What should be in the Serenity sequel?

Wash back from the dead. Or cloned. Or a robot.
Fillion shirtless. Or Fillion's bum. Any gratuitous Fillion nudity should work.
A planet of dinosours called 'This Land'.
More about 'Earth-That-Was' and possibly an Indiana Jones-type treasure hunt adventure.
More Jayne. More Vera.
And Singing Reavers. Please?


That's all I've got for now.

[ edited by kerfuffle on 2007-10-10 19:46 ]

kerfuffle | October 10, 21:04 CET

And some explanation for why those men from Firefly had blue hands.

kerfuffle | October 10, 21:06 CET

A little more backstory about Book would of course be really cool.

If it was done in such a way that it would be accessible to casual fans of the show then it might be an easier sell to executives.

Personally, I would like to know more about Blue Sun.

wouldestous | October 10, 21:18 CET

Joss will never let someone else direct. That is silly talk.

TamaraC | October 10, 21:18 CET

Uh-on, there's that "gratuitous" word again. Watch out.

Personally I'm hoping they go to the crappy town where Wash is the hero.

Haunt | October 10, 21:18 CET

Uh...pretty sure that the explanation for why the Hands of Blue are named that way was given in the first comic series: they wear giant body condoms made of what looks like blue nitrile;)

Also, is it just me or does the idea of Joss-written-but-not directed sequel fill one's heart with dread, fear and woe? Cuz I think Mr. Cargill is confusing Joss with The Bearded One. That and the track-record for material penned by Our Fearful Leader but not directed by him is majorly...spotty:(

BlueEyedBrigadier | October 10, 21:19 CET

Joss-non-director-y-ness?. That's crazy talk.

kerfuffle | October 10, 21:23 CET

Actually, I'm pretty happy with all of the author's suggestions. Even the idea of someone other than Joss directing could work, assuming the director that replace him were someone like Tim Minear.

And I've suspected for a long time (even before Serenity) that Book was some agent of the Alliance that was directly responsible for the Browncoat's defeat at Serenity Valley. Now that we know about the Operatives I think it's reasonable to assume that's what Book was. So I'd love to see an exploration of his past, perhaps in conjunction with some more stories of Mal and Zoe in the war. Also wouldn't mind seeing Chiwetel Ejiofor (the OTHER Operative) come back for the story... maybe to help unravel some of Book's mysteries.

Haunt | October 10, 21:39 CET

Badger and Saffron, joining forces.

(Because Joss said so - #28) Jayne in a kilt. With lots of low up shots of him and a bunk (ok that last part was my thoughts on that visual. :)

RavenU | October 10, 21:46 CET

My opinion's the opposite of C. Robert Cargill on this: I think that Joss directed his TV shows like he was directing a movie, and that's partly why they're so memorable. He's also ace with the actors -I want him directing.

And I'd also love to see more River Tam story - just 'cause we know a lot about her being a government-created badass doesn't mean that has to be all of her story, past of future, or that we must move on. How about more and different stories with River? I trust Joss to come up with plenty more from that teeming brain of his...

I'm one of the folks that wants a direct-to-DVD series-like version of Firefly rather than a one-shot flick - I want the leisurely and more in-depth exploration of this world and our people. Oh, and yeah, Haunt, I wanna see "Washtown" too.

QuoterGal | October 10, 21:48 CET

As for his suggestions, can we take a break from killin' the crew for a while? With all the time and effort it takes to finally get more stories from the 'Verse, it'd be nice to see more of them before eliminating the characters.

It's just that I know how much the cast love to work with each other, and even Joss himself said that each actor was "born" to play their parts. I hate seeing that lost too soon.

As for Joss not directing the next movie. Didn't he say a while back that Tim Minear would direct a second film?

11thHour | October 10, 22:08 CET

I thought Joss did a brilliant job directing Serenity, and I wouldn't want to see anyone else directing a sequel. Joss Whedon directing and Jack Green cinematographing is the only way to go. And music by Greg Edmondson and/or David Newman.

