Babylon 5 Movie through Studio JMS

[Jan]

Also, it seems according to the review that there was not gonna be a big love story between Denenn and Sinclair (it seems more like merely fulfilling the prophesy), as it was between Delenn and Sheridan, as I can't imagine why Delenn and Sheridan would have decided to separate, while Delenn and Sheridan did.

I think one of those Sheridans was supposed to be Sinclair? Yeah, it seemed that Delenn in the outline stayed much more Minbari than the one we saw in the show. I'm not sure which I prefer, really. It would have been kind of nice to see aliens with truly alien outlooks.

Anyway, I think what we got is definitely better.

Probably. But a 7-page outline of *ten years* of story is hard to judge. I'm happy with what we got, though.

BTW, Vorlon_Stacy, it looks like you may have run into our forum glitch already where posts get cut off? DougO's been trying for ages and vBulletin can seem to fix it. I think it's usually triggered by punctuation, for some reason. If you see a post get munched, use your 'back' arrow' and copy your post then edit the munched post. It's a pain but it works and keeps frustration down.

Jan

[Vorlon_Stacy]

BTW, Vorlon_Stacy, it looks like you may have run into our forum glitch already where posts get cut off? DougO's been trying for ages and vBulletin can seem to fix it. I think it's usually triggered by punctuation, for some reason. If you see a post get munched, use your 'back' arrow' and copy your post then edit the munched post. It's a pain but it works and keeps frustration down. Jan

Thanks, Jan I've noticed it happened when I put a space after an apostrophe. So I don't do it anymore, hope it works.

[Vorlon_Stacy]

I think one of those Sheridans was supposed to be Sinclair? Yeah, it seemed that Delenn in the outline stayed much more Minbari than the one we saw in the show. I'm not sure which I prefer, really. It would have been kind of nice to see aliens with truly alien outlooks.

Yeah, sorry, the second one was Sinclair. I've corrected it in my previous post now.
I think I like more a more human Delenn. However, I suppose the relationships between Delenn and Sheridan in the actual version and the relationships between Delenn and Sinclair in the original version depended not only on Delenn but on her partner as well. I liked much the Delenn/Sheridan love story, while I'm not sure I would've liked that much the Delenn/Sinclair's one. I don't know how to explain it, Sinclair somehow seems more alienated (well, I can't actually find the right word), more Mimbari-like, so the idea of Sinclair/Valen transformation was really good. So maybe Sinclair matched better a more alien Delenn, while Sheridan matches better a more human Delenn that we actually got from the season 2.

[Looney]

WHY ISN'T THE SCRIPT DONE YET?!?!?!?!?! (Sorry, I just wanted to say something.)

[Jan]

WHY ISN'T THE SCRIPT DONE YET?!?!?!?!?! (Sorry, I just wanted to say something.)

For all you know, it is. You think JMS is gonna report in to us every step of the way? Oh, I know he should...but I've resigned myself to the fact that he won't. Same as he won't send me drafts of everything he writes as he writes it. Silly man....

Jan

[wilbers]

Would be nice to get an update on progress. Maybe it is written (first draft at least) and there will be no announcements until Warner Bros. make a decision.

[wilbers]

Could be like one of the long running threads in a Red Dwarf forum - Still no Red Dwarf XI news, then when there finally was the green light for the next series, a not so long running thread Still there's Red Dwarf XI news.

[Jan]

Would be nice to get an update on progress. Maybe it is written (first draft at least) and there will be no announcements until Warner Bros. make a decision.

While JMS has said that he'll give WB the chance to be involved (read: cough up some money (IMO, of course)), it's not up to them at all. JMS owns the feature film rights so he can do this on his own via his Studio JMS. As for progress, we know it's gone from intending to 'write the script' to intending to 'finish the script' so we know that progress has been made despite how busy he is.

Jan

[Delenn_of_Mir]

While JMS has said that he'll give WB the chance to be involved (read: cough up some money (IMO, of course)), it's not up to them at all. JMS owns the feature film rights so he can do this on his own via his Studio JMS. As for progress, we know it's gone from intending to 'write the script' to intending to 'finish the script' so we know that progress has been made despite how busy he is.

Jan

Really? He's mentioned the script fairly recently? I don't have home internet, haven't for like 6 months or so, so pretty outta the loop. *sad face*

I'm still half terrified of what will happen if it does get made, but my other half wants it to happen more than anything!!!

