Babylon 5- The Lost Tales *SPOILERS*

[Joseph DeMartino]

Thanks for posting that, Joe! Hope you don't mind, I've posted it a couple of other forums, too.

Jan

Not at all. I've done the same myself.

As for the $44 million - could be a typo. Could be domestic profits. Could be a lot of things. I seriously doubt they understated it in a press release to avoid payment issues, because a press release is not a legal document. Contracts, are, and those govern residuals, royalties, etc. As long as WB still shows B5 in the red as a whole, it wouldn't matter if the DVDs made $20 billion, profit participation still wouldn't kick in.

Sucks, but there you have it.

Joe

P.S.

Also posted this to the newsgroup. Will see if JMS has done so was well and/or if he replies and comments.

[Jan]

Thanks for posting that, Joe! Hope you don't mind, I've posted it a couple of other forums, too.

Jan

[Joe Nazzaro]

Is it an error, or is Warners actually worried about putting the correct number in print, for fear that they might have to shell out royalty money to JMS and Company? Makes you wonder.

[Shabaz]

44 does seem a bit on the low side, even if it is US domestic only. I find it hard to believe that non-US sales would account for 456 million worth of sales in the 500 million gross number that JMS has been quoting for the DVDs. Maybe the 44 isn't gross, and they're deducting some weird voodoo numbers against it per standard hollywood accounting practice?

[phazedout]

44 million ddollars in sales? aren't they off by an order of magnitude? I thought it was closer to four hundred and fourty million dollars.
Am I wrong here?
Phaze
on the "perhaps Joe's interpretation of the press release will pop up in the newsgroup?" ID

[Darth_librarian]

That's sweet news JDM. And I voted for Amy, she does indeed have fine mermaid hair!!!

[Joseph DeMartino]

Official Press Release from WB

No more than the expected number of cringe-inducing mistakes. <g> This went out to the DVD industry press today. Not the dollar figure given is almost certainly for U.S. domestic sales only, at most for U.S. & Canadian sales.

13 NOVEMBER 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WARNER HOME VIDEO TO RELEASE
BRAND NEW ôBABYLON 5ö
MADE FOR VIDEO IN 2007

BABLYON 5: THE LOST TALES TO BEGIN PRODUCTION NOVEMBER 13, 2006


BURBANK, CA, November 13, 2006 - Warner Home Video (WHV) and Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) have announced the start of production of "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales," a made-for-video movie that will be targeted towards the Babylon 5 loyal audience and science-fiction fans in general . The announcement was jointly made by Jeff Brown, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Non-theatrical Franchise, Warner Home Video and Gregg Maday, Senior Vice President, Movies and Miniseries, WBTV

WHV will be the home entertainment distributor for this made-for-DVD release which will include two new Babylon 5 stories collectively entitled "Voices of the Dark" in one film plus exclusive behind the scenes content. The stories will be written and directed by executive producer and original "Babylon 5" creator J. Michael Straczynski. Executive producer Doug Netter also returns in that role. Actors from the original series that have signed on to participate in the project include Bruce Boxleitner ("President John Sheridan"), Tracy Scoggins ("Captain Elizabeth Lochley") and Peter Woodward ("Galen").

Babylon 5 is a top selling franchise on DVD to date with over $44 million in consumer sales. Launched in February 1993, the award winning series was a top rated show on television with more than 13.7 million viewers in its debut season. After its original planned five-year run - introducing the concept of a five year arc before other TV series began to use multi-season arcs -- the show went on to enjoy 9 successful years in syndication and Cable on the Sci-Fi Channel and TNT. It also spurred the creation of five feature length movies based on the series including The Gathering, In the Beginning, Thirdspace, River of Souls and A Call to Arms, as well as the limited series Crusade. Babylon 5 has received numerous awards including two Emmys, two consecutive Hugo Awards, the Ray Bradbury Award for Dramatic Screenwriting from the Science Fiction Writers of America, five English Media 'Cult TVé Awards, the E Pluribus Unum Award from the American Cinema Foundation, the Sci-Fi Universe Reader Choice Award for Best TV Series and was the winner of the TV Guide Poll for Best Sci-Fi Show.

"We are very excited to be releasing this new made-for-video release filled with original content for 'Babylon 5' one of the most successful science fiction series of all time," said Jeff Brown. "This popular TV show which has been off the air for a few years continues to have a strong loyal fan base that is hungry for more content. This is the first time we're utilizing one of our popular TV franchises as a made-for-video title, and we have a strong commitment to the growth of this sector

"It's great to be reunited with Joe and Doug once again," commented Maday. "I have always been very proud to be associated with their wonderful work on Babylon 5 and IÆm confident the æLost TalesÆ will add to the legacy of this very special franchise

On an immense space station built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s, the crew of Babylon 5 are charged with maintaining the peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. Aside from its diplomatic function, Babylon 5 also serves as a military post for Earth and a port of call for travelers, traders, businessmen, criminals, and Rangers. The story of The Lost Tales picks up several years after the events of its original story, and follows several of its major characters in new adventures set against the backdrop of the Babylon 5 universe.

