According to Deadline, Nathan Fillion (The Rookie, Castle) will be making another foray into animation. The actor confirmed that Firefly animated series is in the works during a panel at Awesome Con. Fillion previously voiced a version of himself who was Missy’s imaginary crush in the series Big Mouth. Ironically, Missy’s fixation on Fillion was due to being a massive fan of the series Firefly.
Deadline has reported that Alan Tudyk (A Knights Tale, I, Robot) , Gina Torres, (Serenity, Suits), Jewel Staite (Serenity, Blindspot), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, Serenity), Sean Maher (Serenity, 9-1-1), Summer Glau (Castle, Con Man), and Adam Baldwin (Chuck, The Patriot) are all expected to reprise their roles in the series. The series was developed by Fillion under his production banner Collison33. 20th century animation partner on the project as the holder of the underlying intellectual property.
According to Deadline, Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Green Lantern) and Tara Butters (Agent Carter, Reaper) are set to head the series writing team as co-showrunners. Fillion confirmed that original series creator Joss Whedon (Avengers, Avengers: Age Of Ultron) had given his blessing for passing the reins on to the new writers. This is especially exciting news for fans of Whedon’s work, as Sarah Michelle Gellar just announced that the Buffy The Vampire Slayer revival is no longer going forward.
The proposed series will take place between the original series and prior to the 2005 film. Fillion said, “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,” about the new series via Deadline.
According to Deadline, the announcement was preceded by a week-long promotion that teased the series. Fillion and Tudyk currently host a podcast about the original series, “Once We Were Spacemen”.
Deadline has reported that Collision33 is a collaboration between Fillion and his producing partner, Michelle Chapman (The Rookie, The Rookie: Feds). The company currently holds a first-look deal with Lionsgate. Currently, Chapman and Fillion serve as Executive Producers on The Rookie. They will continue to serve in the same capacity for the upcoming spinoff, The Rookie: The North.