Originally posted by Bandoman
I'm about halfway through, and I'm freally enjoying it. You won't be disappointed.

November 1st, 2004

I'm writing to you from my "office" at the Grand Hotel, which I share with all the rest of the guests in the hotel. This eight-or-nine year old boy is always here, playing computer games and talking to himself. Where are his parents? I dunno.

"Widow on the Hill" is almost finished... exactly four days to go, and then it's over. Funny how as soon as you start to get attached to these things, they just melt away. You don't even see it coming. The character I've been playing is the most complex I've ever played, even more so than Daisy from "Higher Ground". There is so much that this person (her/my name is Jenny) goes through. She is emotionally wrenched around, from every direction, and she has so many personal demons she has to face at the same time as facing the outer obstacles in her way. I feel like all I've been doing in this movie (on screen) is crying and losing my mind. I love this role; it's a beautiful role. But also very difficult.

I guess part of the reason I'm writing is because today I received this wonderful message from Joss Whedon, on my cell phone. He sounded really gleeful, which isn't terribly normal for Joss. He doesn't act extremely excited unless it's worth it.. and he just sounded so happy, and so positive. It's the kind of message you get that you play over and over, whenever you're moody or tired or pissed off for some reason.. or you just haven't eaten. I think I like listening to it because he has such wonderful things to say about Serenity. I had such a love affair with Serenity. And I know I wasn't the only one.

Aside from all that, I can say I'm looking forward to being back in rainy Vancouver again, with my dog, and my friends, and my family. And after Christmas comes January, and then February... and eventually April. We get to go to the UK again in April, my wedding anniversary is in April, and the best BDM is opening in April, so it's pretty much going to be one of the most wonderful months of next year.. for me.

I hope to see some faithfuls at Galaxy Con, and for the rest of you, I hope your Hallowe'en was awesome. I'll write again when I have more news.

Take care

Jewel

Finding That Feeling Of "Serenity"

At the recent White Room convention in Heathrow, "Firefly" cast members Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau and Morena Baccarin attended and talked about the upcoming film spin-off "Serenity". 'Mikey' was on hand to file this report:

"During the panel they said:

Morena: - 'I can tell you that you're not going to be disappointed. You're going to see a lot of things you've not seen before that you've wanted to see."

Nathan:- 'In the series, the mere mention of these would send fear into the heart of the bravest Jayne Cobb. In Serenity, the Reavers are right here."

Morena: - 'They're very scary."

Nathan: - 'You''d be having lunch, and they''d be across from you, and you'd be like sir, you lip is pinned back, and some of your hair is missing and your eye is hanging out."

Nathan refused to answer questions about Mal and Inara, and what we may or may not see regarding them in the film, but did start giving out Alliance dollar notes to anyone who asked a question, stolen from the set. Morena also told us, if the movie is successful, all nine actors are locked in. She has more action in the film, and actually got bruises on her neck one day from being manhandled.

Nathan has one scene, a close up where he falls into a close framed shot, hard, similar to his first death as Caleb in Buffy - he was dissatisfied with that, feeling his landing was too soft, so he was determined to make this new shot a harder, more realistic fall. Six takes later, he was regretting that decision. He has no nude scenes in the movie, but will be seen shirtless (all girlies in the audience are a mix of excited 'oohs" and disappointed 'ahhs").

The rebuilt ship took up a huge soundstage on Universal - the cargo bay & sickbay along one side, the top deck and bridge across the other. While they were filming the final scenes on the bridge, they were already tearing down the cargo bay across the stage - Nathan said it was very difficult to see it coming down a second time, as he had watched it come down when the series was axed. As already stated, the sets are largely the same, but there is 'more character, more detail" - Morena said it was like going home and finding someone had rearranged the furniture, the same but different. Nathan said 'there are cool flat plasma screens on the bridge."

Source

November 1, 2004

I’m writing to you from my "office" at the Grand Hotel, which I share with all the rest of the guests in the hotel. This eight-or-nine year old boy is always here, playing computer games and talking to himself. Where are his parents? I dunno.

"Widow on the Hill" is almost finished... exactly four days to go, and then it’s over. Funny how as soon as you start to get attached to these things, they just melt away. You don’t even see it coming. The character I’ve been playing is the most complex I’ve ever played, even more so than Daisy from "Higher Ground". There is so much that this person (her/my name is Jenny) goes through. She is emotionally wrenched around, from every direction, and she has so many personal demons she has to face at the same time as facing the outer obstacles in her way. I feel like all I’ve been doing in this movie (on screen) is crying and losing my mind. I love this role; it’s a beautiful role. But also very difficult.

