Serenity DVDs--Not the Safe Bet Everyone Thinks

POSTED BY: StakeTheLurk
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 1, 2005 04:13
VIEWED: 32591
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RONAN

Saturday, October 22, 2005 12:28 PM

On the re-watchability of Serenity, I think there is a point. Yes it is indeed a good strong film. But it is a lot darker than many of the episodes.

And with where we are left at the end of the film we all know that whatever happens re a sequel or tv series in the future we know that things will never be the same again.

So, are we looking for a continuation of Firefly as it was - which is now not possible because of Serenity's storyline.

Or, do we want to see where it can be taken and if it can be taken any further. I know I still have questions and I really would like to hear and see some more.

Will I re-watch Serenity - you bet but that's because I like that darkness and as a writer my brain is thinking storylines for what could happen next and how and why certain things happened in the film.

I'm still going to stay positive. I will continue to hope that there is a chance...

HANOVERFIST

Saturday, October 22, 2005 2:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
Quote:
Originally posted by HanoverFist:
This is the problem I see: the movie is not that re-watchable.

:: wonders how he's managed to see a not-very-re-watchable film twelve times already ::

---

Serenity is coming. 9/30/05.

Now let's be realistic. You have to know that watching a movie 12+ times in a theater in three weeks time is not normal. I do not mean to say that YOU are abnormal, but you have to admit your love of Serenity is abnormal. I know my love for Firefly is abnormal.

My point is that I do not believe that in terms of mass appeal generating the necessary revenue stream for Universal, Serenity is not going to make it. As I said Serenity is a good movie, but I do not think it was good enough follow-up to Firefly-which was GREAT.

I also want to say that I fully plan on buying the DVD the day it comes out. I still like the movie quite a bit, and plan on giving a few Serenity gifts for X-mas as well. But I do think it is correct to say that Firefly is essentially dead. It is just a damn bitter pill to swallow.

AFKAMM

Saturday, October 22, 2005 6:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HanoverFist:
I LOVE Firefly, and watch all of the episodes every few months or so, painful as that might be (Why only 12!).

You miss counted. There are 14 episodes, 15 if you count the pilot as being 2.

Only 12 were shown on Fox before the show was cancelled, though from what I've read elsewhere, Sci-Fi are now showing Firefly so all 14 can be seen there.... or you could buy the DVD boxset.

--
Marc :)

WHOISRIVER

Saturday, October 22, 2005 7:03 PM

Quote:
Most rental houses, Blockbuster and Hollywood Video the largest, don't carry too many random television series, and I know the ones around here didn't carry Firefly.

But they WILL carry Serenity.

I hate to bring (yet more!) bad news, but just wanted to say Blockbuster are in a contract dispute with Universal Home Video at the moment, and they planning to drop all Universal titles in December (when the DVD will likely appear) if the contract disbute isn't sorted.

BRIONJAEGER

Saturday, October 22, 2005 7:12 PM

Greetings&Felecitations:

I think what will make the movie see-able over and over is the fact that despite loosing two main characters, it is River who lifts the ship from the dock and up into space. When you look at her character going from almost totally institutional to piloting a starship, there has to be something there... There are too many story possibilities to go on with.
Things could be worse for us, as someone said, "We've done the impossible with a series canceled midway through the first season and brought it to the big screen and that makes us mighty." It does, we could have ended up with a Farscape mini series instead on some off night on Fox. Maybe they will re-look the series idea, or move the seqeul up.
The DVD of the movie will sell well just because it was a darn good movie and people will be expecting to see more than what was just up on the big screen. I've seen it twice in theatre and plan on giving it as a gift a couple of times. Serenity will at the least make a modest profit. Remember in the USA, there was Katrina and Rita plus the awful spike in gas prices. Nothing did as well as it could have done.
The Wonder Woman movie and Goner are news to me, have no idea of the cast or story line (beyond the WW comic)but can only hope that they add to Josh's ability to get a movie he wants made into production.
Angmar/LNA

Zoe, "Once you've been in Serenity, how could you ever leave?"

RABBIT2

Saturday, October 22, 2005 7:51 PM

Just what are the figures and how do they compare with other movies out at the moment.
Is there any hard data or is everyone just guestimating?
If Universal realy expected Serenity to be a blockbuster they would have released it back in July or August. I think they probably see it as a cult movie thats going to make them a small profit in the short term but do much better in the long run with the DVD sales and TV rights.
So the real question is, has it made more than its production costs? If it has then a sequel is a good prospect. A new TV series is unlikely due to the complex rights situation with Fox retaining the TV rights to Firefly and Universal having the movie ones for Serenity.

JESSE

Saturday, October 22, 2005 8:26 PM

I loved Serenity, so I watched Firefly and read the comics - which I also loved! But I don't think a continuation of the story on TV or Film is very likely.

