Although Whedon had written several films beforehand, 2005's Serenity was the first that he also directed. The studios clearly had enough confidence in him regardless, as he had two more lined up by the time it was released. The one which was written first was his own Goners, another original idea that never went anywhere. A fantasy thriller which Whedon himself described it as the story of a young womans journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics, it doesn't sound that dissimilar from pretty much any of his other projects. Even on those odd occasions where he appears in someone else's production, they generally have strong female protagonists going through some tough situations. Producers Mary Parent and Scott Stuber were also linked to the project, the latter of which has since teamed up with another TV icon in the form of Seth McFarlane, and produced both Ted and A Million Ways To Die In The West. As if it never being made wasn't bad enough, this is added to by the fact that it was something Whedon "had in mind for a while, and it just poured out". Despite the passion that he had obviously invested in the script, this particular film languished in development hell due to Whedon's other commitment as writer/directer, this time on behalf of a major studio. To make matters even worse, this was also another project that wouldn't see the light of day either...