I guess part of the reason I’m writing is because today I received this wonderful message from Joss Whedon, on my cell phone. He sounded really gleeful, which isn’t terribly normal for Joss. He doesn’t act extremely excited unless it’s worth it.. and he just sounded so happy, and so positive. It’s the kind of message you get that you play over and over, whenever you’re moody or tired or pissed off for some reason.. or you just haven’t eaten. I think I like listening to it because he has such wonderful things to say about Serenity. I had such a love affair with Serenity. And I know I wasn’t the only one.

Aside from all that, I can say I’m looking forward to being back in rainy Vancouver again, with my dog, and my friends, and my family. And after Christmas comes January, and then February... and eventually April. We get to go to the UK again in April, my wedding anniversary is in April, and the best BDM is opening in April, so it’s pretty much going to be one of the most wonderful months of next year.. for me.

I hope to see some faithfuls at Galaxy Con, and for the rest of you, I hope your Hallowe’en was awesome. I’ll write again when I have more news.

Take care

Jewel

More From The "Serenity" Panel

'Mikey' returns with more details from the "Serenity" panel at the White Room Convention that took place on the weekend at the Heathrow Thistle, London. Here's the full breakdown of the second day of antics:

The Sunday Firefly talk at the White Room Convention at the Heathrow Thistle, London, was scheduled to be Nathan Fillion (Captain Malcolm Reynolds), Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra) and also Summer Glau (River Tam), who had only popped in briefly on Saturday. The teaser trailer, as premiered at the ComicCon earlier in the year, had already been shown twice at the opening ceremony (the audience cheered so much the first time they missed most of the dialogue). Nathan was asked, although there were lots obviously lots of guns in the film, would there be any horses. His response was, "Summer?" Summer, instead of answering, started to laugh. The questioner then asked if he would ever shoot a horse again, to which he honestly couldn’t say.

He was asked whether, given the chance, he would have preferred to continue on television, or do what has happened, and be given a theatrical release following a curtailed television run. His preference would have been the route of Star Trek, or more so Star Trek The Next Generation, with a long, successful television run, followed by many successful movies. Then they could live in mansions. And Summer would be all Sigourney Weaver.

Summer talked about Tim Minear, who was working on another film while they were making the feature, so he couldn’t come to their parties, but he has seen the rough cut of the film, and he was very enthusiastic about it. It was commented on that with Firefly, they are very much doing the Buffy route in reverse, taking a television show and making a movie - did they hope the film would be any more successful? Summer pointed out that Joss didn’t direct the Buffy movie. Nathan agreed - "The first film was flogged and raped. Universal did not try to control the Firefly movie in any way."

Nathan told us that Blue Sun would not feature prominently in the film, but was asked if he knew the secret of the corporation that was so ubiquitous in the show, that may have links with the Alliance government and the experiments on River. "Yes. I can’t tell you. If you’re clever, you’ll figure it out." Nathan confirmed that Chinese language will be used in the film, and forced Morena and Summer to both recite their Chinese lines, which they duly did, and they did it well, too. Summer apparently has lots of Chinese dialogue "in that scene where the camera is going crazy all over the place," as Nathan described it.

The bootleg version of the trailer is already on the internet, and has been for some time, but having now seen a decent version on the big screen, this film will look amazing, and the wait for April, and my next chance to meet these fantastic people, is too long away.

Source

Originally posted by nightmaster
I followed a link in this thread to aintitcool news talking months back about one member having a truncated role in the feature, does anyone know if thats so and if so, which cast member? Anywhere online where there is an actual leaked script or a synopsis of it?

With his latest project, SERENITY, prolific writer/director Joss Whedon looks to prove he can achieve success outside the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Of course, Buffy isn't exactly the easiest act to follow. Adored by both critics and audiences alike, the show became the WB Network's centerpiece, made Sarah Michelle Gellar a star, and spawned a popular spin-off.

Whedon's next project, the sci-fi/western hybrid "Firefly", didn't fare as well, lasting only 11 episodes before Fox pulled the plug. When a defiant Whedon announced his intention to take Firefly to the big screen, even his most ardent fans couldn't help but be skeptical about the show's feature film prospects.

He found a believer in Universal. Encouraged by the show's strong DVD sales, the studio wrested the rights from Fox, gave Whedon the greenlight and Serenity was born. The film follows the same basic storyline as the series: 500 years in the future, the crew of a small but nimble spaceship travels through the universe, transporting dangerous cargo and not asking questions.

