No Serenity Sequel

Yesterday on the MTV Movies Blog, the following article was published concerning the relentless rumors of a possible sequel to the 2005 hit-that-should-have-been-more-of-a-hit, Serenity.

Will There Ever Be a ‘Serenity’ Sequel? Joss Whedon Puts the Rumors To Bed

Every so often, rumors of a “Serenity” sequel pop up, and no matter how many times Joss Whedon says, “No, it’s not happening,” the rumors persist. Are they based on any behind-the-scenes maneuvers? Or if they’re not based on any reality in this ‘verse, why do they persist?

“The rumors are there because people really wish it would happen,” Whedon said.

Not just the fans — the cast, too, are partly responsible (Alan Tudyk, we’re looking at you). Why, just a few weeks ago at Comic-Con, while promoting “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Summer Glau couldn’t contain herself. “Oh, I would love to go back and do another ‘Serenity’ movie,” she gushed. Um, I was asking about the comics — as in, any unfinished business with River you’d like to see in the Serenity comics?

“It’s just that I miss everyone,” she explained. “That experience for me was the best acting experience of my life. I had never really worked before, and we were truly like a family. It was an amazing and fun time for all of us. I feel so blessed that we got to do the film at all.” But, she added, “I feel at peace with it,” so if there weren’t another movie, she’d be OK.

Good, because it’s an “improbable fantasy,” Whedon said. Then again, “so was making ‘Serenity’ [given the cancellation of 'Firefly'], and so is half my career, which is why I never write it off.”

Like Summer, “I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Whedon said, “because I love those people so much.” But that doesn’t change the fact that the rumors are not being circulated “by anyone who owns a studio,” and “nobody’s knocking on our door.”

“There’s been no movement,” he said. “Those rumors are just rumors, and I don’t think they’re going to stop, no matter how many times I say, ‘No, it’s not happening.’ Because somebody will say, ‘He said yes. His eyes said yes. His nose said yes. There was a yes-iness about him.’ Because people want it.”

Blogger's Note: I had to highlight that phrase. It is not only such a "Whedonism" but what the statement also carries with it is a very particular notion about human perception. People will see what they will if they want something enough. I just love Whedon's directness about ambiguity here, because it's so true! I will find a way to use that in conversation someday.

Do you want another “Serenity”? If you had $50 million, would you bankroll it? Why or why not?

Published by Jennifer Vineyard on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 12:59 pm.

I'm not sure fronting the cost of a movie would be the first thing on my list if I had $50 million lying around, but I can hardly think of a creative mind or filmmaker than Joss Whedon who I would trust to come through. I also think that there are plenty of more stories to tell in other universes still rumbling about in Whedon's head, so I might even be up for something different, rather than a sequel to Serenity, despite how great the film is. And it looks like we'll still be able to count on the Can't Stop the Serenity screenings every year in cities around the country which benefit Whedon's preferred charity organization, Equality Now.

Plus, as we have seen with Buffy Season 8 and Angel: After the Fall, there is plenty of room in the comics arena for the stories of these characters to be continued. Already there have been several Serenity comic book series that bridged the gap between the show, Firefly, and the film. Whedon has also said that the written and colored page will also allow for Shepherd Book's story to be fleshed out, which is something many fans have been desiring since his questionable abilities and ambiguous background were first suggested in the show.

Would enough people read Serenity comics that were prequels to the story we've seen on screen? Should the writers of the comic focus on what came after the film?