Serenitystar Jewel Staite reflects on the cult sci-fi movie as it approaches its 20th anniversary. The 2005 movie is a sequel toJoss Whedon’sFirefly, which was unceremoniously cancelled during its only season. The story follows Serenity’s crew, a rag-tag group of smugglers trying to avoid the overbearing government, The Alliance, and hide fugitive siblings Simon and River Tam. Staite played Kaylee, the bubbly engineering savant who kept Serenity flying with limited supplies.Serenity’s cast also featured Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
In a post onStaite’s Instagram,she reveals she discoveredSerenitymemorabilia in a cabinetalmost 20 years after the movie premiered. In the video, she reflects on the movie while presenting her findings to the camera.She calls filming “one of the best experiences I’ve ever had” and describes it as “the one that got away"asSerenityfailed to have a sequel greenlit. Her discoveries include her on-set chair back, a “Serenityinter-office memorandum,” canonical comic books that bridged the show and the movie, and her original script. Check out what Staite had to say below:
Okay, I had to make a video because I was going through this cabinet that we have. Everybody has one of those where it’s just stuffed full of stuff, and you need a day to go through it all and get rid of things. I found a giant box full of souvenirs, props, and things like that. The ones that meant the most to me was the stuff from Serenity.
This is what I found: I found my chair back, and it made me feel something in my cold little heart. I also found the Serenity inter-office memorandum. These are thoughts on look, light, and music for the movie. We had a lot of new crew members coming onto the movie who weren’t a part of the show. So this was written to, I guess, tell the tone of the characters and the world that the Firefly-verse was set in. It’s like a love letter to the characters and that universe, and this is very dear to me.
These are comic books. We all signed these at some point. This also makes me almost cool to my kid because I’m in a comic book. I said ‘almost’; I’ll take it. Very cool. And then, my favorite thing of all: my copy of the original script for Serenity. Oh, guys, this just gives me all the feels, really. This was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years, and this is just like the one that got away. But I love that I found this. It still lives on.
What This Means For Serenity
The Verse Is Still Beloved
SinceSerenitypremiered, viewers have been clamoring for a sequel. However,Serenityflopped at the box-office,only making $40.4 million against a reported $39 million budget. Although a major factor inSerenitybeing greenlit wasFirefly’s impressive DVD sales, the same could not be said for the movie. Rumors and petitions continue to circulate, but as Staite notes, the live-action universe stopped with the movie. The story continued in canonicalSerenitycomics from Dark Horse before the license moved to BOOM! Studios for a new series ofFireflycomics.
Staite’s warm reflection onSerenitymemorabilia is a reminder of how much the show and movie resonated with viewers.
In the modern era of reboots, sequels, and remakes, moreFireflyandSerenitycan never be fully counted out. SinceFireflywas already brought back oncewith the movie, which has arguably only gotten more popular in the past 2 decades, there is always a chance. Even more interest in a potential future project could be ignited by theBuffy the Vampire Slayersequel show, which shares a significant crossover of viewers as both were created by Whedon prior to allegations of abusive on-set behavior.
Our Take On Staite’s Video
The Star Shares Feelings That Reflect The Fan-Base
Staite’s warm reflection onSerenitymemorabilia is a reminder of how much the show and movie resonated with viewers. While it was not a success at the box-office, the movie only bolstered the cult status of the sci-fi western. The storytelling, chemistry between the cast, and unique setting helped it stand apart in a way that is still celebrated years later. Staite sharing memories from the movie is hopefully just the beginning of more of the cast and crew looking back onSerenityfor its 20th anniversary.
Serenity
Cast
Directed by Joss Whedon, Serenity is a science fiction film that follows the renegade crew of the spaceship Serenity. Starring Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds, the crew must protect a telepathic girl with powerful secrets from a totalitarian regime while navigating through space against hostile forces. The film blends action and adventure, expanding on the universe established in the television series Firefly.