Recently, Universal invited JoBlo.com down to their studio lot to visit the set of Serenity and meet with the filmmakers. The scene being shot was a brief fight sequence in which female lead River Tam (played by Summer Glau) sweeps the leg a la The Karate Kid, knocking some unfortunate fool on his ass. Following that was another brief fight sequence set inside a bar, in which Summer, this time aided by some fancy wire work, takes out a few more guys.

Though not featured in any of the day's scenes, lead actor Nathan Fillion was on-hand in case Joss needed him for the occasional background shot. In the meantime, he demonstrated a skill that most working actors develop after spending many a month on a movie set: the ability to catch a nap amidst the noise and chaos.

In between camera setups, Whedon took a break to talk with us about his feature film directorial debut. Though tired and hoarse, he spoke at great length about his experience, providing glimpses of the trademark wit that distinguished his television work.

What are the challenges of adapting a TV series for the big screen?

It’s incredibly hard, building a story that doesn’t repeat or contradict what we’ve already done, that satisfies the fans and yet is really made for people who’ve never seen the show. There’s pitfalls everywhere. It’s the hardest story I’ve ever had to structure. Writing these people is the easiest thing in the world because I know them so well. The other thing is the TV show is built around slow development of character; movies are built around momentum. They’re very different things. So you have to sort of take things that you…you have to let some things drop and you have to speed some things up and you sort of have to know which ones are which.

Will you be providing some backstory for those who are unfamiliar with the series?

Yes, to an extent. It has a different way of telling the same story. We do River’s troubles with the Alliance and her integration into the group. We don’t repeat the first time they meet or anything like that, but we get the information in a new way. Again, like I said, that’s the trickiest part.

As a screenwriter, you’ve been known to have issues with the way directors have turned your words into film.

Well, after Alien Resurrection, I said, “The next person who ruins one of my scripts is going to be me.” And I think I’m doing a fine job of it. Actually, I think the director has on occasion could have used a little more imagination and the writer could have shut up occasionally. We fight, but we’re still getting along better than I usually do. (laughs) It’s been great, ‘cause unlike TV I have the time to really explore what it is I’m doing and go back and reassess every day. Every time you should a scene it affects 50 other scenes. It’s constantly shifting, hopefully not so much that it doesn’t know where it’s going.

What’s the most important thing you want to add to make this feel “cinematic”?

Money. (laughs) You know – scope, breadth, a sense that this is not a story either visually or even dramatically that we could have told in an hour on TV.

How does directing action sequences for film differ from doing them for TV?

It’s much less of a chore because you have more than half a day to do it. You can actually really set thing up and you can train, you can actually break things, and all kinds of things that we can’t afford to do on TV. That’s a big part of making it more cinematic, is letting the action have a lot more scope. It’s not just “Set up two cameras, what do ya got?” which unfortunately on the shows it ends up being a lot of the time.

What are the particular challenges of the action sequence you’re shooting today?

The particular challenges are just keeping it real. It’s a scene that can easily become over-the-top and I’m trying very hard to stay away from a Matrixy kind of aesthetic. So I don’t want anybody doing anything that people can’t do. I mean to an extent. Fighting is a little more precise, but I’m trying to dirty it up as much as possible so that it feels real. And that’s very hard to do. Your stuntmen have to be so precise about their timing; it’s very hard to say, “And now also you have to make it look really really ugly.” That’s the biggest challenge.

What are some of the influences on the Western aspect of the show?

It’s weird because I just read a thing with M. Night where he said McCabe & Mrs. Miller was a big influence on the The Village and I’m like, “McCabe & Mrs. Miller is influencing a lot of really weird films.” That was a big one. Ulzana’s Raid was a huge influence. And The Searchers too, both because they’re so uncompromising.

I know you had issues with how Fox marketed Firefly, so how involved are you with the marketing campaign for this?

Very involved. We’ve worked together only on the little ComicCon thing we did, but I’ve met with all of their divisions and everybody here wants to be on the same page. They’re incredibly supportive. Companies talk about “synergy” and the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing and he’s actually kind of angry about it. And these guys have really sort of worked as a holistic whole, which is really nice. So, I think that should work out better.

How hard was it to get Universal to sign off on this film?

