Does WB have no vision for a B5 Movie?

[Truth66]

While having coffee with a budy of mine the other day he mentioned about Universal is planning on a new Battlestar Galactica motion picture.
Naturally I checked it out online.
This quote is from the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica

Feature film (2012)Creator Glen A. Larson is in talks with Universal Pictures to bring Battlestar Galactica to the big screen. The film will not be based on the Sci-Fi Channel series of the same title; it will be based on the original series which starred Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Lorne Greene.[26][27][28][29]

Bryan Singer is to direct the feature film version of Battlestar Galactica.[30][31]

Then there's this quote from the following site regarding a B5 motion picture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_5

During the "Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski" panel at the 2010 New York Comic Con, Straczynski revealed ôI said to Warner Bros. a while back, 'When youÆre ready to do something real with 'Babylon 5,' either a big-budget film or a TV show, if you want to do one of those two things, call me, otherwise donÆt bother me.' About a month ago the phone rang. I donÆt know where this is gonna go yet, but when they call you, thereÆs something going on. I canÆt tell you what it is yet and it may not go anywhere, but there is movement in the tall grass.ö[115]

Unless I'm missing something, it appears that only Universal Studios has a vision and is interested in producing a Scifi motion picture. Whereas Warner Bros, has been playing these ongoing games with JMS for how many years now?

[KoshN]

I don't believe that Warner Bros. has a vision regarding B5 or anything else. I think that Warner Bros. is a bunch of marketing people and accountants who are not fans of science fiction or anything else, except money. We got B5 and half a season of Crusade, but once that streak was over, things have gone stone cold, and any new B5 project is like a foreign, new thing to them. We were damned LUCKY to get the B5 and Crusade that we got.

I just get the feeling that Warner Brothers is a bunch of people with no feel or passion for story, and who only think about the money and whether there is a market for this product out there. It'd be like a restaurant owner who has NEVER HAD ANY working taste buds at all, deciding which dishes should be on the menu. (Sorry, I just watched tonight's episode MasterChef, the ONLY Reality TV show that I like.)

[Marsden]

Wow a real Battlestar Galactica movie?


Back on topic, I agree completly with KoshN's assesment, the only thing WB is interested in is cash. Not necessarily a bad way to run a business, but it has it's shortcommings. As long as JMS is still there I think we will be safe from the "bigger faster louder" reboot that Star Trek suffered, but I think I'm in the minority liking the orginals of that and BG much more than the rip offs that came after and made lots of money.

[Doom Shepherd]

I dont know much, but when I made the appointment the recieptionist said it was a 2 hour exam. They are mailing me some info on the eval next week so hopefully I will have a better understanding.

You're a bot that just keyed off the word "vision, " aren't you?

[OmahaStar]

You're a bot that just keyed off the word "vision, " aren't you?

It was "herpes" that gave it away, wasn't it? :P

[Jan]

Actually, I was keeping an eye on him/her/it but the first post made sense and was informative if true. Third nonsense post was the end. Jan smash!

Jan

[valens_shadow]

While having coffee with a budy of mine the other day he mentioned about Universal is planning on a new Battlestar Galactica motion picture.
Naturally I checked it out online.
This quote is from the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica

Feature film (2012)Creator Glen A. Larson is in talks with Universal Pictures to bring Battlestar Galactica to the big screen. The film will not be based on the Sci-Fi Channel series of the same title; it will be based on the original series which starred Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Lorne Greene.[26][27][28][29]

Bryan Singer is to direct the feature film version of Battlestar Galactica.[30][31]

Then there's this quote from the following site regarding a B5 motion picture:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_5

During the "Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski" panel at the 2010 New York Comic Con, Straczynski revealed ôI said to Warner Bros. a while back, 'When youÆre ready to do something real with 'Babylon 5,' either a big-budget film or a TV show, if you want to do one of those two things, call me, otherwise donÆt bother me.' About a month ago the phone rang. I donÆt know where this is gonna go yet, but when they call you, thereÆs something going on. I canÆt tell you what it is yet and it may not go anywhere, but there is movement in the tall grass.ö[115]

Unless I'm missing something, it appears that only Universal Studios has a vision and is interested in producing a Scifi motion picture. Whereas Warner Bros, has been playing these ongoing games with JMS for how many years now?

