Firefly fans are in for a treat.
Nathan Fillion has just revealed at Awesome Con that an animated Firefly series is in advanced development based on the beloved cult sci-fi franchise—and Deadline has the details.
Fillion spoke on a panel at the Washington, D.C. event and live taping of his “Once We Were Spacemen” podcast alongside co-stars Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau, all of whom are expected to reprise their roles. 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 controls the underlying rights to the franchise.
Married writing-producing team Marc Guggenheim (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow) and Tara Butters (Agent Carter, Reaper) are attached to serve as showrunners, and a script has been completed. Joss Whedon, who created the original series, is not involved in the animated project.
The proposed series is set in the timeline between the original 2002 television run and its 2005 feature film continuation, Serenity, expanding the universe while preserving continuity with the established lore. Early concept art has been developed in collaboration with the Oscar and Emmy-award-winning animation studio ShadowMachine, which can be found below. The fully assembled package is expected to be taken out to buyers shortly.
“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,” Fillion tells Deadline.
The announcement culminates a week-long viral social media campaign teasing that news was on the horizon, causing speculation about what Fillion, who played Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds in the TV show and film, was up to. The videos’ millions of views have brought Firefly back to the forefront of trending topics.
It also follows yesterday’s confirmation that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot would not be picked up to series at Hulu. The original series was also created by Whedon.
Originally produced by 20th Century Fox Television and created by Whedon, Firefly aired for a single season before developing a long afterlife through DVD sales, streaming platforms, and its theatrical continuation in Serenity. It followed a renegade crew aboard the transport ship Serenity, living on the fringes of society in the year 2517. The late Ron Glass also starred on the series and the film as Shepherd Derrial Book.
Through their love of Firefly, Fillion and Tudyk were inspired to launch their “Once We Were Spacemen” podcast in November, and has become a popular title on various platforms. Across 18 episodes so far, “Once We Were Spacemen” features Fillion and Tudyk catching up with former cast members, other notable creatives, and each other. The title is a nod to their time as spacemen on Firefly and Serenity.
Fillion launched Collision33 in 2024 with manager and producing partner Michelle Chapman, securing a first-look deal at Lionsgate. Development executive Josh Levy later joined the company and has since overseen its expanding slate. Among the company’s current projects, Fillion and Chapman serve as executive producers on ABC’s hit The Rookie, in which Fillion also stars, as well as its upcoming spinoff, The Rookie: North, now in production. The company has also partnered with Dark Horse Comics to develop a new original comic series titled “Witness Point.”
In addition to his work on The Rookie, Fillion recently appeared as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern in Warner Bros.’ Superman and will reprise the role in HBO’s upcoming series Lanterns. The multihyphenate is also popularly known for playing the lead Richard Castle in ABC’s Castle. Fillion is repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
.png)
Follow Us