I’ve gotta tell you – I’d like to brag about how well I sold it, but Mary Parent and Universal liked Firefly and the words she used was, “This is a no-brainer.” She has been supportive of this project since before I’d made up the story. And although it’s taken a lot out of me to get it to where it is…it’s been a real struggle, the support they’ve shown has been constant.

Any truth to the rumors that you might be directing X-Men 3? How is your relationship with Fox?

Nobody has approached me about the X-Men franchise. My relationship with the film division…I haven’t really worked with them in a long while. My relationship with the network? Not so great. But my deal is with the Television Production…so we’ve had a good relationship for years. We did Buffy, Angel and Firefly together, and that seems fine. I don’t really have a relationship besides the Television Production…

Is film more stressful than television?

Well, it’s been as stressful. I thought it would be less stressful. I thought I’d be golfing in between takes and writing sonnets. Two things have not worked in my favor. One is, although I don’t have three shows to run – and believe me, nothing will ever be as hard as that was – the movie takes up your attention in a way that three shows do. All of the creative energy that you’re usually pouring into telling 20 – 40 stories a year, you’re pouring into one. And you find you need it. You wake up in the middle of the night and you go, “His pants are too baggy!” And it’s important. You have to watch everything so carefully because every mistake you make is gonna be forty feet high. Whenever you think, “Well, maybe that’s good enough,” I say to myself, “Cinerama Dome.”

What’s the status of the Buffy animated series?

A presentation is being made. It hasn’t been bought anyway, but it’s still in the creating stages. So it’s still possible…

At ComicCon you said that it would be difficult to take Firefly back to the small screen. Do you feel that you would have a hard time going back to television in general? And you like to maybe direct the X-Men franchise if it was offered to you?

Would I like to make an X-Men movie? That’d be bitchin’. You know I actually really like those actors and really like those characters and I think there’s a lot that could be done (with them). But I’m not setting my sights on that. I have my sights set on exactly one thing, which is this. I am totally prepared to go back to TV. Not 24/7 as I did in the first years of Buffy, but now I’ve learned enough about surrounding yourself with the right people and delegating that I can actually run a show without ruining my life. TV is a medium that I love in a very different way than I love movies. The things that I can’t do in this movie, the smaller moments, the long protracted interaction, watching people change over the years. I’ve waited my whole life to make movies, but movies don’t do that.

What is the status of The Buffyverse TV movie?

We haven’t really heard anything. Obviously there’s been a regime change at the WB. The fans are interested. I’m interested. I don’t think either Sarah or David would want to do it, but I think there’s 10 other characters I could name who would be totally worthy of movies, and I’m just waiting for somebody to say yay or nay.

Would you write or direct them?

I would certainly be involved. I would never let one of those stories be told without overseeing things.

Do you intend for Serenity to be a stand-alone project? Or part of a trilogy?

I look at it as a stand-alone. You can’t help but – especially because it comes from the series – think about all the things you want to do. But everybody says, “Is this going to be a trilogy?” They don’t even say, “Is there gonna be a sequel?” It’s trilogy – they go straight to trilogy. And “Are you gonna shoot the second and third back-to-back?” Umm, movie might suck. Let’s start at point A. I think of this as an absolute one-shot. Could it sustain more stories? Well, obviously I designed their world and these characters in this ensemble to sustain ten years’ worth. So yeah, there could be more. We’d love to do more. We have to make this one good enough to deserve that. That is the only thing that I’m thinking about.

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prolific writer/director Joss Whedon looks to prove he can achieve success outside the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Serenity Set Visit

When a series is cancelled after a season, it is seldom heard from again, much less in feature film form. Serenity is that rare beast. After a difficult and brief 14 episode run on Fox, Firefly (the title of the show) was given the axe, albeit prematurely in the opinions of a small but very loyal fan base. Those fans rallied together with online petitions and calls to the network. Although the show was dead, Whedon realized there was still a possibility of continuing the life of the world and characters he had created. Whedon was still very passionate to tell their story.

So now, only a few years after the show signed off of television, the feature film is in production. The rights to the Firefly characters have been transferred from Fox to Universal, where they are very excited about the prospect of building a franchise from the western-influenced science fiction world imagined by Whedon. Whedon himself couldn't be more pleased. After all, I can't think of too many times when a show that barely lasted a season turned into a feature.

