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No Serenity 2
I know I say it all the time… but it’s worth repeating yet again. Serenity was just a masterpiece of a movie. I liked the show… but didn’t love it… but this movie was everything a great sci fi film should be and then-some. Solid action, terrific diverse characters and just an amazing villain (played perfectly by Chiwetel Ejiofor). Yadda yadda yadda.
Anyway, the film was a colossal bomb. It made up for it with strong DVD sales, but the degree of the disappointment over its box office results can’t be over stated. The fate of Serentiy was sealed. But then a few weeks back a few of us heard that there was a chance that (due to the strong performance on DVD) that Universal may consider doing another Serenity film… even if it’s straight to DVD.
Some people (including myself) allowed themselves to become delusional and let themselves believe it… despite the facts and figures staring us in the face. Well, now Serenity cast member Jewel Staite is setting the record straight. There is no Serenity 2 in the works. The good folks over at Sci Fi give us this:
“Let’s address these Serenity 2 rumors before anything else,” Staite wrote. ” I have no idea what you people are talking about! Seems to me someone (with a name that starts with A and ends in LAN) said something in an interview that was misconstrued as the sequel being green-lit, which is not the case at the moment. I will never say it will never happen, because that’s just blasphemy in my opinion, but it’s not happening at the moment, … no matter what you read on the Internet.”
So there you have it folks… there will be no Serenity 2. Not now… and despite the faint glimmer of optimisum in Jewel’s statement… not ever.
The fact of the matter is that the film was a bomb. If they did another one it would also be a bomb. And sadly, everything I’ve heard to date coming out of Joss Whedon regarding Serenity is that he’s done with it… not because he was sick of it… but because the damn thing has just broken his heart too many times already (cancellation of the series and the “failure” of the movie).
This film probably won’t ever happen… who’s going to put up $50 million (small budget) for a project that’s failed twice already? And who will direct it? Damn shame.
I don’t like your “not ever”, John.
Oh good, so someone with a brain realized that this movie sucked balls. Good to see there are still people with brains in Hollywood.
And can we stop with the “strong DVD sales” quote everytime you opine about Serenity? It sold a little over 2 million DVDs. So, let’s do some math. 2 million multiplied by $10 (average cost of a movie ticket) and that comes to (roughly) $20 million dollars. What did Serenity make in the box office? Oh, was it $25.5 million. So, wait, what you’re saying is the same 2 million morons, plus a few girlfriends/moms, that went to see this piece of crap in theatres went to buy it on DVD? Oh, that makes sense.
This movie did not do very well. It just got 2 million insane fans to double dip. That’s it.
Movie sucked. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!
Geez, John…
She just SAID that would be blasphemy…
Crazy heretic!
Well said Paul.
“his movie was everything a great sci fi film should be”
“Solid action, terrific diverse characters and just an amazing villain”
..
Geez..
I can see now why you want to reboot Star Trek.
¬¬
Paul,
You ARE taking crazy pills. If you didn’t like Serenity, so be it. But the overwhelming majority of those who saw the movie liked it. Insulting those of us who liked it just makes you look like an ass.
Learn to disagree respectfully, and people will take your opinions more seriously.
I agree with John on this one. I loved the show, and the movie as well. I bought the graphic novel and I can’t get enough. I want to see more adventures of Mal and his crew.
I do think that the cult success will allow something to happen. But I do not think it will be in movies. Perhaps comics or books. That’s all we have to go on for now. But if printed media serves well, silver screen could be done again.
I find it funny that when you heard Tudyk’s comments you kind of reported in that directon and were super excited and the second you hear to the contrary you ran with that and got super discouraged. How about take both with a grain of salt and just see what happens- instead of resorting to absolutism.
Is it likely that it will be made? No- not likely, but I won’t dare say it probably won’t be made- because it was the optimism of the fans that keeps projects like Serenity and Buffy going, not defeatism.
Total box office worldwide is roughly a little over 38 million and DVD sales and rentals are reportedly over 29 million and so the movie did end up making a profit for Universal. BTW Browncoats, I saw the movie, bought the DVD and I have a poster up in my office, so I did my part.
Well said, Brendan.
Unbelievers will be smithen down on the day of reckoning…
Staite’s comment just mentionned that aside all the rumors there is no official work on a Serenity 2. That rumor was shut down, but you make it sound REALLY negative:
“So there you have it folks… there will be no Serenity 2. Not now… and despite the faint glimmer of optimisum in Jewel’s statement… not ever.”
I’d just like to say, I’d love it to happen, not having my hopes up. But WHO KNOWS! Then stop there :D
Well, consider a couple of factors in nowadays that weren’t existent when Serenity came out.
The series was canceled so damn quickly that I hadn’t even heard of it by the time the sci-fi channel started playing it in the UK, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one either. The firefly fanbase can really only go upwards as more people become fans and quickly discover to their horror what happened to the film/series. Another shot at the box office with a Serenity 2 as long as people knew it was the Firefly, I’m sure the incomes would be a lot higher this time around. With the disappointment at Serenity the fans might be more interested in supporting it better this time around as to avoid another flop, I know I would, and I’m not a hardcore fan either.
On a slightly related note, who else noticed that Nathon Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk were all in HALO 3? Guess Fillion finally had a financial hit eh John?
Because rememeber: If you’re a “brown shirt” your purpose is to get crapped on by the Fanboy Gods.
Hey at least your not Robert Jordan fans.
http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp09172007.shtml
Like I said when the rumor was alive:
Universal can put out DTV sequels to “Scorpion King”…Sony puts out “Starship Troopers” flicks and a follow up to ‘Hollow Man’. There were endless Children Of The Cornholed Hellraisers from Dimension awhile ago…
Highlander was originally a flop. It’s had four sequels, two TV series, one animated series…
But all that said, if Whedon and co. wants to move on to other things, so be it. If Serenity 2 cannot be done without Whedon’s involvement, so be it.
But who knows? Other “sequels” even DTV ones, are usually handled by other folks other than the original folks that kicked it off. But, as it took me awhile to get into Serenity, the reasons for ending it there seem legitimate. Because most of time when the ball is handed off in DTV sequels, the quality tends (usually) to take a nosedive, and it gets embarassing.
Never say never? I don’t know about that.
Sometimes…it is better to let sleeping dogs lie.
For me, like a lot of folks I’ve meet, Serenity was an eye opener. It was the portal that brought me to the Verse and I love that.
I don’t know why, but a lot of people seem to forget, that when Serenity was released a major US city was sinking into the Gulf of Mexico and fuel companies were gouging the average Joe and Jane for $5 to $8 a gallon of gas. Yes, I really wanted to see Serenity in the theaters but it just wasn’t a viable option for me because of the trouble caused by Katrina. I had never heard of Firefly, wasn’t a Browncoat then, I just wanted to see what looked like a very fun and interesting movie. However, I didn’t go because money was tighter than it had ever been before and worse yet looked, at that point, as if it wasn’t going to get any better. So I decided to wait and just get the DVD. I regret doing that now. Serenity was fantastic, thrilling, fun, and funny. It also introduced me to Firefly which I liked even more. Now, like most, I sit waiting, wishing, hoping, and holding till someone else has the courage to make more. That company will be greatly rewarded with my cash. I’ll not make the same mistake again. I will go no matter what the cost of gas is or how strapped I am for cash. I guess that was credit cards are for!