Update: The Wavecard Campaign, Part 2 (November 2007)

Okay, it looks like Alan's comments were based on what Joss said earlier in the year--that hopes for a sequel were based on sales of the new Serenity DVD. But the Wavecard campaign is still a good idea. Please, continue to send them to Universal; in fact, maybe send out a few more now than you were planning to! And, of course, remember the new DVD when buying presents this holiday season! For the record, here's what Joss said in a recent interview:

Q: I recently watched the new "Serenity" special-edition DVD and I have to say: The easygoing 20-minute featurette "A Filmmaker's Journey" makes the set look like a marvelous and fun place to be.

A: There will never be another thing like that in my life. The set of "Serenity" exists because the set of "Firefly" was like that. I will do many things that I will enjoy greatly. I do not think I will ever be on a set that feels the way that one did, and I will also never get over the fact that I am not on it right now.

Q: Actor Alan Tudyk mentioned the possibility of another "Firefly" movie in a recent interview. Is that wishful thinking? Is something happening? If so, can you talk about it?

A: I can talk about it because it's wishful thinking. I always said, they made the special edition DVD because they cannot keep the DVD on the shelves. That's what they told me, and they really went to the mattresses to make something special because they knew I wasn't going to do a "director's cut" because the "director's cut" played in theaters. So they really pumped up the extras and I really appreciated that. And they also (slides into a Peter Lorre-ish voice) made it look pretty, finally. But I think what happened was that I said, "Well, if there's hope for a sequel, it's people buying the DVD," and that translated into something more literal. But, no. Right now, nobody has any plans to do any kind of sequel. If they do, I hope they'll include me, because if I find out Brett Ratner is directing it, I'm going to be so mad. That's not a dig on Brett. I want to do more, but nobody's talking about doing more right now.

Update: The Wavecard Campaign (October 2007)

It's now late October, 2007, and it looks like you DVD-buying browncoats may have managed to get Universal's attention! Alan Tudyk has been spreading rumors recently that Universal may be considering another movie, as the new DVD has been selling so well. (You can hear a clip of Alan doing some rumor-mongering in the opening of Firefly Talk #59. Jewel reportedly hasn't heard any news yet, but that doesn't mean that Nathan and/or Joss haven't. We'll have to see how this plays out!)

(Update 11/01/07: it appears that nobody knows of anything official yet. Stay tuned!)

Regardless, to capitalize on this possibilty, we're encouraging every browncoat to send a note to Universal right now that you still want another movie. And not just any note: we're asking you to please send in an officially licensed Serenity postcard from QMx (called wavecards), if possible. That will send the message that we're buying their licensed merchandise and will continue to do so if they make another movie.

Andy Gore of QMx has temporarily put the wavecards on sale to support this campaign. You can find them on Amazon, just search for "wavecards" (one word). I'm not putting a link here just to be clear that we're not earning royalties for making this suggestion. (You can read more about them at the QMx website).

Once you have some wavecards to mail, here's the address to use:

Universal Pictures
    100 Universal City Plaza
    Universal City, CA 91608

As far as what to put on the card, we'd suggest trying to include the following points, in your own words:

1) Thanks for making the first movie, etc!
    2) You really want a Serenity sequel!
    3) You're telling friends about Serenity/Firefly etc.

You probably won't have much more room on the back of the postcard for anything else, but if you do, you might mention your age, if you're under 25, because that is the key demographic for which movies are made. You also might mention what sort of things you've bought related to the verse: DVDs, officially licensed merchandise, etc.

Thank you so much if you're able to take part! We're going to be sending as many wavecards as possible through the end of the year, and will update this page if we hear of any response from Universal. Let's send an avalanche and get some more Serenity!

(What follows is from the summer of 2007).

Helping in mid-2007 to get a Firefly movie, series, or mini-series made (and why you should help now)

We at the Firefly Talk podcast get regular emails from new Firefly fans, asking what they can do to help make another Serenity movie happen. In our opinion, the short answer is: Tell everyone you know about Firefly and Serenity, lend out your DVDs, do what you can to bring new browncoats into the fold.

But the summer of 2007 also holds some special opportunities, so there are a few more things we recommend doing right now.

The Serenity actors signed on for the option to do a trilogy of movies, and those contracts expire in September, 2007. Universal will likely be making a final decision about doing a sequel before those contracts expire, probably based in part on the sales of the new Serenity Collectors Edition DVD (due out August 21, 2007). We'll give some suggestions regarding these events in a moment.

But first, some fans ask whether Joss is interested in doing another movie or series. He has repeatedly said "yes". For example, he recently said the following about future Firefly projects in a TV Guide interview:

"Nobody's asked me for anything more," Whedon recently told TV Guide's Ileane Rudolph. "They all know that I'm there, and that it's not something I would ever turn my back on. But they do have to ask. I don't have all that money."