Written and directed by Whedon and produced by Barry Mendel (Rushmore, The Sixth Sense), Serenity features the majority of the show's cast reprising their roles for the feature: Nathan Fillion as Mal, Gina Torres as Zoe, Adam Baldwin as Jayne, Alan Tudyk as Wash, Jewel Staite as Kaylee, Morena Baccarin as Inara, Summer Glau as River, Sean Maher as Simon and Ron Glass as Book. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays The Operative and Shohreh Aghdashloo (the Oscar-nominated actress from House of Sand and Fog) makes a brief appearance.

Near the end of the production on the Universal lot in Universal City, California, IGN FilmForce was among a select group invited onto the Serenity set to check out the production and even board the grand "Serenity" ship itself. We spoke with two of the film's stars, Summer Glau and Nathan Fillion, as well as a man we all know well, the director of Serenity and creator of the enormously successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel series, Joss Whedon.

The first scene we looked in on was an action sequence in which Glau is battling a few baddies in a bar. The sequence involves some wirework for high flying kicks and baddies getting knocked through the air. Also in the scene is a strange looking female character with blue hair. I never did get her name. Off to the side and joining later in the scene is the captain of the ship itself, Nathan Fillion, better known to fans of the show as Mal.

Glau steps aside from the action for a few moments to talk to us about the scene. "It's my stunt double is doing a sweep for me, because they hurt my knees too bad. There are some stunt guys in there and actually Nathan, who plays Mal and Adam are also in that scene." When asked who she is fighting in the scene, Glau is secretive: [She smiles] "I cannot disclose that."

Fillion on the scene we are watching: "I'm tucked away in the corner. Jane and I are doing a deal with Rafael and Jan over here. This is Rafael of the twins and, we're tucked away in the corner doing a deal when River flips out. So, any time that camera's going to turn around and maybe take a look at the corner we're in. That's when they call Chemille to tap and wake me up and I come over there and act shocked."

After watching some more of the scenes played out, Whedon joins us for a few moments before being called back to set. We ask him what big decisions he's had to make as helmer on this day. Whedon smiles, "I don't know if I should answer that. Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not to use this stunt, whether it looks realistic or not or whether it's too fancy. That's my next decision."

It's now time to tour the great ship itself before talking more with Glau, Fillion and Whedon. The ship is massive and impressive, although its full scope is hard to see in the world behind the scenes. Still partially under construction in some places, the ship looks similar to the one from the Firefly show, with renovations here and there. The ship and its components have been aged to give it a character that melds with the world Whedon imagined. We are told there are some subtle nods to the fans of the show within the ship, which those more perceptive viewers will surely pick up on.

Adapting a show into a film is never and easy task, and more often than not, it just doesn't work. One advantage that usually exists is the fact that audiences are already familiar with the characters on screen before they enter the theater. This is not the case with Serenity. "It's incredibly hard," says Whedon. "Building a story that doesn't repeat or contradict what we've already done, that satisfies the fans and yet is really made for people who've never seen the show. It's incredible [and] there's pitfalls everywhere. It's the hardest story I've ever had to structure. Writing these people is the easiest thing in the world because I know them so well. The other thing is the TV show is built around slow development of character; movies are built around momentum. They're very different things… You have to let some things drop and you have to speed some things up and you sort of have to know which ones are which."

The other trick is to give those that did watch the show a fresh perspective that isn't the same old thing they already saw on the show. "It has a different way of telling the same story. We do River's troubles with the Alliance and her integration into the group. We don't repeat the first time they meet or anything like that, but we get the information in a new way. Again, like I said, that's the trickiest part."

Summer Glau's character is one of the most important parts to the film's storyline. Whedon says that she was also the biggest surprise to him on set. In the year and a half since he last worked with her on the set of the show, he says that she has really matured: "She really stepped up to the plate; she's not in the corner babbling all the time anymore. She's got more to do and her presence is pretty luminous."

Glau was also unsure of how easily she could step back into the River character: "I was very nervous. I hadn't played River for a year and a half and I was so close to her in the beginning and through the whole series. And then when I came in for my first read through with the entire cast, I was shaking and sweating and I was really scared. But then after the first few days, I felt like I'd never left… On the series, we were setting up all the characters. We were setting it up and we were going back into their past and trying to build each storyline for each character. And my character was just getting started. And now in the film you're really going to see an explosion of what's really going on with River."

Conversely, Fillion says that he was more than ready to jump back into the role he popularized in Serenity. He was just glad that he got the call to return to the part. "The series being cancelled was such a heartbreak," says Fillion. "I broke the cardinal rule of, 'Don't fall in love with what you're doing, because the rug can get yanked out from underneath you,' and when it did, I was heartbroken. So, Josh really had it in his head that he was gonna get it made into a movie and, it's a great dream and I really wanted it to happen, but I couldn't fall in love with that idea again just to be heartbroken again. So, we go the green light, Josh wrote a script, everything was rolling. We started doing rehearsals, we actually started filming. I don't think it had actually settled in for about three weeks into filming that we were actually making the movie."