GreatMuppetyOdin | October 10, 22:11 CET

Nice link RavenU, thanks!

And Wash is a hero in my crappy town. Which is in Scotland, so it all works out kiltwise.

Craig Oxbrow | October 10, 22:12 CET

I too believe in double posts.

[ edited by Craig Oxbrow on 2007-10-10 19:13 ]

Craig Oxbrow | October 10, 22:13 CET

More about Book - definitely.

Reavers getting Inara.

River kicking more ass.

Am I the only one who wants to see more Simon and Kaylee? I love their awkward romance.

The shipper in me wants to see the Mal-Inara relationship. I know it's better when you leave them apart (How would 'Titanic' have been if Leo and Kate got together?), but damnit, I want to see Mal actually happy for 2 seconds. Before he get his ass handed to him again.

Mal's 'green apple' on display. That's a great apple, IMO. :)

More battle scenes like in Serenity. That totally left me wanting more.

Yo-Saff-Bridge showing up to help the gang.


I'm sure more will come to me later.

mongorules | October 10, 22:15 CET

I pretty much agree with QuoterGal on this - plus more of Inara's story with, possibly, a return to Sihnon. Oh, and Wash's pre-Zoe girlfriend(s).

silvius | October 10, 22:19 CET

I'd like some of the back story told but not at the expense of losing the mainstream audience who have never seen Firefly. As much as I'd like to see who Book really is, I wouldn't the audience thinking "Ummm why should I care about him?".

Simon | October 10, 22:29 CET

I think something Tim Minear directed would be shiny, as long as Joss was writing. Firefly was his show too, after all. More Wash-ness would be required as well. And just to be a little off the wall, what about Kaylee's back story? Or Jayne's? Maybe there's something of interest.

deepgirl187 | October 10, 22:35 CET

I want to see how Wash's past causes the destruction of the ship in the present.

I want to see the other side of Serenity Valley. The Alliance perspective.

There's many things. Give me a white board and I'm a horse on crack.

gossi | October 10, 22:35 CET

I thought Joss said that maybe Tim would write a sequel. I don't think he has ever said anything about directing.

TamaraC | October 10, 22:38 CET

I say forget trying to make this new version something mainstream audiences will understand. Mainstream audiences didn't give us squat boxoffice-wise the last go round. I say make this one just for the fans. Who cares if Joe Average doesn't "get it". Who's been stockpiling boxes of Serenity DVDs in their basements? Browncoats. That's who.

[ edited by kerfuffle on 2007-10-10 19:47 ]

kerfuffle | October 10, 22:41 CET

How would 'Titanic' have been if Leo and Kate got together?

Err, they did get together didn't they ? Where'd all that steam come from otherwise ? How would it have been if they'd got together on that piece of wreckage however ? Less fatal for Leo ;).

(still think she could've shifted over a bit. Like make the effort, yo, love of your life etc.)

More Book's backstory, posdef.

More Mal/Zoe at war would also be kinda cool just cause watching Zoe kick ass is never ever gettin' old.

Wouldn't mind seeing more of River/Simon but I kinda get what he means about the River story, I think she should be more integrated into the crew in any sequels and we do kind of know what's going on with her now so no need to make it the focus IMO.

Don't see any real need for more deaths though. If that's what has to happen for the story then fine, otherwise why force it ? Peril yes, obviously (duh ;).

Personally, I think i'd like to see a "smaller" plot, two universe altering storylines in a row feels a bit much, a bit not our guys. I really like heist movies so mix that with the Sereniverse and you have a win sculpture. Oh and i'd rather Joss directed but if he approved someone else then I could deal.

