20 Things You Didn't Know About Serenity

The most interesting facts surrounding Firefly's one-time foray to the big screen.

By Cameron Mcmurdie /

Serenity is one of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the 21st century. Written as a continuation of the short-lived Fox television series, Firefly (which ran in 2002), the film is the feature film directorial debut of Joss Whedon. This project followed his iconic fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), and preceded his 2012 take on superhero team, The Avengers.

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The film follows a rag-tag group of misfits travelling on the spaceship of the title. It includes an ensemble cast, some of which have become big names, including Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Over the 17 years since it’s debut, Firefly has received a large fan-base and has gained a reputation as one of the biggest cult shows in television history.

Serenity has closely followed suit, also gaining critical and fan acclaim. It is often seen as one of the best television-to-film adaptations, highly praised for resolving some of plot points of a show cancelled way before its time.

Throughout this list, you will discover some things you didn't know about the underappreciated Joss Whedon sci-fi.

20. The First Draft Of The Script Was Over 190 Pages

When the film was confirmed in late 2003, it was green-lit without a finished script. When Whedon brought the finished script in, however, it was way oversized.

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Originally, the first draft (titled "The Kitchen Sink") was over 190 pages, and it apparently resolved pretty much every major plot point addressed in the series.

Needing a script they could produce under budget restraints, Whedon and producer Barry Mendal hacked away at the script until it was something more suitable for theatres.

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