Nathan Fillion has revealed at Awesome Con that an animated Firefly series is in advanced development, with the original cast expected to reprise their roles. The announcement was made during a panel at the Washington, D.C. event, where Fillion was joined by co-stars Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau. Adam Baldwin, who played Jayne Cobb, will also lend his voice to the project.
The animated reboot is being developed through Fillion’s production banner Collision33 in partnership with 20th Television Animation, which holds the rights to the franchise. Married writing-producing team Marc Guggenheim and Tara Butters are attached as showrunners, and a script has been completed. Joss Whedon, creator of the original series, is not involved but has given the project his blessing.
The proposed series is set in the timeline between the original 2002 television run and the 2005 film Serenity, expanding the universe while maintaining continuity. Early concept art has been developed with Oscar and Emmy-winning animation studio ShadowMachine. The package is expected to be taken out to buyers shortly.
Fillion told Deadline: “The dedication of Firefly fans has kept this 25-year-old show relevant. Clearly, the return of Firefly is something the fans want. More importantly, it’s something they deserve.” The announcement follows a week-long viral social media campaign that brought the franchise back into trending topics.
Originally created by Whedon and produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Firefly aired for a single season before gaining a long afterlife through DVD sales, streaming, and the film Serenity. The series followed a renegade crew aboard the transport ship Serenity in the year 2517. The late Ron Glass also starred as Shepherd Derrial Book.