[Jan]

Really? He's mentioned the script fairly recently? I don't have home internet, haven't for like 6 months or so, so pretty outta the loop. *sad face*

I'm still half terrified of what will happen if it does get made, but my other half wants it to happen more than anything!!!

It was at the tail end of a mostly-SENSE8 interview. All he said was that he intended to *finish* the script later this year (this was probably Sept, I think). But as far as we know, he's deeply embroiled in writing season two of SENSE8.

I posted to his FB page asking for an update in the Straczynski-verse several days ago but no answer so far.

Jan

[Nastastu]

I was hoping due to the W's desire to take a break that JMS would be able to focus some on B5. I haven't searched for any new information and don't know how long the W's "break" was intended to be.

[Jan]

I was hoping due to the W's desire to take a break that JMS would be able to focus some on B5. I haven't searched for any new information and don't know how long the W's "break" was intended to be.

Pretty sure they had several months between post-production on Sense8 and starting the writing for season two. They definitely weren't visible for any publicity for Sense8.

From what JMS has described as the way he writes, it doesn't sound as though he only concentrates on one thing at a time. He'll reach a point where he needs to work something out in the script he's working on, switch to something else while his back brain works on that first one, and so on. I've never known if that's the secret to his being so prolific or not, but probably.

Jan

[moreorless]

Thank you, Ubik!
Well, yes, the version we got really seems much better! The description of the seasons seems quite boring, but the last part, BABYLON PRIME, seems really interesting. To my mind, it would have been much better to set a base for the Interstellar Alliance on a neutral territory and not on a specific planet, so the B4 in the original version suited quite well the purpose. However, if JMS wanted the Alliance to remain on the neutral territory, I suppose in the actual version he could have let the Alliance's headquarters stay on B5 instead of moving them to the Mimbar. And as it didn’t do so, this means he didn’t want to. While in the actual version the B4 served a much more interesting target being moved to the past.
It's also interesting to see some of the David’s possible storyline in the original version.
Also, it seems according to the review that there was not gonna be a big love story between Denenn and Sinclair (it seems more like merely fulfilling the prophesy), as it was between Delenn and Sheridan, as I can't imagine why Delenn and Sheridan would have decided to separate, while Delenn and Sinclair did.

And this notion seems quite funny:
"Final scene is Sinclair, retired, alone on an otherwise uninhabited world....fishing. "

Anyway, I think what we got is definitely better.

You could perhaps argue in some respects the original outline would be easier to work into a film though. The TV show seemed to shift into something more linear with major events happening though out rather than building towards a small number of climaxs.

I would guess at best JMS could hope for a trilogy covering the main story so it would be a question of what works over the course of the plot of three 2-3 hour long films. There are really only so many plot points and climaxs you can have in that format I would say so some collapsing down or editing or material does seem like it would need to happen.

[Triple F]

Speculating on this kind of thing isn’t a usual pastime. But I’d be surprised if jms even attempts to tell the story in a series of movies. I’d imagine the movie (or a trilogy) would be used to set up the story and act as a springboard for a new television series. If the movies – which would set up characters, events, history, etc. - make a bit of money and interest, then I’m guessing that the hope is someone would bankroll a new tv (or maybe even streaming) series. I think it’s a mistake to imagine that his idea is to condense everything into 1, 2 or 3 isolated (and soon forgotten, in relative terms) movies.

[Ubik]

Speculating on this kind of thing isn't a usual pastime. But I’d be surprised if jms even attempts to tell the story in a series of movies. I’d imagine the movie (or a trilogy) would be used to set up the story and act as a springboard for a new television series. If the movies – which would set up characters, events, history, etc. - make a bit of money and interest, then I’m guessing that the hope is someone would bankroll a new tv (or maybe even streaming) series. I think it’s a mistake to imagine that his idea is to condense everything into 1, 2 or 3 isolated (and soon forgotten, in relative terms) movies.

There's some good reasoning there.

At some point I see Netflix being enough of a media powerhouse to negotiate for the rights to B5 from WB, if they were so inclined. If Sense8 continues to do well, then I imagine there could be some kind of interest in a rebooted B5 on Netflix.

I've said it from the start of the FreeBabylon5 campaign that Netflix is where it's at. I still believe they might hold the keys to a possible future for the show. I mean, hell, they are rebooting Lost in Space!