So, let's go into deeper B5:TMoS speculation

[grumbler]

Originally posted by Stunaep
But he can't possibly include all of the 12 chief characters. LOTR did that, and look what happened. And that was a 3-film epic.

Agreed, and that is why I noted that they would appear "for at least a cameo" which means a one-scene, few-lines appearance. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that none of our "heroes" are the main charactors of the movie... but I would be surprised if JMS stiffed any of the regulars who wanted to be in the film.

[Stunaep]

But he can't possibly include all of the 12 chief characters. LOTR did that, and look what happened. And that was a 3-film epic.

[grumbler]

Originally posted by Sigma
Why?

Because we spent five years learning to care for these actors and would be pissed if some of them got "cheated" out of the payoff for sticking with "guerrilla TV" as Boxleitner put it.

Plus, I think most fans want to at least see the major charactors one more time. JMS can pass the torch in this movie, as far as I am concerned (because these are charactors whose story has been told) but I think the fans overwhelmingly would like to see it happen.

[Sigma]

Originally posted by grumbler
2. The fans would be highly pissed if he didn't.

Why?

[grumbler]

First, I think that all of the major charactors will be in the film for at least a cameo, for two reasons:
1. JMS is very loyal to the actors, and has repeatedly said that he wanted to reward them with a chunk of the money getting cast in a theatrical release would get them, and
2. The fans would be highly pissed if he didn't.

As to the sets, you are correct that many of them were done the way they were for financial reasons (though I think you need to look at DS9 or TNG sets again if you think the B5 sets were significantly worse than they were, what with the "useless panels" and whatnot). Many of them wouldn't translate well to the Big Screen, but the "B5 look" is an important part of the atmosphere of the show, so I think we will still see scrumbled paint schemes and non-primary colors.

Where the story takes place is a somewhat delicate topic: enough has to take place on the station to make the "Babylon 5" name make sense to the non-fan viewers (and it is the station that is the trademark of the franchise), but the station is a limited venue and a good story will clearly have to include lots of off-station action. Especially lots of off-station space battles!

As I have thought about it some more, I am not sure the TeepWar per se has enough action for the first movie. What the non-fanatical fans talk about most in terms of B5 are the space battles. I think the movie will want to deliver a couple of those if it wants to draw those people back into the fold. It is possible to have space battles AND the TeepWar, of course, but I think the former is important enough that the latter should give way if necessary for the first film.

[Stunaep]

Now that we now almost for certain, that B5:TMoS will be a theatrical film, let's speculate about the problems that this creates.

Who will be the director? Will it be teh standard B5 director(tm) Mike Vejar, or will a movie grade director be brought in?

I think we can pretty safely assume that Chris Franke will score the thing, so the next big question is, who will do the SFX. And how? With all of the B5 CGI lost by the Warners (and 99.9% of it would have to be redone anyway, even if the original CGI hadn't been lost), how much will our beloved station and stuff be changed to make it look good?

And how will the sets be handled? Aside from a few positive examples, the sets on B5 were rather horrible, even by TV standards. All the quarters on B5 had the same tiled, useless panels on them, and since most non-b5 sets were redresses of other sets anyway, with exceptions, they all looked pretty much the same.

My guess would be, that they'd set the bulk of the story mostly outside B5 (which would certainly make sense, since they have the money, and the teep war wouldn't concern B5 anyway), show Mars, Earth, perhaps (here's hoping) the Vorlon homeworld, and use only those locations on B5 that we haven't seen after Objects at Rest, so they could safely be redone (such as, say, Command and Control).

Finally, which actors won't be in TMoS? Assuming, that it's about the teep war, my guess would be, that the Centauri wouldn't be in it, thus no Londo and no Vir. There won't probably be much reason to include Delenn either, the same with Lochley and possibly Zack too (He did have that thing going with Lyta, so he might make it in).

So, what are your thoughts on the matter?