Serenity (2005 film) they will likely continue their pursuit in retribution for getting the word out. "Serenity" takes off with River as Mal's new pilot. The film is based on "Firefly", a television series canceled by the Fox Broadcasting Company in December 2002, after 11 of its 14 produced episodes had aired. Attempts to have other networks acquire the series failed, and creator Joss Whedon started to sell it as a film. He had been working on a film script since the show's cancellation. Shortly after the cancellation, he contacted Barry Mendel, who was working with Universal Studios, and "flat-out asked him" for
Serenity (2005 film) the version presented on screen. Fans had hoped that if "Serenity" had been successful, it might lead either to sequel or a film trilogy. The first major sequel rumor began on December 1, 2005, when IGN Filmforce reported that Universal had expressed an interest in making a "Serenity" television movie for broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. It was expected that commissioning of a television sequel would be contingent on strong DVD sales of "Serenity". In a January 2006 interview, Whedon doubted the chances of a sequel. On October 1, 2006, Whedon posted a comment to the Whedonesque.com website, debunking a