understanding and appreciation of the verse. Perhaps Fox actually did us a favor (not intentionally, of course). Perhaps it stopped at the time when the jewel was near perfection. A few more episodes, and there is the chance the jewel might have been marred, as much as enhanced.
Serenity the movie made me realize that. It scared me. As much as I liked it as a movie, it diminished my enjoyment of the series. Now, when watching the original episodes, I’m always aware two characters are heading toward their eventual demise. The movie made it harder to watch the smiling Wash and caring Book, knowing they are not long for this world.
It took a little away from my enjoyment of the episodes. I’ve handled it somewhat by compartmentalizing the series and movies as two separate entities, shutting one out when I watch the other, but it’s a poor solution at best.
As much as I would like another movie, series, miniseries, I dread other changes are in store that might alter my enjoyment of the series . . . because I don’t have confidence Josh has my best interests in mind.
Serenity showed me that. So no, I don’t want to know what happens to our beloved characters. Play with some new cast, on some new adventure, on another ship, but leave this treasure alone.
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I’ve changed my mind on the last comment . . . anything new would forever be compared to the original. In my opinion, it would never measure up.
There was this scifi author on The Signal once. He brought up an interesting point. What if we were not to focused on bringing Firefly back? What if we focused on new shows inspired by Firefly? What if writers took what they learned from Firefly, made new worlds, new characters? Firefly is the perfect model for how to make a great tv show.
Of course I’d love more firefly. But, this dude really had a point.
There are plenty of shared ‘verses in science fiction (multiple authors) and some really great series of novels by a single author that have a consistent “history”. There are scads of public domain works waiting for some enterprising fan to get off her ass, take up that underused HD, get the soundman from that garage band and a Mac nerd to burn discs. Do you really think you’d have to pay wannabe actors? There are just as many, if not more, golden age of science fiction fangeezers as there are tv and movie fanfolk. Do you think you’d have a problem getting ideas from them as to which works to plunder for your shiny hyper-indie movie? Send me a disc.
Every time I finish watching my Firefly DVD box set, I could literally go out and commit cold blooded murder on the idiots who ruthlessly cancelled it. Even up to 2006 the DVD’s were outselling HUGE TV series like Lost and The Simpsons. Yet not a one of these spineless, idiotic men-in-suits will man up and admit they got this one SO wrong. Dollhouse gets a second season and Firefly got cancelled midway through the first? I mean c’mon….don’t make me laugh. In which universe does that make sense?
Basically those who followed the out-of-order initial airing knew something didn’t add up, and a few switched off. Many more enjoyed it despite the screening order but still knew something was wrong. These same people when watching it in the intended order feel like they’re watching a different show - it clicks every single time. So not only were they wrong to cancel it, they were even more wrong to tell Joss how to do his job. Men-in-suits should stick to what they know, and leave artists like Joss to do their jobs.
Bring it back now, it will make whoever does it a ton of cash. (and it is sci-fi…Wash could easily come back)