Would you want Firefly without Mal?

POSTED BY: GWEK
UPDATED: Thursday, December 10, 2009 11:55
VIEWED: 20272
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PEROXIDEPIRATE

Saturday, November 28, 2009 2:24 PM

It's exciting that this is even the subject of discussion. Here are my opinions...

Best (semi-viable) possibility: DVD movie(s) or miniseries with all surviving characters played by the original actors

Minimum necessary for a new TV series to work: Zoe, Kaylee, Simon, River, at least occasional appearances by Inara, and either Jayne or Mal. Plus some interesting new characters.

Problem with the above: Nathan Fillion's the one you probably can't get. And I can't think of a single reason Mal would willingly leave the ship, or a reason for the others to be together off the ship. So Mal would have to be A. dead, or B. mysteriously missing, and they spend the whole series looking for him.

New series with new characters set in the same verse: would be interesting... but it seems silly, if the actors from the original are still interested in the project. Unless it takes place 10-15+ years after the original, and the original actors show up as frequent guest stars.

Only thing I would refuse to watch: the same characters recast with different actors. Especially Mal -- it's Nathan Fillion or nobody.

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Saturday, November 28, 2009 2:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by zzetta13:
Actually there are certain elements ( and people) that I feel a successful tv program or movie can not do without. Mal Reynolds (Nathan) being one of them as pertaining to FF. He could not be replace with another actor and could not be a character that just wandered in from time to time either. Captain Reynolds was the main character and the glue that kept all of the other crew in place.

Said it before in other threads, but I'll say it here again: There is no sense to the notion that only one actor can ever play any character-- look at James Bond, or Batman. Or can you imagine Mel Gibson being the only actor to ever play Hamlet?

Mal is an interesting, complex character-- different actors coming to the same role bring different things, cause different responses. That's the basis of live theatre. Example, Zero Mostel played Pseudolus in the Broadway production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To the Forum, and the film version, even though the role was written for Phil Silvers. I saw Silvers do it in the 1980's revival. Sometime in the 90's Nathan Lane did it on Broadway. When he left the show, he was replaced by Whoopi Goldberg. All 4 were *F*U*N*N*Y*, incredibly so. But they were all different.

S'been done in TVland , too, usually only with minor characters... Lionel in All In The Family and the Jeffersons, and Darrin Stevens in Bewitched.

Not sayin' folks don't have a right to prefer one actor over another, or that the chemistry doesn't change, or that it's easy and doesn't take careful writing and skilled acting, but it can be done.

NCBROWNCOAT

Saturday, November 28, 2009 2:52 PM

Darn double post
http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

NCBROWNCOAT

Saturday, November 28, 2009 2:53 PM

How did it happen again?

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

NCBROWNCOAT

Saturday, November 28, 2009 2:53 PM

I vote for Steamer to take over the role of Mal then. There is a certain resemblance...

All kidding aside you are right about different actors bringing different things to the same role.

Even the same actor can bring different things to different roles. NF is brilliant and incredibly funny (with a serious streak underneath) in Castle but Castle is entirely different from Mal.

It's easy for me to separate the two characters despite being played by the same actor, a feat some less talented actors can't do. They are always playing variations of their most famous role.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

RALLEM

Saturday, November 28, 2009 3:57 PM

I remember lots of people saying the reboot to Star Trek being a stupid idea and that nobody could replace William Shatner as Kirk, but they were all proved wrong, and I think if another Firefly did hit the air with another cast of actors it would make our doubters look dumb. Of course with that said, I think it would take a really smart recast, which would have to match what ever change in direction the new show would take from the original. Maybe in the new show some of the outer planets would win their independence, and besides things being harder for those outer planets because things won't get to the people, (without ships like Serenity)maybe the Alliance would be more dangerous than they were in the original series.

BYTEMITE

Saturday, November 28, 2009 4:07 PM

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheOtherDarrin

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ReplacementScrappy

Usual tvtropes time sink warning applies.

PEROXIDEPIRATE

Saturday, November 28, 2009 4:20 PM

Yeah, very good points about character vs. actor. Could be that I'm just not ready to see another actor play Mal. Could be that they decide to go that route and I end up pleasantly surprised.

RALLEM

Saturday, November 28, 2009 7:25 PM

I really don't think we have a choice in the matter, becasue if they choose to make a new Firefly, (which I doubt they will) then they will maybe ask the entire cast to rejoin the show, and they may not. If they do then won't they be painting themselves into a corner by having to conform to Josh's original idea? Maybe even Josh would change a few ideas with Firefly and want a new cast. Also won't a few of the actors from the original show refuse for professional and personal reasons?

ZZETTA13

Saturday, November 28, 2009 8:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
Quote:
Originally posted by zzetta13:
Actually there are certain elements ( and people) that I feel a successful tv program or movie can not do without. Mal Reynolds (Nathan) being one of them as pertaining to FF. He could not be replace with another actor and could not be a character that just wandered in from time to time either. Captain Reynolds was the main character and the glue that kept all of the other crew in place.

Said it before in other threads, but I'll say it here again: There is no sense to the notion that only one actor can ever play any character-- look at James Bond, or Batman. Or can you imagine Mel Gibson being the only actor to ever play Hamlet?

Mal is an interesting, complex character-- different actors coming to the same role bring different things, cause different responses. That's the basis of live theatre. Example, Zero Mostel played Pseudolus in the Broadway production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To the Forum, and the film version, even though the role was written for Phil Silvers. I saw Silvers do it in the 1980's revival. Sometime in the 90's Nathan Lane did it on Broadway. When he left the show, he was replaced by Whoopi Goldberg. All 4 were *F*U*N*N*Y*, incredibly so. But they were all different.

S'been done in TVland , too, usually only with minor characters... Lionel in All In The Family and the Jeffersons, and Darrin Stevens in Bewitched.

Not sayin' folks don't have a right to prefer one actor over another, or that the chemistry doesn't change, or that it's easy and doesn't take careful writing and skilled acting, but it can be done.

I agree, there have been many 007s and many very good actors have played Mr. Bond, but I don’t think ( and it’s just my opinion) that every actor that has played the secret agent has actually won fans over as being England’s top spy. I just don’t see it that way. I do believe the box office will atone to that.

Yes, there have been lots of changes in television and movies. I don’t agree with all of them and I don’t have to like them. Originality can much time breed success, any changes that occur must be met with the understanding that it may not work.

The “Bewitched” thing I remember and I don’t feel worked well. I don’t think the show lasted very long after that. I don’t know the reason might be people lost interest. I know I did.

Anyway IMHO the original actors that played the characters of Firefly pretty much own those parts. I can’t say this enough, this is just me, it‘s my opinion…..it’s how I feel. Introducing a new Mal or a new Jayne Cobb would take a heck of a lot of getting used to. Studios will do what they will do…..so the browncoats have no control there. I do Believe that Nathan would be happy to entertain the role of Malcolm Reynolds again, I think they all would in some form or fashion. I’m glad to hear rumors of the positive about it right now. Don’t know if anything will come of it but I still hold.

Another thing there is no way of knowing even with all the original players back if FF could produce the magic it once had. Joss said so himself. I sure would like to see it given a whir though.

Z

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