Maybe we can do something to bring Firefly back...support Serenity by Philo

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Maybe we can do something to bring Firefly back...support Serenity

POSTED BY: PHILO
UPDATED: Sunday, September 19, 2004 10:22
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VIEWED: 3320
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Thursday, September 16, 2004 9:43 AM

Let’s all agree on a few things:

We all love and miss Firefly.
We all are anxiously awaiting the release of Serenity.
We all would LOVE to see Firefly come back to TV somewhere.

So given these facts, here is an idea on how we might be able to actually do something about that last one.

Entertainment executives look at revenue, bottom line, advertising income, etc. They want to know how much money a given project will make for them in real dollars.

These days, few things speak louder in entertainment than opening weekend box office gross for a movie. It is a real and indisputable measure of public enjoyment and interest in a movie. If a movie had a great opening weekend box, execs might start to think about sequels, spin-offs, etc. To that end, here is the plan:

When Serenity opens, everyone should buy (at least) 10 tickets on opening weekend.

It’s only about $100 a person, something that would be easy to save up if you start now. Certainly something I am willing to spend on a great product.

Think about it, if there are 50,000 Firefly fans out there, and each of us buy 10 tickets @ (a conservative) $8 per ticket average, that is $4 million dollars. And I have to believe that there are a lot more than 50k fans out there. 100k fans? $8 million. We want a $30 million opening, lets find 375k fans and have them do this. That’s it.

If entertainment executives see a big opening weekend ($30+ million) it would be great proof that Firefly is a viable financial product. They might start wondering if they can bring it back to TV, make a sequel, who knows.

The point is this is a real, tangible, bottom-line way we can show our support for the show.

Who is with me? Spread the word…

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 9:58 AM

ZEEK

Problems:
1.) Most people won't do this. We might get some number in the hundreds to do this but when you go for people's pocket books they disappear real quick.
2.) You may not have heard but common rumor is Fox owns the TV contract on Firefly for 10 years. Joss isn't going to work for the Fox TV execs again so that's pretty much out.
3.) If we did get it back to TV under the false impression that there are more fans out there than there really are it would just get disapointing TV ratings and get cancelled yet again. Perhaps for good.

We may be able to get a sequel and maybe even a trilogy out of this strategy but that's about it. I plan on getting as many friends as possible to go see Serenity. If at all possible I'll split them up to so I'll have to go multiple times with all of them.

Plus as Jewel Stait said go the second weekend too. Execs want to see some lasting power to. So second weekend $$$'s are almost as important as first.

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 10:13 AM

GWENHARKER

Each of us buys 10 tickets for ten friends. and then if those 10 friends buy 10 tickets, who do they give them to?

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 11:47 AM

SHINY

I appreciate the sentiment, but I really think we should focus our energies on getting 10 friends/co-workers/total strangers to watch the DVDs and fall in love with the show so they will shell out their OWN $10 to see the movie. In addition to saving you $100, that's 10 more people to help spread the word!

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 12:10 PM

CHEWIE

I agree with Shiny... Thats exactly how I became a HUGE Firefly fan. My best friend bought me a copy for my birthday after driving me crazy with "Have you bought Firefly yet?" "Have you fallin in love with them yet!?!" I watched and I fell in love! I just bought 5 new sets for family and friends.

Chewie

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 12:58 PM

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

I don't think it coming back to TV is impossible.

If the movie is a success along the lines of The Matrix (which is exactly how big I see it becoming) and FOX offered Joss the terms he'd want - 5 years guaranteed, good time slot, and no meddling (for example) then I don't think his experience there would put him off. He's not stupid. A long running TV show is what he wants, I believe - it's also what we want. Films could still happen concurrently, a la Star Trek. I believe he'd view it as a victory, surely? He doesn't have to like the people who's money he's spending does he?

I mean, I think it's unlikely, but don't say it's impossible. When it was cancelled whoever thought we'd be here waiting for the film, eh? Firefly is to my mind the greatest TV show ever made - nothing has ever reached that level of artistic depth. These stories deserve to be told.

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 1:08 PM

AGEHN

I just finished watching some of my favorite episodes for the third time.. such a great show. I decided to see what there was about it online; I figured it's a such a great thing that there must be a fanbase somewhere on the 'net. I didn't even know there was gonna be a movie until I read this.. There must be a way to get it back on air... it would be shiny in the best possible way. It makes me happy to watch the DVDs, until I remember that there won't be more anytime soon. If we all won the lottery....
I dunno, there must be a way.

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 2:09 PM

PLUTOMOMENT

It was made pretty clear at dragon con that it wont happen. The deal when fox sold the rights to universal was that it could not be made into a tv series for x number of years. I beleive Nathan said 10 years at the friday panel and I know Jewel repeated it at the Serenity Now! panel Sunday night.

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 6:32 PM

IZCHAN

GOD ... now I know I hate fox to the extreme. They are now pratically saying, if I can't have it no one can. If they don't wish to do make the tv series happend, then let other people take up the project and make it happend.

Ass holes with money.

the fact that firefly failed in the first place was because they were sabotaging it right from the beginning.

Someone should really have a "solid" talk with the foxs higher ups.

Serious ass holes.

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Friday, September 17, 2004 3:37 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Welcome to the board Agehn.

As to a return to TV, it looks very, very bleak. From what the BDHs said at Dragon Con, Fox's stipulation for giving over the movie rights to Universal was no return to TV for a number of years. The exact number has been guessed at 5-10 years, but I have not heard anything concrete or official.