So let's help make one of his future projects a Firefly one, whether it's on the big screen or small. There are hundreds of things you could do to help, but to keep the task manageable, here are five things we suggest doing immediately to make a big difference:

Pre-order the Serenity Collector's Edition DVD from the Universal Online store

Don't wait to order it on August 21st, get in line now! You'll be less likely to forget on release day, and there's a very small window between the new DVD being released and the contracts expiring for the sequel.

We don't know how much influence the initial sales will have in getting a sequel made, but it's not minor. DVD sales are where the big money is for the studios. So if you're going to order it anyways, you might as well help send a big signal on the day it's released. If you order it from the Universal Online Store, Universal will earn more from the sale (boosting profitability for them makes a sequel more likely), and it's only a dollar more than Amazon as of this writing. Bonus points if you order more than one copy.

Update August 10th, 2007: As of today, the Serenity Collector's Edition is #40 in top DVD sales at Amazon.com. (See current rating).

Update August 3rd, 2007: Joss confirms during an interview at Comic-Con that sales of the Collector's Edition will probably have the greatest influence on whether a sequel gets made.

Joss: "(Serenity) is a success to the studio or else we wouldn't be doing a special edition DVD. They actually admitted as much on paper, which you know studios are loathe to do, and that was actually from the theatrical. Theatrical was a disappointment, as everyone knows, but it did go into the black. Then the DVD came and they took me aside and said "We can't keep these things on the shelf. We want to do a special edition."

Interviewer: So give me hope for a Serenity II

Joss: Hope for it probably rests with this DVD.

Read the whole interview here.

The new DVD has over 60 minutes of new bonus features, including never-before-seen footage, and a new commentary. The official Serenity site has been given a face-lift to reflect the new release, and has some clips of the new special features. Check it out.

Thank Universal HD for currently showing the series

The Firefly series is currently being shown in hi-def at Universal HD (www.universalhd.com). Even if you don't have HD, please go to the message boards at the link above and thank Universal for continuing to support Firefly, and that you'd love to see another movie. Above all, mention how you've taken the time to recruit other people to watch it (assuming you've done so). Here is an excellent post from a network executive on how to make a good impression when writing.

There's no telling how much new exposure Universal is creating with this second run of the series, and we need to get behind it and tell them how much we appreciate it. Adopt their message board as a regular place you go to over the next few months, and make some new friends. In addition to posting a thank-you on their message board, please also do so directly on this page.

Tell Universal Studios you'd like a Serenity Sequel

We're not supplying a "sample letter" for you to send them, because mass emails based on templates are the least effective form of fan communication. Just write your own simple, unique message, even if it's just a few sentences, about how much you enjoyed Serenity and how much you'd like to see another one. If you've recruited other people into the Firefly/Serenity fan base, definitely mention that. You can tell Universal Studios that on this page.

Thank the Sci/Fi Channel for having another Firefly marathon

The Sci/Fi Channel is having another Firefly marathon on August 10th, from 8am to 4pm. You can thank them for this by writing to feedback@scifi.com, and it would be great if you did so. Not only are they helping to bring new fans to Firefly, they're owned by NBC/Universal, and are a potential venue for future Firefly projects. Taking a moment to thank them would be time well spent, so that they know that demand is still strong for Firefly. Again, if you've brought other eyeballs to the Sci/Fi channel, definitely mention that.

Extra credit! Thank the sponsors of the Firefly series on Universal HD

This will take a bit more time, but with Firefly on Universal HD again, we need to try to thank all of the sponsors that helped make that happen. Below is a list of all of the current Firefly sponsors on Universal HD. Please email as many of them as you have time for, and consider buying their products if you're in the market for them. (We're still compiling contact info; thanks to Cordrone at UniversalHD.com for this list).

Bose (Website)

Imax (Blue Planet) (Website)

Samurai Shark (Website)

Acura MDX (SUV)
Acura is a flash site so I can't provide a direct link but if you going to www.acura.com the "site help" located at the bottom left hand corner and select "site feedback" you can send Acura a shiny e-mail. I used "other" as my topic (because it fit) and because there is a better chance a real live person will read it.

300 DVD

Sleuth TV Channel (Website)

Swivel Sweeper (Website)

Tempur-Pedic Mattresses: 1-800-475-1502

Hot Fuzz DVD

Toshiba HD-DVD Player (Website)
Toshiba Customer Support E-Mail Address: customer_support@tacp.com

Rosettastone Language Learning Solution (Website)

Sleep Number Beds 1-800-621-7373

Live Earth.org (Website)
LiveEarth Contact Page: http://www.liveearth.org/contact_us.php

Sundance Channel

Go Duster (Website)

Countdown with Keith Olbermann (Website)
Contact E-mail address for MSNBC.com: GeneralComments@feedback.msnbc.com

Zorbeez.com 1-800-503-0431

Chiller Channel (Website)

Firefly Talk

Firefly Talk is a 70+ minute bi-weekly podcast all about Joss Whedon's Firefly and Serenity.

Firefly talk has been nominated in the 2007 Podcast Awards for the "Best Produced" and "Movies And Film" categories. Please vote for us once a day at podcastawards.com, July 28th through August 11th. In appreciation, we're releasing a short podcast every day during the voting period.