Universal has announced that the Joss Whedon-directed science fiction film, Serenity, will be available on DVD on December 20th.  The $38 million-SF/Western did well with the critics, but failed to find a wide audience in theaters and so far has earned just under $25 million at the domestic box office (see 'Brown Coats Don't Make It').  Still the hardcore fans who saw the film on its opening weekend loved it (with 88% rating the film 'excellent' or 'very good'), and the Serenity audience has strong demographic similarities to direct market customers (61% male, 52% over 30) -- so it is likely that Serenity-based merchandise, including the DVD, will do well in the direct market thanks to a devoted fan base that has made the DVD collection of the short-lived Firefly TV series (the basis for Serenity) one of the most surprising (and biggest) hits in the very crowded TV shows on DVD category.

The Serenity DVD, which should have an SRP around $29.98, includes a number of extras such as a commentary and an introduction by writer/director Joss Whedon, deleted scenes and outtakes, and a number of mini-documentaries including Future History: The Story of the Earth That Was, What's in a Firefly, and Re-Lighting the Firefly.