Isn't this old news? I'm sure there was talk of this during the second or third season of BSG and Larson wanted to make a motion picture just like the old series, ignoring the current generation.

God knows what Warner Brothers are playing at. Time and again Babylon 5 has been shown to make money... We'll have to wait and see what happens there.

[David Panzer]

With all that WB has under their belt, B5 is just something that's noticed when it breaks.

[lotjx]

The real question is how do you do a movie for Babylon 5 that isn't something that will need a large amount of explanation or not a full reboot? You would almost need a Legend of the Rangers type of deal where its a new cast and some cameos or mentions of past characters. I think a B5 movie after so many years would be tough to do. I've said it before, a mini-series would do better for them since they know people watched the show on TV and they do not know for sure if people would spend money on the movie ticket.

[Marsden]

The real question is how do you do a movie for Babylon 5 that isn't something that will need a large amount of explanation or not a full reboot? You would almost need a Legend of the Rangers type of deal where its a new cast and some cameos or mentions of past characters. I think a B5 movie after so many years would be tough to do. I've said it before, a mini-series would do better for them since they know people watched the show on TV and they do not know for sure if people would spend money on the movie ticket.

I agree with your assesment. I know none of my ideas are any good, but what if they had several tv movies per year, like the last bunch of David Tenant with Dr Who? It would be like a miniseries that has quarterly episodes, each being a self contained story but still being connected by previous background and continuing developments.

I hope that doesn't go against the suggestion rules, I don't want Jan to strike me down.

[Jan]

I hope that doesn't go against the suggestion rules, I don't want Jan to strike me down.

Jan...sits back and enjoys reading the post. No problem with format ideas, only story ideas. I'd enjoy seeing that sort of thing myself. New stuff coming out regularly, hopefully a long enough movie to get some real meat and more to look forward to in the not too distant future.

Jan

[KoshN]

The real question is how do you do a movie for Babylon 5 that isn't something that will need a large amount of explanation or not a full reboot? You would almost need a Legend of the Rangers type of deal where its a new cast and some cameos or mentions of past characters. I think a B5 movie after so many years would be tough to do. I've said it before, a mini-series would do better for them since they know people watched the show on TV and they do not know for sure if people would spend money on the movie ticket.

While I would certainly spend the money for a movie ticket, probably more than once, and BUY the DVD or Blu-Ray when it comes out, a movie is just not enough for me. I'm used to the 22 episodes of a TV series per year; I'm used to that much material, not a 90 to 120 minute movie every three or four years (if we're lucky). I'd MUCH rather see any new B5 universe stuff as a TV series, or at the very least a good sized TV miniseries.

[AmyG]

Once again, I find myself surprised to be agreeing with Mac. I think JMS's talents are put to their best use in the long form. If anything at all, I'd prefer a tv series ù since we do not live in the universe where Andreas and Rick are still alive, in which case a movie would have been fine with me because I'd like to have seen the actors reap the big payday and cachÚ a film would give them. But artistically? I'd prefer a tv series, and preferably not on a channel that would yank it after three episodes (Fox, I am looking at you!).

[KoshN]

Once again, I find myself surprised to be agreeing with Mac. I think JMS's talents are put to their best use in the long form. If anything at all, I'd prefer a tv series — since we do not live in the universe where Andreas and Rick are still alive, in which case a movie would have been fine with me because I'd like to have seen the actors reap the big payday and caché a film would give them. But artistically? I'd prefer a tv series, and preferably not on a channel that would yank it after three episodes (Fox, I am looking at you!).

This is scary. Glad to see you're wising up. LOL!

[AmyG]

Hee. But you know, I've always felt that way, every time there's been a big hubbub about some one-off B5 project (or worse, the ill-fated TMoS film with the younger cast). I just haven't always said it.