Polter-Cow just made me spit all over my keyboard.

there is also a widely-recognized codicil that any intentional invocation of Godwin's law for its thread-ending effects will be unsuccessful

I wasn't invoking it for its thread-ending effects but for its Partyman-spitting effects.

I'm not sure I follow. So Universal is thinking of Joss as a brand name and that slapping his name on projects might make them more marketable? To get him on board they throw $30 mil at him to make Serenity. If Serenity bombs or doesn't meet expectations doesn't it hurt that brand name though? Joss could easily be labelled a "TV guy." Not only that but isn't Wonder Woman a WB project? Beyond Serenity box office how's Joss attached to Universal?

Personally I think it's more bottom line oriented. Like maybe they looked at those DVD sales and figured they could get 1/3(or what ever % they were comfortable with) of those people to a movie and set the budget at that. If the DVDs came into play in this way at all then I 'd say the fans had a pretty big part in the process.

But clearly, CLEARLY, neither I, nor the F:IA campaign, had anything to do with the release of the DVDs, or the DVD sales. Which is what I am saying. Clearly.

So Universal is thinking of Joss as a brand name and that slapping his name on projects might make them more marketable?

No. It's not about being "marketable." You'd be surprised how many people have no clue who that Joss Whedon guy is. It's about Universal's belief that Joss can deliver them a highly profitable franchise down the road. That's why I said "blockbusters like Wonder Woman, etc." I mean, that they're looking at him to do big movies like the X-Men and Spidermans of this world.

It's not that different than 20th giving Joss $16M to, hopefully, develop a hit show for them.

Also, $40-50M? Not that much money in today's movie making climate.

Also, $40-50M? Not that much money in today's movie making climate.

It's a pittance. Studios regularly throw away that kind of cash on crap they KNOW isn't going to make any money. They give the big bugets to crap that they know WILL make them a lot of money.

I'm just glad they tossed a few bucks towards making something good, regardless of whether it was blind luck, vehement fans, some executive's hunch that that Joss guy might be talented or whether Mercury was in retrograde. I honestly think that how the movie busines works is that fucked up.

But clearly, CLEARLY, neither I, nor the F:IA campaign, had anything to do with the release of the DVDs, or the DVD sales. Which is what I am saying. Clearly.

I think I missed the part where the F:IA campaign led to the DVDs. Is that the common perception? It couldn't have hurt. Even if X amount of people watch a show that doesn't mean they well spend money on it. Those postcards could have represented a level of committment suits might assume would translate into sales. I'm not sure of the timing, even if a decision to make DVDs happened prior that kind of support could have reinforced the decision somehow.

Playing devil's advocate, F:IA certainly did get notoriety which may have created a buzz to the outsider. I know when I hear of a movement to save a show I become curious and check it out, case in point: GF. If a F:IA created buzz led to someone who wouldn't have bought the DVD to buy one then there is an indirect contiribution of F:IA to DVD sales however large or small that may be. Futher more, I don't think you can totally take F:IA out of the movie equation because it did organize, galvanize and solidify the Browncoats as a force and obviously they are the ones who bought DVDs and actively recruit people to watch the show and buy their own DVDs.

It's about Universal's belief that Joss can deliver them a highly profitable franchise down the road.

So they are buying his loyalty. That makes sense. So when Joss has his next big idea Universal will go to him and say "who's your buddy? who's your pal? remember who helped you out with that Serenity thing?" It's kind of like the Godfather. "Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But uh, until that day, accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day."

You'd be surprised how many people have no clue who that Joss Whedon guy is.

I'm more surprised at the backlash.

I guarantee you that they did not greenlight Serenity based solely on wanting more from Joss in the future. The producers who approved it are judged week to week based on what the films they worked on bring in, and if they spend $30 million to gain the possible future services of a writer/director, they'd be out of there. It's way cheaper--if they want him to do "Wonder Woman"--to say "We'll give you an extra $10 million over your quote to do this script," than it is to greenlight an entire film, and there's less chance of hurting their reps by having him associated with a flop.