Future of B5?

[qstor]

anyone know the status of negotiations with WB for a big budget movie for B5? I'd settle for a new series on the SyFy channel.

thanks

Mike

[Jan]

Last we heard was that after JMS drew his 'line in the sand' stipulating a big budget movie or nothing, WB did come back and ask how much he had in mind. He told them (but not us) and that was it.

One good thing that he's mentioned a couple of times is that if he develops a story he really wants to tell but WB passes, he can go elsewhere to sell it since he owns the movie rights.

Jan

[SmileOfTheShadow]

JMS has just gotten really quiet in recent months compared to what he had been in the past. We're not really getting updates like we used to.

[KoshN]

JMS has just gotten really quiet in recent months compared to what he had been in the past. We're not really getting updates like we used to.

He's probably busy with his non-B5 career and there' nothing to say on the B5 front.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

He's probably busy with his non-B5 career and there' nothing to say on the B5 front.

Yeah. He's writing big movies these days and piling up comic book work too.

[KoshN]

Yeah. He's writing big movies these days and piling up comic book work too.

Doesn't matter, really. It'd take the jaws of life to pry open Warner Brothers wallet wherever B5 is concerned.

[JoeD80]

Well he told them he's going to name a budget and they didn't slam a door in his face, so that is progress. WB has not said no to him at this point, but I haven't heard any rumors of a B5 project yet. I believe "The Flickering Light" is in pre-production now, and Joe's directing this one, so he's surely very busy with it.

[KoshN]

Well he told them he's going to name a budget and they didn't slam a door in his face,

We don't know what their reaction was.

...so that is progress. WB has not said no to him at this point, but I haven't heard any rumors of a B5 project yet.

Is walking away without comment, progress? (No.) Who knows what they did once JMS wasn't there. I bet some of the suits were struck speechless, others wanted to snicker, and some probably felt lightheaded.

[Marsden]

I don't think there is going to be a future, he has so much going on that he doesn't need to depend on it anymore.

Plus read the JMS speaks on the lurker's guide for the episode Sleeping in Light.

[Jan]

Everything in the B5 universe that's been done since "Sleeping in Light" has been lagniappe, something extra that he's done because he loves the universe and characters *at least* as much as we do. Need it? I'm sure you're right, he doesn't. He's been in a position to only do projects that he wants to do for some time now. But at conventions he still tells how the B5 characters 'talk' in his head, so it's not as if he's 'gotten over' them, just that he hasn't come up with the right story to tell yet.

Look on the bright side. He became a much better TV writer as B5 went along; he's sure to be becoming a better feature writer with each one of those that he writes.

Jan

[qstor]

Thanks all. I was really hoping the Memory of Shadows got made but we'll have to see if there's life yet for a movie/tv/dvd version of B5

Mike

[Marsden]

BTW, Jan, I didn't mean need in a derogotory maner, but he isn't a one trick pony (he never was, but), based on his comments I used to read on the site before I get to this forum he's in demand and has projects and is really busy, I bet that would push some of the other characters to the back burner, but I didn't mean kill or eliminate them. I could tell from the Lost Tales DVD about what you were saying, but... I'm still hoping for that Dilgar War miniseries. I'd like to see Garibaldi's father in action. And the Telepath war. I know, why not any movies about the peace.



Another comment, with the advent of movies like Aliens Vs. Monsters and Avatar you really don't need the actors to be the right age any more, they could have Bruce back as Sheridan 10 years from now and it wouldn't be a problem, so maybe someday? (hope hope hope...)

[Dan Dassow]

Everything in the B5 universe that's been done since "Sleeping in Light" has been lagniappe, something extra that he's done because he loves the universe and characters *at least* as much as we do. Need it? I'm sure you're right, he doesn't. He's been in a position to only do projects that he wants to do for some time now. But at conventions he still tells how the B5 characters 'talk' in his head, so it's not as if he's 'gotten over' them, just that he hasn't come up with the right story to tell yet.

Look on the bright side. He became a much better TV writer as B5 went along; he's sure to be becoming a better feature writer with each one of those that he writes.

Jan

I am fully convinced that a Babylon 5 movie will eventually be made, although I hope it will happen within my lifetime. In the meantime, I rejoice in seeing a fellow fan and friend spread his wings into new arenas. To a great extent, JMS needs to step away from the Babylon 5 Universe and return refreshed after pursuing other intellectual challenges, much as Isaac Asimov did with his Foundation Series.

Dan Dassow

[Doom Shepherd]

Another comment, with the advent of movies like Aliens Vs. Monsters and Avatar you really don't need the actors to be the right age any more, they could have Bruce back as Sheridan 10 years from now and it wouldn't be a problem, so maybe someday? (hope hope hope...)

The way things are going, before long you won't need actors at all, except as photo models and for voice samples.

That's the next step, you know, writing programs for realistically recreating voices out of words that the actors have already spoken, matching those to digital recreations of the actors in question...

Then you can have unlimited films in any era with any actor. All-new Star Trek episodes with Young Shatner! Boris Karloff in B5!

[KoshN]

The way things are going, before long you won't need actors at all, except as photo models and for voice samples.

That's the next step, you know, writing programs for realistically recreating voices out of words that the actors have already spoken, matching those to digital recreations of the actors in question...

Then you can have unlimited films in any era with any actor. All-new Star Trek episodes with Young Shatner! Boris Karloff in B5!

Did anybody else just think of "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (Real Facts vs. Good Facts segment)?