Serenity rewrite: The main plot steers so far away from the revers it hurts The main plot instead is focused around the mystery of river and the 2 government agents after her

The mystery around the movie isn't some random planet explaining revears, instead takes place on a distant lab where they are studying the effects of top secret water discovered in the galaxy which contains... trace amounts of alien DNA! This will keep the story away from random star wars stuff and more in line with firefly which was always a love letter to the potential future of the galaxy. Water started the Darwin race on earth, so it makes sense to have it as the biggest and brightest mystery in serenity.

The alliance have been splicing with the best and brightest with this alien DNA, giving river her abilities - alien DNA mixing with human DNA. River herself is the runt of the litter against the rest of the test subjects, who will act as the main threat to the plot.

The character dynamics stay the same as they do in the show, focusing on all the different relationships with one another, not focusing on everyone's relationship to the protagonist.

Okay, so... The movie opens up with action instead of a walk around the ship, showcasing some space coach robbing (western motif), with mal and the crew jumping between ships and wrestling control against some oil(or equivalent) barren, only for it to go south and end up losing the target ship, and the job.

Then we do the walk around the ship meeting all the characters as they interact with one another, all in one shot - the same way it was done in the film. This will not only let us meet the characters as they are normally, but as they are under pressure, effectively catching the audience who haven't seen firefly up in 2 scenes.

The doctor then calls the team to action saying he's found advancements in his research into river, who's getting more and more in tune with her 'see'er' powers, and gets the crew to go X way, while mal needs to go Y way in search of work

The doctor joins him regretfully, but joins in the negotiations with the new client to convince him to pay the way for the DNA samples we saw in the opening, twisting mals arm and showing the doctors cunning. This will clue in the audience to the idea that even though this guy is from the inner worlds, he can still get by on the outer worlds with the rest, puting him in line with the rest of the crew to the audience.

Mal, who isn't petty, goes along with the new job for the amount it pays and is impressed with how well researched the doctors plan is.

The plot with Inara remains the same - they need to go rescue her from the government agents, and here we see river and the rest of the crew get their asses kicked by the 2 government agents and 5 other students from rivers school They barely escape as inara and Kaylee think on their feet while the rest are fighting and make a quick get away All the while, wash is having to fly through some rocky terrain to keep him vested

The climax takes place in rivers old school, which the compound of DNA is being kept for future use on kids (in this version it's way less grousome and invasive, it's a regular school with darker sides) and the gang has to capture all the DNA to get paid and save the future of these kids.

The reverend reveals he used to be in ties with the blue handed government officials as an apprentice of some kind. Since then, he's forever been running from his sins. He didn't know the extent of what he was apart of, but is able to give some valuable insite into how to break into the school.

Jane dies instead of wash, and he does it in the most heroic way possible. Sacrificing himself for river and the doc who are held down, and granting them an opportunity to secure the DNA before mal and the rest of the crew make a stand. His final words are an apology for being stupid cos the money was too good, but in a really heartfelt way.

River ends up besting the rest of her fully indoctrinated classmates with the help of her new crew and all their strengths. This climax fits with the themes of firefly and the "I look out for me and my own" mindset, coming full circle to river becoming the best and brightest in the galaxy through the help of her new family.

Mal and Inara confess how they feel, finally showing how much they care for each other.

Zoe and wash retire and have a kid on a ranch, leaving their life of crime behind for good to start a family. There's a heartfelt goodbye between mal and Zoe as their fight has finally come to an end together.

The doc and Kaylee get together, and they and river leave on their own ship to help the rest of the kids who had started being implanted, knowing they aren't safe from the alliance. This gives Kaylee her relationship with the doctor as well as the opportunity to captain and maintain her own ship - continuing on the road she started with mal away from the alliance doing good for the galaxy. The doc continues his medical research and attempts to cure these new patients the same way he had with river, and river herself turns into a teacher/mentor, showing the kids inflicted with the same aliments that life isn't over.

The reverend, having finally made peace with his past goes on to honour Jane, opening up a ministry with his name for all those lost souls to be safe

Mal is on his ship by himself, thinking about what's next for him, when a message blips on his console The resistance calls for heros of the past, a technology has been discovered that let's them fly between galaxy clusters, and they need generals to help explore uncharted space. Mal and inara share a look and a smile, before he reaches down to press answer, but before he can the screen cuts to black

What do you guys think? Let me know if you like this change and what you'd do differently!