Firefly

Friday, March 5, 2004

Firefly Lights Up Big Screen

Joss Whedon series to be turned into a feature for Universal with Whedon at the helm.

By Lisa Johnson

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA Joss Whedon, writer and director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is set to make his feature film directorial debut with the futuristic action-adventure Serenity for Universal Pictures.

The film will be based on Whedon’s short-lived television series Firefly. It centers on Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, "Serenity." He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family — squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal. When Mal takes on two new passengers — a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister — he gets much more than he bargained for. They are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers. Hunted by vastly different enemies, they begin to discover that the greatest danger to them may be on board "Serenity" herself.

The "Serenity" cast will include such returning Firefly cast members as Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm ’Mal’ Reynolds, Gina Torres as Zoe Warren, Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra, Jewel Staite as Kaylee Frye, Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb, Sean Maher as Dr. Simon Tam and Summer Glau as River Tam.

Whedon will act as both screenwriter and director, with Barry Mendel (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable) producing and Chris Buchanan (president of Whedon’s Mutant Enemy production company) and Alisa Tager (of Barry Mendel Productions) serving as executive producers.

Whedon’s feature film screenwriting credits include the original motion picture Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and Alien: Resurrection. Whedon also composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the self-directed episode Buffy, The Musical. Whedon was nominated for the Emmy for outstanding writing on the Buffy episode entitled Hush.