The character of Mal clearly has some Han Solo influence, which Fillion doesn't deny. "Absolutely. I look at Harrison Ford and say, 'I want to be as cool as Harrison Ford.' There's a lot of Harrison Ford in Mal… I just love the way Harrison Ford takes a beating. Like... Frantic was a great movie for him taking beatings, Bladerunner he took a lot of beatings, Witness he took a good beating, Indiana Jones takes great beating. Getting his ass kicked, flat out. When he gets cocked in the face, his legs go wobbly and you could tell he's been punched, you know he's been punched." (Laughs)

To Whedon's surprise, the experience of directing a feature has been no less stress than the TV show. "Well, it's been as stressful. I thought it would be less stressful. I thought I'd be golfing in between takes and writing sonnets. Two things have not worked in my favor. One is, although I don't have three shows to run, and believe me, nothing will ever be as hard as that was, the movie takes up your attention in a way that three shows do. All of the creative energy that you're usually pouring into telling 20-40 stories a year, you're pouring into one. And you find you need it. You wake up in the middle of the night and you go, 'His pants are too baggy!' And it's important. You have watch everything so carefully because every mistake you make is gonna be forty feet high. Whenever you think, 'Well, maybe that's good enough,' I say to myself, 'Cinerama Dome.' And the thing I said before about it being fluid… I'm still surprised, more than I ever have been, I'll do pages and watch and go, 'Boy, the first one was better than the one with all my notes in it.' It'll surprise you. It talks back to you and it does that while you're still making it. TV doesn't do that until you're done, which is what's different about it."

As the trend goes in Hollywood, talk is already brewing of a possible trilogy for this franchise. This may be a premature idea, since Serenity is still more than six months from release. "I look at it as a stand-alone. You can't help but, especially because it comes from the series, think about all the things you want to do… But everybody says, 'Is this going to be a trilogy?' They don't even say, 'Is there gonna be a sequel?' It's trilogy, they go straight to trilogy. And, 'Are you gonna shoot the second and third back-to-back?' Umm, [this] movie might suck. Let's start at point A. I think of this as an absolute one-shot. Could it sustain more stories? Well, obviously I designed their world and these characters in this ensemble to sustain seven years worth. So yeah, there could be more. We'd love to do more. We have to make this one good enough to deserve that. That is the only thing that I'm thinking about."

Even with the inevitable larger bankroll of a film production compared to a TV budget, Serenity is still relatively low budget by Hollywood standards. "It's less effects heavy than most of your big summer movies," Whedon says. "We don't have that kind of money. And that's not the kind of movie that I want to make. I've got these people and it's about their lives and a lot of the time, they're doing the work for me. However, like the show, we've got Zoic doing the special effects and they tend to make things look like they cost about twice as much as they did."

"The seamless integration [of the effects] is very much a part of it, but I shoot as much practically as I can. We have a hovercraft chase that's as much as you can possibly shoot practically. Because digital feels very airless to me. I don't believe that it's happening, especially in close-ups and especially when you have Summer Glau's hair. A green screen is going to feel like exactly that. Our budgetary constraints and my aesthetics kind of went hand in hand."

Fillion and Glau, respectively, say that Whedon hasn't let the title Feature Film Director go to his head. He's still just as down to Earth and secure in his vision as he was with the show. Fillion on Whedon: "I would say, me personally, no different. Joss has told me he's under a little more pressure but, you know what, I don't see it. I think when we were doing the series, I saw him working on three series, and we didn't see him near as often as we would have liked, because he's great to have around. He's a real warm presence on a set… He is very specific in what he wants, he's very confident in his choices and it's nice to have him around. He's an excellent director and he's a great friend to have around. When he's directing you, if he doesn't like what you're doing, he has a way of presenting it to you that you don't feel like you're failing in some way. That you feel like you're succeeding and actually hanging out with your friends and working towards something great… All of his passions are channeled towards this one thing. We constantly look around and are constantly taken aback by the fact that we're actually making this movie."