(if a good way of bringing Wash back could be found then i'd like nothing better but i'd rather he stayed dead than it was naff)

Saje | October 10, 22:48 CET

If they do more backstory then I'd like to find out more about Mal's past on his home planet Shadow. And I'd also like to discover why Inara shipped out with the Serenity crew in the first place. But not too much romance, cause, you know, ick. I wouldn't mind more scenes like the Reaver ships vs. The Alliance fleet. The scene where the Reavers appear behind Serenity was sooo good.

[ edited by kerfuffle on 2007-10-10 20:01 ]

kerfuffle | October 10, 23:01 CET

Book's history
What is Blue Sun?
Who are the Blue Hands?
More About Inara
More About Kaylie and Zoe's past.

ChosenOne5376 | October 10, 23:29 CET

I want to know what gym Simon goes to, but that's just me

MySerenity | October 10, 23:29 CET

Mostly I'd like the stakes to be a lot lower. Huge part of the appeal of Firefly was that it in some way was about ordinary, unimportant people. I think I would most like a story set before Serenity, about the selling of that gun from Trash or something like that, no more (even a bit less) eventfull than an episode of the series.
Also there really need to be way more horses and western stuff.
I would like some rondom-y flashbacks, like the flashback to Jayne joining the crew from Out of Gas. Also way more pointless funny scenes like the one in Serenity Jayne talking to himself about the crazyness of Reapers and how he wouldn't just kill someone (well except if he was bothering him or if he would be paid for it ofcourse).
And I think Whedon should direct any Serenity sequal himself.

the Groosalugg | October 10, 23:34 CET

Can Buffy be in it? And maybe some vampires?
Not to detract from the original premise, of course.

kerfuffle | October 10, 23:40 CET

Buffy is cryogenically frozen and left floating in a ship in space. Serenity happens to wander by and rescue her. Whacky hijinx ensue.

See? It's possible.

kerfuffle | October 10, 23:42 CET

Whacky hijinx ensue.

Like she tries to take over the ship but is eventually undone by her arrogance (and Mal hitting her with a catalyser - might be a nothing part but it still really hurts). At the end, the crew of the Serenity leave Buffy on a garden planet where she is free to carve out a life for herself.

(one of the other planets in that system may or may not explode rendering Buffyworld a barren desert for any planned sequels)

Summmerrrrrrrsssss !

Saje | October 11, 00:00 CET

TamaraC ~ "I thought Joss said that maybe Tim would write a sequel. I don't think he has ever said anything about directing."

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I knew I'd read something about Tim working on the next incarnation. Why am I not surprised you'd be ready with the correct Mr. M info? heh...

Joss had hundreds of stories yet to tell when Firefly was cancelled. He probably already had 7 seasons of shows in his head from the beginning, with many, many more to follow of course. I truly hope that a continuation of Serenifly is in the form of a mini-series, direct to DVD series, or something that allows plenty of room to explore the 'Verse.

If there were a second movie, I'd love a story that focused more on all the characters and the dangers of life away from the safety of the mainstream. I'd also be cool to somehow weave the present happenings with incidents from the past somehow.

Sometimes I wonder if the TV-show-to-theatrical-movie transition creates too much pressure that the change in screen size must reflect proportionately in the story... meaning it has to be pumped up and take on an epic quality. Often the cast can get lost in the spectacle of a BIG story (X-Files anyone?) Yet a movie like Alien centered around just one crew... and that movie was pretty darn powerful.

A second movie would be awesome, or rather some word that goes beyond mere awesome, but Joss' stories need more room than one movie.

11thHour | October 11, 00:05 CET

My wants are simple. More Jayne. Mal & Inara together in at least one lip lock, well, maybe 2....come on.

luvspike | October 11, 00:13 CET

What version of Serenity did this guy watch? Personally I think that Joss has an amazing visual sense and when you watch the movie (or better yet, look at screen caps) you can see how beautifully every frame really is.