At this point it would seem the best we can hope for is the trilogy of movies. In order to get those movies we have to do all we can to insure the first BDM is a big success.

Shiny's advise is the best in my opinion. Many of us do not have an extra hundred buck to blow on a movie. We need to concentrate our efforts on getting new fans by winning them over w/ the DVD set. The more fans we have the more tickets we sell the better the odds of Universal greenlighting the other two movies.

Now I am not trying to dissuade anyone from buying extra tickets if they can afford it. I for one plan to see the movie at least 6 to 10 times the first two weeks it is in theatres. I also plan on taking my wife, kids, friends, and anyone else I can convince to go. I will also buy an extra ticket in memory of Lux for each showing. I will take Nathan's advise and bring my own snacks so I can afford to go to see the money for movie tickets.

It is imperative that the movie sales are strong those first two weeks. This was expressed very clearly by Jewel and Adam at Dragon Con. If you can only afford to go several times, split it up over the first two weeks.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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Saturday, September 18, 2004 2:24 PM

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Quote:
Originally posted by BrownCoat1:
As to a return to TV, it looks very, very bleak. From what the BDHs said at Dragon Con, Fox's stipulation for giving over the movie rights to Universal was no return to TV for a number of years.

Possibly also linked to the issue of diluting the product (and creating problems where the movie has to fit the TV continuity).

The other thing to note is, even if the movie doesn't do as well as we all hope it will, the DVD sales can also play a big part in sequels these days (Austin Powers, Bourne etc) - so buy one for watching, and one for lending on the release day.

"I threw up on your bed"

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Saturday, September 18, 2004 7:10 PM

LEEH

We need to get out the vote, as it were, while the movie is in theatres, because it's that initial box office that will motivate Universal to fund the sequels that would constitute the trilogy Joss wants to make. Waiting on the later take from DVD sales slows the process down too much. It's not just Universal greenlighting more Serenity movies--it then involves (re)signing cast (although they may be signed to multiple movies already, for all I know), scheduling, negotiating how much everyone gets paid, etc. In the meantime, the cast is getting older, taking other jobs, etc.

My guess is that, if Serenity has good start up box office, Joss will strike while the iron is hot, luring Universal with a Lord of the Rings-scenario, and get a commitment as soon as possible, even while Serenity is still in theaters.

So--let's torment everyone we know until they promise to go see the movie!!!

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle. . . ."

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Saturday, September 18, 2004 11:06 PM

GLICO

Step 1: A week before Serenity premieres, throw a firefly watching party. Watch all the episodes, in sequence. Take breaks, and allow for people who aren't interested

to do other things.

Step 2: Organize the same people, and bring them to the premiere. Ask them to invite their friends.

Step 3: Profit!

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Sunday, September 19, 2004 4:52 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

As Browncoat1 said, the key to Serenity's success will be determined by how many Firefly fans we are able to generate by promoting the dvds. We know that once people give it a chance they will love it and will be anxiously awaiting the BDM as much as we are.

As for its return to the small screen, I would like to see that as much as anyone but I am trying to be realistic that it may never happen. But you never know, contracts can be renegotiated if enough money is involved.

I don't have the specifics about the deal, and I believe Joss and others at Mutant Enemy have not said anything about it for diplomatic reasons, but here's my take on the FOX/Universal agreement:

Universal made a deal with 20th Century Fox Studios, not the FOX television network. 20th was the production company behind Firefly, and they have always supported the show and Joss, or else we might not have ever seen the dvds. FOX-TV gave up its rights when they canceled the show, it is 20th who retains the broadcast rights, and that is also where Joss has an exclusive contract for the creation of television product. But just because a show is created at 20th does not mean it airs on FOX (remember Buffy and Angel?). I would not be surprised if in the opening credits to Serenity we find out that it is a joint production of 20th/Universal.

When (not if) the BDM is a success, Universal will greenlight the two sequels, to be filmed concurrently. After that, I believe it will be up to Joss as to where Serenity flies again (if at all), either with more films, or back to the small screen. If it does go back to tv, it will be produced by 20th (remember that exclusive contract Joss has there?), but it might air on one of the NBC/Universal networks (NBC, USA, Sci-Fi, Bravo, etc).

Our goal should be to generate more Firefly fans, Joss will take care of the rest by making the best gorram movie in the 'verse.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Sunday, September 19, 2004 5:51 AM

PLUTOMOMENT

Quote:
it then involves (re)signing cast (although they may be signed to multiple movies already, for all I know

Jewel said they were all signed on for the possible sequels at a dragon con panel. I think it was "Serenity now!" but I was at three panels so they all run together.

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Sunday, September 19, 2004 10:22 AM

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Quote:
Originally posted by LeeH:
We need to get out the vote, as it were, while the movie is in theatres, because it's that initial box office that will motivate Universal to fund the sequels that would constitute the trilogy Joss wants to make. Waiting on the later take from DVD sales slows the process down too much.

Sorry, my fault - not clear enough. The fact is, Browncoats alone can probably make this movie a moderate success, but the general public need to latch on - with a decent marketing campaign and a bit of luck, that should happen; but if not, the DVD sales should not be ignored.

These days the studio signs up the stars for sequels on a franchise friendly project - or rather they have the option on them.

"I threw up on your bed"

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