Possibility of Firefly coming back to TV? by Micronaut

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Possibility of Firefly coming back to TV?

POSTED BY: MICRONAUT
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 01:15
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Tuesday, July 12, 2005 4:25 AM

An interesting little FF related blurb over at Cinescape:

Quote:
One of the guests at the Shore Leave Convention this weekend was Lee Stringer. Stringer, who has worked on the CG effects for such shows as ENTERPRISE, FIREFLY and the new BATTERSTAR GALACTICA.

Our scooper asked him about FIREFLY possibly returning to television and this is what Stringer had to say:

I asked him if there was any truth to the rumor that based on the Firefly DVD sales and how the movie Serenity does, if Firefly may get brought back to TV, similiar to what happened to Family Guy. His response was, "Well, I think Joss feels that he has already done TV and been successful. He has his sights set on Movies right now. I think depending on how well the movie does and is received that he would like to do a follow up movie (sequel). Now, Universal owns the rights to Firefly and they also own Sci-Fi. As you may know Sci-Fi will be running the original episodes of the TV series soon, if they are not already. You guys don't really realize how much your feedback matters. Writing the companies doesn't always work, but if the series does well and folks make noise, it does make an impact. Sci-Fi could very easily call up Universal and ask for new episodes to the series. The only question in that case would be if Joss would be as involved in the series as he was before. So, no, there are no plans that I know of for it to come back as a TV series, but I could certainly see something like that happen.

Original Link here:
http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Television&
action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270355&obj_id=49138

_________________________________________________
Much work remains to be done before we can announce our total failure to make any progress...

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Tuesday, July 12, 2005 12:22 PM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by Micronaut:
(Originally printed in) Cinescape:
Quote:
(Attributed, by Cinescape, to) Lee Stringer. Stringer, who has worked on the CG effects for such shows as ENTERPRISE, FIREFLY and the new BATTERSTAR GALACTICA.

...snip...

"Universal owns the rights to Firefly"

That turns out not to be the case. Universal has the rights to make @least three movies in the Firefly universe, with Joss Whedon, & the cast of Firefly. They purchased these limited rights from 20th Century Fox. SciFi Channel purchased limited rebroadcast rights to the existing 14 episodes. (The FOX Network has no rights to Firefly.) It has been reported many times that Universal's agreement with 20th Century Fox prohibits either party from making new episodes of Firefly, for ten years.

Contracts can be renegotiated or superceded. However, in the absence of that, there won't be any new episodes of Firefly before 2013.

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . . (wutzon) John Scofield Bank, "Offspring", from "Uberjam"

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Tuesday, July 12, 2005 4:11 PM

ACROWLEY

Quote:
Originally posted by YT:
Universal has the rights to make @least three movies in the Firefly universe, with Joss Whedon, & the cast of Firefly. They purchased these limited rights from 20th Century Fox. SciFi Channel purchased limited rebroadcast rights to the existing 14 episodes. (The FOX Network has no rights to Firefly.)

I have heard so many versions of this. Many people keep getting their facts mixed with rumors mixed with hearsay. The hope is for a trilogy, which will depend almost entirely on how well Serenity does; that's not a deal, it's an option at best. Universal purchased the film production rights to Firefly, but 20th Century Fox still holds the television production rights, as has been accurately stated before.

According to an interview on Zap2It, Joss said: "My relationship with the network is not so great, but my deal is with television production, and we've had a good relationship for years." There were some other interviews with Joss where he elaborates, which I can't find at the moment, but this just means that as long as Fox's rights are enforceable (not expired), Joss cannot bring Firefly (among other things) back to television production without Fox's consent. (Which leads to the dissolution of Mutant Enemy, triggering mass speculation on strategy and possible legal loop-holes.)

That fact, combined with the hope for a trilogy, lead people to guess that it would take about 10 years to make 3 full movies, which translates to them as Fox's rights expire in 10 years' time. Again, these are just fan guesses based on things they've heard and read from cast members' vague statements and other, far less reliable places. To the best of my recollection, I have never heard that 10 year guesstimate to be confirmed by Joss, Buchanan or anyone else possessing intimate knowledge of the contracts.

I'm just pointing this out because I think 10 is not the magic number here. You're absolutely right, though, about contracts always being renegotiable.

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

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Thursday, July 21, 2005 1:07 PM

CERRON

Thank you very much for the specifics. I was the one at the convention that asked the question and sent the scoop into Cinescape in the above link. Everything I attributed to Lee Stringer saying is accurate in as much as that is what he said. I just don't want anyone to think it was made up or second-hand hearsay. I'll be very honest though, I'm rather ignorant of who owns what rights and who has any agreement to produce what. I only know what Lee said. I do appreciate a better clarification of the status of the shows rights though.

I certainly hope that ratings for the re-runs, DVD sales, and the movie do well enough that we continue to get Firefly in some form. I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed that something may work out for new episodes depending on how the re-runs go, but after the above information, I don't feel it's nearly as good a chance as I had hoped. Thanks again for the info.

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Thursday, July 28, 2005 6:30 AM

SCREWTHEALLIANCE

I've said it before, I don't mind sayin' it again: Firefly needs to be back on TV, and we need to do everything possible to make that happen.

Write Fox Production, Mutant Enemy, and Universal a hand-written, 2 page letter telling them what you think. Write the sponsors of the Sci-Fi rebroadcast and let them know how happy you are that they are doing so -- and that you will be more than happy to buy their car/soap/soda/whatever if they would kindly sponser some more new episodes, whereever they may appear.

It's all about the money, folks. Even Joss isn't entirely immune. Show everyone that there is cash to be made, and they will overcome any legal issues and give us what we want.

"Grenades, dear?"

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Tuesday, August 2, 2005 11:04 AM

PURPLEPENGUIN91

Ya, I personally would rather have it back on tv then in the movies. And its depressing to read about 10 year contracts because that is a long time! lol, but I agree that anything can be negotiated, and I am not giving up hope.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2005 10:36 AM

EICHINGER

I've not heard the magic 10 number from Joss, but I HAVE heard it from Jewel. She wonders how well Kaylee will work aged 10 years.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2005 10:41 AM

STALBANS

I'm not greedy, I'll take whatever I can get, I loved firefly when I thought it was just a single series classic, anything else is a bonus.

--------------------------------------------------
Even now
I know that I have savored the hot taste of life
Lifting green cups and gold at the great feast.
And just for a small and a forgotten time
I have had full in my eyes from off my girl
The whitest pouring of eternal light.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2005 5:38 PM

FAY

That would be nice. I hope it does come back some time in the near future.

Anna

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Thursday, August 11, 2005 1:54 AM

CERRON

One of the things I liked about Serenity #2 is an advertisement in the book that mentions upcoming Firefly novels. I wouldn't mind the story continuing in reader-land.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 12:32 AM

ZAPHODBEEBLEBROXTHE3RD

How can we draw the members of this forum together to place pressure on or encourage the "powers that are" to make further episodes of Firefly ...

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 1:15 AM

ENGINEANGEL

Quote:

purplepenguin91 wrote:
Ya, I personally would rather have it back on tv then in the movies. And its depressing to read about 10 year contracts because that is a long time! lol, but I agree that anything can be negotiated, and I am not giving up hope.

you don't need to give up hope because Joss recently did an interview and said that it wasn't true. That there is no 10 year period for no firefly series. Nathan adds that it was actually himself who started that rumour - isn't that weird?

Kepp flyin'
EngineAngel

"you people are insane!"
"well my sister a ship, we had a complicated childhood."

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