Expanding the ‘Verse: “Browncoats: Redemption” Teaser Trailer

Joss Whedon‘s Firefly only ran for 11 episodes in 2002 (14 were filmed) but it sparked a cultural movement in sci-fi fandom that hadn’t been seen since Gene Roddenberry‘s Star Trek was cancelled. The DVD sales of the series and fan campaigns were so successful that in 2005 Whedon was able to convince Universal Pictures to produce a film to continue the story of Firefly. The film spent two weeks in the top ten and earned over $38 million in domestic and foreign box office sales (though, according to Universal, it didn’t earn back its filming budget until it was released on DVD).

Fans of Firefly, called Browncoats after the losing faction in the battle between the Alliance and the Independents, have never quit clamoring for more and the fanbase continues to grow and become involved in community activities. Regional Browncoats organizations have made charities a central focus of their energies and the actors from the show have thrown in their support for those charities by offering their time, talent and sometimes keepsakes to help raise money for a good cause. Fresh content has been introduced in the way of comic books and role-playing games to help feed the fanbase, and the hunger just keeps growing.

Everyone keeps begging for more Firefly but nothing seems to be coming down the pipeline. Deciding to “put their money where their mouth is”, Michael C. Dougherty and Steven Fisher finally did something: they created a fan film.

The fan-funded film is set shortly after the events of Serenity, where the Alliance’s power and standing in the ‘verse has been shaken by the announcement of the events that took place on Miranda. Browncoats: Redemption expands the lore of the ‘verse by following the crew of the ship Redemption, all self-professed Browncoats who’ve “kept their noses clean” — until now.

Planned for a 2010 release, with its unveiling at next years’s DragonCon in Atlanta, the Browncoats: Redemption team hopes to not only fuel interest in the Firefly ‘verse but raise funds for charities. 100% of the film’s proceeds (after production costs) will be split between the charities Equality Now, Kids Need to Read, The Dyslexia Foundation, The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center and Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. Early projections based on previous Firefly/Serenity related DVD sales have the filmmakers hoping to donate upwards of $80,000 to each charity (based on a $15 DVD price tag).

The team has been posting behind-the-scenes videos on their YouTube Channel and now you can get a first look at the Redemption crew in the newly released Browncoats: Redemption teaser trailer.

Be sure to check out their other Browncoats: Redemption links and throw in your support for their cause.

Browncoats: Redemption Movie Website
Browncoats: Redemption on YouTube
Browncoats: Redemption on Twitter
Browncoats: Redemption on Facebook