In the sequel I'm guessing that Book's past, the Blue Sun Corporation AND the reason River was being help prisoner and being trained as a solider, are all connected. I'll bet is would be VERY exciting to learn how.

embers | October 11, 00:18 CET

Oh yeah, one more thing. Book. Who is he really? I want to know.

luvspike | October 11, 00:19 CET

I'd like more story on:
Who or what Inara is running from.
Flasbacks on Mal's mom and extended ranching family.
A younger Mal who decides to volunteer to fight.
What happened between "he just bugs me" and marriage.
How Zoe copes with Wash's death.
What River wants to do, now that she's free... or less pursued anyway.
If Simon and River ever see their parents again. And what they say.
Book, pre-abbey.
Jayne's family and various earlier adventures.
What new and exciting crime Mal lines up post-Operative, with most of his old contacts being dead now but Mal possibly able to take some kinds of jobs he couldn't when the Alliance was after River and Simon.
(Was he ever able to sell that antique gun, btw?)

ETA: The laundry list of possible subplots, really. For anything, ever, not movie-specific.

[ edited by Sunfire on 2007-10-10 21:33 ]

Sunfire | October 11, 00:31 CET

What if River is the next slayer? The crew could go searching for a scythe that was carried by the last slayer named Fray!

kmb99 | October 11, 01:06 CET

Please let's not collide the Buffyverse with the 'Verse. That is just wrong on too many levels.

TamaraC | October 11, 01:23 CET

I'm all aboard the Kaylee/Simon boat. I'd like to see them flash forward 20 years and watch Kaylee and Simon's brilliant, mechanically-inclined children topple the Alliance empire. All at the behest of crazy Aunt River. Woohoo! Viva la Revolucion!

skeezycheeses | October 11, 01:26 CET

TamaraC - Please let's not collide the Buffyverse with the 'Verse. That is just wrong on too many levels.
Um. I'm pretty sure we're joking.
I'm also pretty sure that MySerenity doesn't really want to know what gym Simon works out at. But maybe I'm wrong. It's been known to happen. A lot.

kerfuffle | October 11, 01:36 CET

Jayne's mother. And her efforts to teach her lummox of a son to knit.

mockingbird | October 11, 01:42 CET

Kaylee and Simon's brilliant, mechanically-inclined children topple the Alliance empire.

I'm picturing a giant, ingenious version of the game Mouse Trap for some reason.

Sunfire | October 11, 02:17 CET

I don't understand how anyone would want less River kicking arse. Those two scenes were the two stand-outs for me and left me wanting more.

And as the Groosalugg says more pointlessly funny Jayne scenes.

moley75 | October 11, 02:20 CET

1. Book's disembodied voice guiding Mal, to his infinite annoyance.
2. Dancing teddy bears-turned-cannibals.
3. A footnote about the Watergate criminals being arrested wearing business suits and blue gloves.

Pointy | October 11, 02:45 CET

A Joss cameo.

kerfuffle | October 11, 02:59 CET

Interested in....

Zoe's coping now that Wash is gone
Book's back story...who the hell is this guy?
Inara's back story...who the hell is she running from?
Will the Alliance feel guilty about that whole reaver thing?
Will they get new crew members?
Will Jayne ever find love other than Vera???

ps i love doing this :)

Harmalicious | October 11, 03:16 CET

Sorry, kerfuffle, it sounded crazy enough to be sincere.

TamaraC | October 11, 03:26 CET

Every unanswered question and plotline never fully explored (including Book's past and more about Blue sun and what was in Inara's mysterious syringe and a ton more) tied together by an amazing story that is able the include all nine of our amazing actors and actresses, written and directed by one Joss Whedon.

...totally do-able, right?

Well, I'm definitely willing for the movie to be six days long.
(They can even make it an on-going project with it split up into sections, each about 45 minutes long...)

nicola | October 11, 06:38 CET

I actually disagree with this guy on almost every point. Lessee...

1. Derrial Book's (Ron Glass) origin

Yes, I of course want this. I can't think of many Browncoats who don't. Not sure if I would like the fact that Book was somewhat responsible for Serenity Valley, but it would be interesting.

