Firefly

Film classic Star Wars has lost its crown as the world’s best sci-fi movie.

George Lucas’s Star Wars debut has been usurped by the little-known 2005 title Serenity in a poll of sci-fi favourites.

Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, is third, following 1977 classic Star Wars.

Planet Of The Apes scoops fourth place, followed by Keanu Reeves’s film The Matrix and Sigourney Weaver’s Alien.

Others in the top ten include Fifties classic Forbidden Planet, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Terminator, which launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career.

The Michael J Fox time-travelling classic Back to the Future takes tenth place in the SFX magazine poll of 3,000 fans.

Serenity, about the crew of a spaceship of the same name, was a spin-off from a short-lived US TV series.

SFX magazine editor Dave Bradley said: "Seeing Serenity topple Star Wars as the UK’s favourite sci-fi movie is a massive surprise.

"The TV show may have been cancelled, yet the Serenity universe clearly struck a chord with fans, thanks to its likeable characters, witty dialogue and amazing special effects.

"Our list features some really classic movies, many of which, like Serenity, launched to no praise or applause at the box office, but have lived on for many years thanks to the fans, and continue to influence today’s films and TV."