Firefly

From UK Sci-Fi magazine SFX

Have you stuck to your guns as regards no sound in space, or was there pressure from the studio to insert sound effects?

Well, it’s not finished yet, but so far the studio has backed my every play.

Will the theme tune you wrote be used in the film? Either as the theme, or someone strumming it by the fireside?

Nahh. Well, maybe. I sure as hell won’t be singing it.

What has been the most exciting moment on the set of the movie?

Watching Summer’s new ’dance’.

Will there be any cameos from Buffy or Angel actors (the ones who were already in Firefly don’t count)?

No. This isn’t a party for my friends, it’s a movie.

Why the name change from Firefly to Serenity?

It’s what the movie is about. The fans will recognise it, and non-fans won’t confuse it with a show they might have heard of. Everyone wins.

Has the experience of directing a movie been significantly different from directing a TV show?

It’s more fluid - every scene dominoes everything you’ve done or will do.

What’s the most ambitious shot in the movie?

A four and a half minute ’one-er’

Which actor do you think will hate you the most after this shoot?

If they don’t all hate me equally, I’m doing something wrong.

How will you celebrate the final days shooting? Apart from sleeping.

Prayer. Contemplation, and possibly a violent crime spree.

How much sleep have you had since filming began?

Mother...? The lights are....Why are there mice?

What has been the most satisfying moment on set?

Reboarding the ship.

Has the script evolved at all while shooting, or are you a Hitchcock-style director with everything rigidly laid out in your mind?

Little bit of both.

Will we get to see hoardes of Reavers?

Is that what you really want?

Which on-going plot strands from the show had to be dropped from the movie?

The involvement of Blue Sun in the ’Big Mystery’

How have you made the movie accessible to people who have never seen the show?

By telling the story from the start - not the same scenes, but the story from a new perspective.

What do you think about the show’s cancellation now that it has enabled you to achieve one of your lifetime ambitions - to direct a movie?

I will always mourn the show. This movie may be a beautiful butterfly, but I loved that damn caterpillar.

Can you reveal one line of dialogue from the movie that you really like?

’We’ll meet again, Spider-Man!’ (Wait - which movie?)

If the movie is a success, will you ever return to television?

TV is an awesome medium.

Why should no-one miss Serenity?

Because it’s exciting, funny, scary, surprising, involving ad meaningful. At least, that’s the plan. But even if I totally fail, the actors are brilliant and deeply pretty. Plus, hovercraft chase!

Copyright SFX Magazine 2004.

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!