2. More crew deaths and peril

As a writer who enjoys killing characters, it would be hypocritical of me to say I disagree with this. But only if it's called for, and not simply there to fill some sort of perfunctory death quota.

3. No more River Tam story

What the hell? Okay, yes, we know River's big secret. But unless I'm just not recalling it, we never actually found out why she was being conditioned as some sort of pyschic warrior. We know some of the generalities, and I get that the Alliance needs secrets rooted out and people killed. But, while River's story has had most of its gaps filled, I don't get a sense of finality from it.

4. Serenity Valley

That would be cool, but not exactly high on my list of things I'd want to see were a Serenity sequel made.

5. Whedon writes it, but lets someone direct

Um, as long as that someone is him. Serenity was one of 2005's best-looking films, and with Joss back in the director's chair and Jack Green as DP, a sequel would look just as great. I really would be very disappointed were Joss not to direct a sequel. It just is not an idea that makes me happy in any way, and I cannot stress this strongly enough. Even if Tim were to direct it, I'd be very upset. And were Tim--or anyone else, not to single him out, because he's brilliant--to write it, I would lose a great deal of interest. I know that I shouldn't, because as far as fiction goes I love this 'verse more than almost anything else in the world, but I would. Again, just something that does not make me happy. But I guess you can't make everyone happy.

And since we're all making personal lists:

Book's origin, as stated above.

More about Blue Sun. There are many things that kill me about Firefly's cancellation, and not finding out more about the enigma that is Blue Sun (which I've always viewed as the Halliburton to the Alliance's Bush Administration) is one of them. I even own a Blue Sun shirt. C'mon.

Mal and Inara getting it on. Or something similar. Please, God. Every time I watch Serenity, I still shout "DAMN IT, KISS! JUST ONE TIME!" during their last bit together.

Speaking of Inara, what's with the syringe? I badly want that story to be told.

Zoe struggling to make it without Wash. In my head, I get visions of sad, poignant flashbacks, and that's something I would be all for. Especially if she were pregnant with their child, a theory that's been around for a while now.

The Alliance's reaction to what the crew did, even if it didn't accomplish much.

Oh yeah, and if there's a sequel, can the soundtrack please include the lovely acoustic rendition of "Ballad of Serenity" from Serenity's end credits? That makes me get teary-eyed every time, especially when the thank you note to the Firefly cast and crew scrolls by.

UnpluggedCrazy | October 11, 07:15 CET

Hey UPC, I've got that accoustic version... but I can't remember where we got it from. If you DON'T have it, let me know. I'll check with my better half and see if we can help you find it. ;)

Haunt | October 11, 07:26 CET

Ooh! OOH OOH! I don't have that acoustic version and I totally want it! Please direct me!

As far as the article, more River, people! He somehow misspelled more "no more". Clearly this was in error. Also, he some how misspelled Joss Whedon "someone else". Have you seen the original Buffy movie? Or Alien Resurrection? I'm thinking the Joss-writing-and-someone-else-directing boat (or the S.S. Squandered Possibilities) has sailed.

I badly want to see Book's story and Inara's story. I'd also be all over Wash coming back in a high quality way. None of this low quality comic book death nonsense.

And is it just me or is it completely obvious that Kaylee's gonna dump Simon and hook up with Jayne?

leafblown | October 11, 20:00 CET

>And is it just me or is it completely obvious that Kaylee's gonna dump Simon and hook up with Jayne?

It's just you. :)

leiasky | October 11, 20:13 CET

Nah, that's nuts. Jayne is going to hook up with Zoe.

kerfuffle | October 11, 23:11 CET

Give me two hours of them sitting around the dinner table for all I care, just give me the gorram sequel!!!

refuge5 | October 11, 23:14 CET

Hahaha, two hours of them sitting around the dinner table actually sounds kind of nice. That setting always made for the best scenes...

nicola | October 13, 22:31 CET