You guys assume that Joss and the cast even wants to continue Serenity now. I work in the entertainment industry directly with people like Joss all of the time. The bottom line is that, while it is a critically acclaimed series and film, moving forward with trying to continue the story now would only hurt Joss's career. It just hasn't made enough money (and probably won't) to warrant any continuation - period. The entertainment industry is all about making money. Regardless off how good *we* know this universe is, it is irrelevant. They would sell cow dung to us if it were profitable. Joss knows this, and he would never put his career on the line or risk damaging his credibility to push one of his failed ideas even if he personally loved it. It worked with Serenity, because the results could have gone either way. I doubt it will work again. Joss will move on with bigger and better ventures that will make much more money. The cast will move on and become larger stars then they are now. The risk factor (in terms of opportunity loss and niche market) will continue to grow as everyone involved with this series moves on with their lives and careers. Of course Joss and company will never tell *us* that, because we are the fans - and if they don't have fans, there is no money to be made. Emotion aside, that's what it comes down to.

TALRICH

Saturday, October 22, 2005 8:31 PM

I just think the whole "Serentiy failed at the box office" statements are a bit odd.

When I hear this sort of chatter, I recall hearing Kevin Smith (director of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, & Jersey Girl) speak at the University of Rhode Island. An audience member asked Kevin why Mirimax kept letting him make movies, to which he had a pretty simple response. "I haven't lost them money".

Just like Warren Buffet (among the richest people in the US) is oft quoted, "Rule number one, never lose money. Rule number two, never forget rule number one." As I see it, that's how studio executives need to think.

For Serentity to clear the bar, it doesn't have to be a blockbuster, but it can't lose money. With domestic, international, DVD, merchandise, and TV rights, it isn't a flop, and that's what counts.

Ancedotal to be sure, but I've seen the viral marketing first hand. Before the movie release, I wasn't a fan. A month later, and not just am I a convert, but I've already recruited others eager to buy the DVD.

-Talrich

STAKETHELURK

Saturday, October 22, 2005 9:10 PM

Quote:
For Serentity to clear the bar, it doesn't have to be a blockbuster, but it can't lose money. With domestic, international, DVD, merchandise, and TV rights, it isn't a flop, and that's what counts.

I agree, Serenity will turn a profit. That is not what this thread is about, and that is not what I mean when I talk about "failure." The question is not whether the BDM will make a profit, but whether it will make enough for Universal to greenlight a sequel (or other continuation of the verse). There are many movies out there which made a modest profit, but never got follow ups. Uni needs to believe that it's worthwhile financially to continue the 'verse, and simply turning a profit won't cut it. We have to do better than just break even if we want more.

Quote:
Ancedotal to be sure, but I've seen the viral marketing first hand. Before the movie release, I wasn't a fan. A month later, and not just am I a convert, but I've already recruited others eager to buy the DVD.

That's what I'm talking about! I want people to do exactly what you've done, make more recruits for the DVD. If we want more, we will need to sell a huge amount of DVDs. To sell that many, we can't just sit around talking about how *sure* we are that the BDM will do well on DVD, we need to get out there and keep spreading the word and posting guerrilla marketing. We need to make sure we get high DVD sales by spreading the word of "Firefly" and Serenity to the many, many people who've never heard of it before and wouldn't otherwise think of buying or renting the film. We need to make your anecdote the norm, Talrich.

EMBERS

Sunday, October 23, 2005 12:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhoIsRiver:
Quote:
Most rental houses, Blockbuster and Hollywood Video the largest, don't carry too many random television series, and I know the ones around here didn't carry Firefly.

But they WILL carry Serenity.

I hate to bring (yet more!) bad news, but just wanted to say Blockbuster are in a contract dispute with Universal Home Video at the moment, and they planning to drop all Universal titles in December (when the DVD will likely appear) if the contract disbute isn't sorted.

Frankly, if Blockbuster is threatening that, it is an empty threat...
Blockbuster is already fighting hard to avoid losing customers to netflix (who DO carry TV shows, and foreign films, and independent films that most rental places don't bother to stock)
if the public finds that they cannot rent movies they want to see from Blockbuster, then they will stop going to Blockbuster...

I also wanted to point out that there are millions of people in the US who have stopped going out to the movies (Serenity it not doing worse than other films this Fall, it is doing better than most of them),

we should find a lot of new people renting Serenity when it comes out,
AND I hope they like it well enough to buy it, and get Firefly too...

Of course we need to encourage people we know to rent it, but the reason DVD sales are such a big business is because people do rent them, and buy them, who won't go out to see the movie in theaters.

(okay, so maybe I'm in total denial...but I plan to stay here...

)

**********************************************
watch the R. Tam Session vids: http://www.hittarivertam.nu/
and buy the 'Serenity' comics published by Dark Horse!

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