About Warner Home Video

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Warner Bros. Television

Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) is one of the entertainment industry's most respected providers of original content, producing award-winning drama and comedy series, made-for-television movies and miniseries for both network and cable television. Having produced 28 series for the 2006-2007 season, WBTV is the industry's number one supplier of primetime television programming, with multiple shows on each of the five broadcast networks, as well as numerous cable networks.

So, who still thinks this might not be happening?

Joe

[Joseph DeMartino]

The only thing that really worries me, is that JMS has so much on his plate at the moment.

Hmmm... Not exactly a new situation for Our Joe. All during the production of B5 he was writing every day, mostly between 8 in the evening and 2 or 3 the following morning. (He used to check for internet messages around midnight his time. I always got a small thrill at seeing his name suddenly pop up in Compuserve's "Currently browsing the forum" list in the SF Media Forum or the later Babylon 5 Forum - at about 3 AM my time.) This after a full day wearing his producer's hat - approving sets, make-up, props, attending casting sessions, stoping by the set to answer questions or rewrite a line if there were a problem, plus writing spec movie scripts and working on other ancillary writing. (He managed to write over 17,000 internet messages starting several months before plans for "The Gathering" were announced and the end of the series - the equivalent, by word count, of over many full-length novels.) I believe that somewhere in there he was also paying bills (personal and professional), talking to his wife, dealing with the pets and trying to have something that passed for a life. And this is a man who takes only two days a year off from writing - his birthday and Christmas Day. (Presumably on the theory that nobody could possibly get any work done on Christmas Day anway. )

Compared to his workload at the height of the series production, JMS is practically on vacation. And, again, writing is not something that needs to be done in a particular place or at a particular tme, so he's got more fexibility than if he were directing something.

Regards,

Joe

[vacantlook]

Vote early, and vote often! You got my vote Amy. I'll try to remember to vote every time I come to this board. (Thanks for putting the link in your signature.)

[AaronB]

And, thanks to Jon, Ranger1, Phaze, and Grumbler. Oh, and Grumbler, I largely agree with you, that most of the blondes on the top ten don't deserve to be there, for various reasons. Just to let you know, I am actually voting fairly in most cases: I'm delighted that a redhead I've been consistenly ranking highly has finally broken the top ten! She was only there briefly, but she's close enough that she'll probably pop up again. I'm pushing the "give my competitors a '1' vote" because I just want to stay on the top ten page so I stay in the judges' sights! I'm sinking a bit this weekend thanks to some new competition, so please go and vote again! Thanks.

Amy

You mean that the investments Dibold and Hugo Chavez gave you won't affect the vote in any way?

[AmyG]

arius, I wouldn't worry too much. Sure, he's got the comics, and the films -- and I think it's the films that have everyone worried, right? -- but you have to remember to put this into perspective: he's the writer on the films, and there isn't that much he'll have to do once he turns in his screenplays. If B5:TLT does well, I expect he'll manage to turn out some more stories, and possibly will hand off direction to some other, trusted colleagues (Vejar! Vejar! Vejar! ).

And, thanks to Jon, Ranger1, Phaze, and Grumbler. Oh, and Grumbler, I largely agree with you, that most of the blondes on the top ten don't deserve to be there, for various reasons. Just to let you know, I am actually voting fairly in most cases: I'm delighted that a redhead I've been consistenly ranking highly has finally broken the top ten! She was only there briefly, but she's close enough that she'll probably pop up again. I'm pushing the "give my competitors a '1' vote" because I just want to stay on the top ten page so I stay in the judges' sights! I'm sinking a bit this weekend thanks to some new competition, so please go and vote again! Thanks.

Amy

[arius]

and back on topic we go :P

I know that the thread got a little off topic, and I could have started something else. But I just wanted to post somewhere, just how excited I was that Peter Woodward is going to be in an episode. When I first heard about TLT ... I had hoped beyond hope that JMS would find a way to close off some threads from Crusade. Now, the story that Galen is in .. might have nothing to do with Crusade, but just the fact that JMS is hiring an actor from Crusade shows that these storys arent just going to be about the original B5 characters.
I was a little bummed that Jerry Doyles episode got bumped back. But upon the realization that the other episodes would get a better budget and run time, that makes it worth it to me.
The only thing that really worries me, is that JMS has so much on his plate at the moment. I have faith that he can get everything done, like his commitments to the screenplays he is writing, but I can't help but wonder how long we will have to wait after getting these first 2 episodes mid next year. I have no doubt in my mind that they will sell enough to warrent further installments, just worried on when JMS will be able to find the time to make further episodes

[grumbler]

But while we're on the subject of me <g>, the Finesse contest is heating up, and more competitors are entering every day -- so I need your votes! Please be sure to vote me a 10, and my closest competitors a 1. That is, if you want to be able to say, "Hey, even models are Babylon 5 fans!" Because if I win, I get that hair modeling contract...

Contest link is below, in my sig. Thanks!

Done, but I want you to know that voting the then-current #2 (brunette) as a "1" hurt. The others (blondes) deserved it.

[phazedout]

aw shucks Amy, 'twas just the way I was raised.
Phaze
on the "will vote when sober*" ID
*it being almost 1am on friday night.saturday morning you can't expect me to be sober can you?

[Ranger1]

Hey you got my vote alright