Glau on Whedon: "Well, we have a bigger budget, which is fun. And we get to take more time with each scene. But really, the way that Joss shoots is so specific, we wondered how different it was going to be from the series, but he knows exactly what he wants. So when we come in to do a scene, we know it's going to go really quickly. We just soak up any information that he has, any ideas that he has and we just go for it, just like we did in the series. So it's really very similar, at least for me."

Fillion says that the other advantage of working on the feature film versus the show is the freedom to be more true to his character. "We don't have a bunch of TV producers saying, 'Make him more likable and funny.' I haven't made any drastic changes or anything. I've noticed that my nose is a lot bigger on the screen. There's times when, if you could put your arms up, that's about how wide my nostrils are. I've always known I've had big nostrils, but now I can park a Buick in them." One of the other things Mal was known for on Firefly, besides being unlikable, was his consistently tight pants. Fillion laughs as the subject of his pants is brought up. "These ones are actually far more comfortable. I think it's actually Sean Maher who's taken on the title of the tightest pants. Dr. Tight Pants."

Bigger budget also means bigger action and bigger stunts. Glau says that the role of River is definitely a more physically demanding one this time around. "Well, when they first met with me to try and figure out what my physicality was, we experimented with some different things and what we ended up with was kind of a blend of Wushu Kung Fu and kickboxing. It's kind of tailored to my abilities, because I was a ballet dancer before I started acting. And so looking at the way I moved and seeing what kind of body type I had, that was what they chose. I do a lot of wirework. So I get to do a lot of flipping and running up walls and it's really exciting. I'm not a gymnast. I still don't like being upside down. I don't know what my legs are doing up there. It makes me nervous."

Fillion is still waiting for his biggest action scene. "The biggest stunt I do in the film hasn't been done yet. It's actually, I think they're saving it for the final week of filming, strangely enough. Hmmm. They were kind enough to give me a couple of days off after one of the fight sequences and I was glad for it because I was stiff and sore for days. Barry Mendel actually, one of the producers, had a massage sent to the house... (Laughs)"

So where does Serenity take us that Firefly didn't? "To Reaver territory," Fillion beams. "How bout that?" Fillion expects the Reavers to live up to the fans long anticipation. "I think so. They're good. This is gonna be an enjoyable experience for fans... I think it's gonna be very satisfying on a lot of levels. I think it's gonna wrap up some things that were left hanging."

As I mentioned early, the Firefly audience was a small but very loyal one. For this reason, changing the title made perfect sense to Whedon: "First of all, it's really a better title for the movie. It's what the movie is about. It's ironic, obviously, because there's violence, but it's about that concept and what that means. Firefly meant we were the underdog. Serenity means what those people are searching for. And to the fans, it says this is the movie you know and to the non-fans it's just a word. It's not Firefly: The Movie… Of the Series… That you didn't watch."

Serenity's is firmly slated for release in April of 2005, just a few weeks shy of Star Wars: Episode III. Whedon and crew hope that the slot will get a boost from the eager sci-fi crowd. "It's exactly where I want to be," Whedon says. "We call it the Matrix slot, as opposed to the death slot, which is what the show had. It's a spring movie. It was always a spring movie… I can't compete with the $200 million movies… It's a smaller film. It's like the crew itself, its a little run and gun, it's a little bit underdog… It's that time when people are getting ready. They've got that anticipation, they're excited to get into the summer and be disappointed over and over. (Laughs) I mean, and see the big movies, but it's not going to be swamped by them. So I'm just absolutely thrilled. To me, it's another huge vote of confidence from the studio."

Whedon sees himself, not only as the director, but as a fan. He knows and understands that making a great film is a tricky thing, and that fans like himself are let down more often than not. "I think the way they do. And I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that the funny parts are funny, the scary parts are scary and the exciting parts are exciting and it all gels and becomes something greater than the sum of its parts. We could fail. I'm not going to come out and say, 'I've reinvented film. This will be Citizen Kane? Bah. This is a real film!' (Laughs) I'm just trying to make a good movie that actually means something and that is entertaining enough for people not to realize that. I'm perfectly well aware that I can fail. Every time I go into the editing room and look at the footage, I go, 'Oh, look at that failure. Cover it up, will you? Cut to something that's less fail-y.' How will I react [if the film doesn't succeed]? I'll be devastated, but I believe, as I always have, that if I respond to what's there, others will too."

Source: 1 2 3 4

Joss Whedon Plugs Serenity at Comic Con: International 2004

In a spontaneous and rather fortuitous meeting at Comic Con: International 2004, fan favorite TV producer Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) talks to Now Playing Magazine about the fine art of bringing sci-fi series Firefly to big screen life as April 2005’s Serenity.

