Nathan Fillion Reveals FIREFLY Animated Series in Development With Original Cast Returning
Firefly is officially getting a revival series!
During a panel at Awesome Con in Washington, D.C., Nathan Fillion revealed that an animated series based on the beloved sci-fi franchise is currently in advanced development.
The announcement came during a live taping of the Once We Were Spacemen podcast, where Fillion was joined by several of his former castmates, including Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau.
According to the report, the group is expected to return and reprise their iconic roles if the project moves forward. Adam Baldwin, who played the gun-loving mercenary Jayne Cobb, is also expected to lend his voice.
The animated revival is being developed through Fillion’s production company Collision33 alongside 20th Television Animation, the studio that holds the rights to the franchise.
The project has already brought on an experienced creative team. Marc Guggenheim, known for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, and Tara Butters, whose credits include Agent Carter and Reaper, are attached as showrunners, and a script has reportedly already been completed.
Joss Whedon, who created the original series, isn’t involved in this new animated version.
If the show moves ahead, the story will take place in the timeline between the original 2002 TV series and its 2005 feature film continuation Serenity.
That approach allows the creators to explore more adventures with the crew of Serenity while keeping everything consistent with the established lore of the franchise.
Early concept art has already been produced in collaboration with the award-winning animation studio ShadowMachine, which has earned both Oscar and Emmy recognition for its work.
The finished pitch package is expected to be taken to potential buyers soon.
Fillion spoke about the project and the passionate fanbase that has kept the franchise alive for decades, saying:
“The dedication of Firefly fans has kept this 25-year-old show relevant. Clearly, the return of Firefly is something the fans want. More importantly, it’s something they deserve,”
The news follows a week of mysterious social media videos posted by Fillion that teased something connected to the franchise.
Those clips racked up millions of views and quickly pushed Firefly back into trending conversations online as fans speculated about what might be coming.
I assumed this would be an animated series, and I love the idea! It makes the most sense and as a fan of Firefly, this is super exciting!
Originally created by Whedon and produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Firefly only aired for a single season in 2002 before being canceled.
Despite its short run, the series gained a massive following thanks to DVD sales and streaming, which eventually helped lead to the 2005 film Serenity.
The story followed the ragtag crew of the transport ship Serenity as they navigated life on the edges of society in the year 2517. The late Ron Glass also starred in the series and film as Shepherd Derrial Book.
The love for the franchise has continued over the years. In fact, Fillion and Tudyk launched the Once We Were Spacemen podcast in November as a way to reconnect with former cast members and creators while reminiscing about their time working on Firefly and Serenity.
The podcast has released 18 episodes so far and has become a hit with fans who still aren’t ready to leave the ‘Verse behind.
If this animated project finds a home, it could finally give fans more stories with the crew of Serenity that they’ve been hoping for since the original show ended.
What do you think about Firefly getting an animated revival series!?