Click to download!

Originally posted by Josh-da-man
Pushed back to September 30

Shit. Despite Joss' optimism about Uni's faith in the project, it sounds like they're dumping the movie into the dead zone.

Originally posted by Joss Whedon
There's no reworking the end, no reshoots, no "does it have to be in space?".

Originally posted by Josh-da-man
Pushed back to September 30

Shit. Despite Joss' optimism about Uni's faith in the project, it sounds like they're dumping the movie into the dead zone.

So, I'm walking back from Starbuck's today and guess who comes riding up on his bicycle? No... not John Mellencamp. JOSS, it was Joss.

So he says, "I was going to call you today" and I say, "About the postponement?" "Yeah, I figured if anyone would already know it would be Adam, MR. ONLINE GUY" So he proceeds to tell me that this will be a blessing in disguise and the studio is really happy with the film and wanted more time to gear up a really kick-a$$ marketing SCHEME. Which they will.

Then we chit-chatted for a while about family and stuff... Caterpillars... the length of the show... the fact that Jayne is really cool... and funny... and strong looking.... and "Oh, by the way," he asks, "are you guys free next Thursday for a screening?"

So I say, "Hmmmmm I'll check my schedule but I think perhaps maybe it will be a possibility that I will attempt to squeeze it in." What's that guy's name again? Oh yeah... Joss. The boss. AKA G-d.

So anyway guys, this is good news, let's take it as GOOD NEWS. It felt rushed to me anyway. Like the series did. Now we have plenty of time for all of those summer-esque trailers and OSCAR (trademark) considerations.

Love and Serenity Always,

A.B.

Universal Pictures Shuffles 2005 Release Sked

Universal Pictures has confirmed it has moved back the release date for upcoming Nicole Kidman starrer "The Interpreter," causing a chain reaction of changes to its release sked over the next 12 months.

The Sydney Pollack-helmed pic has been moved from Feb. 18 to April 22.

This, in turn, means that "Serenity" -- based on the now-canceled Fox skein "Firefly" created by Joss Whedon -- has been moved from April 22 to Sept. 30. However, that displaces "Jarhead," the Sam Mendes-helmed pic based on Anthony Swofford’s memoir as a Marine sniper in the first Gulf War.

"Release dates and the distribution calendar are fluid documents," said Paul Pflug, a U spokesman. "As a distributor, we’re always looking for the best dates available."

Meanwhile, U has dated two other pics on the release calendar. Kate Hudson starrer "The Skeleton Key" -- a thriller helmed by Iain Softley and penned by Ehren Kruger -- has been set for July 8; Judd Apatow’s "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," a coming-of-age pic by the helmer and Steve Carell, has been slated for Nov. 23.

November 24th, 2004

Okay.......

So I know there's a bit of panic and disappointment in the air, re: the delaying of the premiere of "Serenity".... but this isn't such a bad thing! The delaying, I mean.

I can say completely honestly that I am not shocked that there would be a delay. This is Hollywood. This happens all the time. And it's for good reason, too. From what I am told, Universal is very excited about this movie. They love everything they've seen, and what they HAVE seen is without most of the special effects, which is saying a lot. Perhaps they came to some realizations about what needs to be done to market our movie properly. Or maybe they just want to make sure that it has the best opening weekend it can. They really do care. They're not doing this to be assholes. They're doing it for business reasons. Studios like to make their money back—trust me. Don't worry. Just think of it this way: by the time the movie actually opens, you will be peeing your pants with anticipation (hopefully), and you'll want to see it triple the times you were planning to see it in the first place!! (right?)

And also, this just gives us (meaning us as in actors and us as in the rest of you, the devotees as I proudly like to call you) more time to seek new converts. More time to buy your friends those DVD box sets. More time to get the word out about the film, so it can open successfully and so we can do a couple more. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING happens for a reason. I am a firm believer in that.

In the mean time, we will continue making appearances at conventions, as long as we are invited and are able. There is news of one in February that a lot of us may be attending, and a lot of you know about the one in the UK in late April of next year. We are spreading the word as best we can!

For non-Serenity news, my movie I wrapped not too long ago, Widow on the Hill, will be airing on the Lifetime network at the end of January. And as far as I know, THAT has not been pushed. Ha ha. Not that funny, I know.

It will all work out for the best. And that's not a comment from my faith. It's just simply a fact.

Now, go watch your Firefly DVDs again!

Jewel