Babylon 5 Movie through Studio JMS

[Jan]

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.

Speaking of things I don't usually do...Here's my real concern about the movie: That it ends up being another 'Serenity'. While I'm sure that in the long run it made back it's money, nobody could pretend that it was a resounding success. And yet it seemed to my mind to do everything right to reach the fans. It was soon enough after the show was on that many people would remember it. There was the lead-in comic. I saw a lot of fan 'buzz' and a very passionate fan base. I saw a fair amount of advertising. And Joss Whedon is a pretty well-known name. The only thing that I thought was a miss was that it didn't have 'Firefly' in the film name.

B5 has been out of sight for 15 years. Would WB allow a lead-in comic? Would it help or hurt to call itself 'Babylon 5'? If WB doesn't come on board, it won't be able to be shown on TV judging from what JMS said in the announcement. Would DVD/BR sales be a possibility? I don't know.

I have complete faith that JMS would write a great script and make a hell of a movie. It's all those other factors that worry me some. And I hate being one of those 'I'm worried...' folks.

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!

Not sure that rebooting Lost in Space is a good recommendation but it would be nice if they could wrest B5 away from WB.

Jan

[Ubik]

Not sure that rebooting Lost in Space is a good recommendation but it would be nice if they could wrest B5 away from WB.
Jan

I too found this a somewhat puzzling choice of shows to bring back from the grave.

[Jan]

I too found this a somewhat puzzling choice of shows to bring back from the grave.

Probably a 50th anniversary thing. Let's hope we don't have to wait till B5 is 50!!

Jan

[Jonas]

To be fair, Serenity is pretty disappointing. It throws out everything people loved about the show (the Wild West atmosphere, the sense of family) and then effectively destroys the future of the series by killing off two characters for no reason. It doesn't matter what Joss Whedon did to promote it when even the actors don't seem that happy with the film. There's very little there for a new audience to get excited about.

Of course, that was before geek culture exploded as a market. Nowadays, you could probably make a lot of money with a Firefly movie based on nostalgia alone.

But Babylon 5... to be honest, much as I love it, there seems to be a real antagonism towards B5 from large sections of the geek demographic, so I'm not sure you could rely on that. Critics would probably be mostly hostile, too. So it's really tricky, and a TV series would be a better solution. But obviously that is almost impossible to get off the ground at the moment.

So here's hoping.

[Looney]

I love Serenity. I wish characters hadn't died, but at the same time I feel it added a unique quality. I mean how many impossible situations can EVERY character survive. Now I will say that they could have done a better job in how they chose to kill them off.

Everything about a B5 movie is tricky. Honestly I feel JMS has to forget about it making money in U.S. theaters. I am not saying it won't, but the odds are heavily stacked against it no matter what. The only place it has a chance to make real movie money is overseas and in home video sales. That is where many movies make their money, so he's probably going to be okay. I heard just a couple months ago that Expendables 4 was a go because they secured distribution in China. I am sure there are MANY Chinese B5 fans who can't wait to see a feature film.

[moreorless]

To be fair, Serenity is pretty disappointing. It throws out everything people loved about the show (the Wild West atmosphere, the sense of family) and then effectively destroys the future of the series by killing off two characters for no reason. It doesn't matter what Joss Whedon did to promote it when even the actors don't seem that happy with the film. There's very little there for a new audience to get excited about.

Of course, that was before geek culture exploded as a market. Nowadays, you could probably make a lot of money with a Firefly movie based on nostalgia alone.

But Babylon 5... to be honest, much as I love it, there seems to be a real antagonism towards B5 from large sections of the geek demographic, so I'm not sure you could rely on that. Critics would probably be mostly hostile, too. So it's really tricky, and a TV series would be a better solution. But obviously that is almost impossible to get off the ground at the moment.

So here's hoping.

Really Serenity was only ever targeting the existing Firefly fan market, add in as you say it dumped many of the strengths of that series and IMHO was overly cluttered as well including rather weak character deaths and I think its failure was understandable. In a way you could argue JMS is in an easier position with B5 in that he knows he likely cannot depend on the existing fanbase to carry a film.

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.

Its possible I spose and I think it does throw up a very obvious potential direction a film could go in the Earth/Minbari war. That gives you an epic action setting but also means your free of having to include the complexities of Babylon 5 itself.

An interesting direction could be to actually show both sides of the conflict, you could argue Delenn or a similar character would be a more interesting story than Sinclair during the war.

[tarasis]

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

Thats kind of good to hear, I was beginning to think from the complete lack of news since Aug 2014 that the project was basically dead. Particularly with Sens8 getting a second season (which I still need to watch - been waiting on my wife to have the time to sit and watch it together).

[Ubik]

So, JMS is now show runner on Starz 'Red Mars' TV show. Part of me thinks this makes the B5 movie even less likely, in terms of JMS having quality time to dedicate to scripting and shopping it around.

However, part of me also thinks that his profile is definitely rising, what with Sense8 and now Red Mars. If the Red Mars does well, it puts him in an even better position from which to pitch a more grandiose project like the B5 movie.

[Looney]

Is he writing every episode of Red Mars?

If he is not I am not too worried about the B5 script because of the 2017 date. That still gives him time to work on getting a B5 script finished then trying to sell it while working on Red Mars. After Mars premiers he could go into production on the movie. We all know that he has been working with too much on his plate, but unlike we mere mortals he apparently can handle it pretty well.

[sftv]

Recirculating the 2014 News

How many people have seen the Blastr news article from 2014 showing up on your social media feeds? I guess now that it is 2016, it seems to have resurfaced and is getting passed around as new news. Maybe that will prompt joe to give some sort of update.

Lee Whiteside

[Jan]

How many people have seen the Blastr news article from 2014 showing up on your social media feeds? I guess now that it is 2016, it seems to have resurfaced and is getting passed around as new news. Maybe that will prompt joe to give some sort of update.

Lee Whiteside

I know in the last couple of months an awful lot of fans have been asking about it. Possibly prompted in part by the Red Mars news, too.

Jan

[Ubik]

I know in the last couple of months an awful lot of fans have been asking about it. Possibly prompted in part by the Red Mars news, too.

Jan

Damn! There was me hoping your post would be an update on progress.

[Jan]

Damn! There was me hoping your post would be an update on progress.

The last time I asked about an update I even mentioned that there have been a lot of questions about the film. But let's face it, given how many times anything he says is going to be posted and discussed and thrown back at him if it doesn't happen per schedule, who can blame him if he doesn't say anything until there's something really concrete to report?

Jan

[Ubik]

The last time I asked about an update I even mentioned that there have been a lot of questions about the film. But let's face it, given how many times anything he says is going to be posted and discussed and thrown back at him if it doesn't happen per schedule, who can blame him if he doesn't say anything until there's something really concrete to report?

Jan

Part of me wishes creators would wait until a project was actually underway before announcing it! For all we know IT IS underway, but the wait is hard for us fans.

[Nastastu]

The last time I asked about an update I even mentioned that there have been a lot of questions about the film. But let's face it, given how many times anything he says is going to be posted and discussed and thrown back at him if it doesn't happen per schedule, who can blame him if he doesn't say anything until there's something really concrete to report?

Jan

The problem I have is that this wasn't a flippant comment or just saying he would like to get something going. That would be different because it would be a generalization and comment about what he would like to do not what he is going to do. He specifically stated he was doing it and wasn't waiting around for others (WB). Either they jump on board or he does it without them as he wasn't wasting more time and more of the original actors passing beyond the rim. He gave a specific time frame for writing and shooting. Now we have Sense8 (don't get me wrong, love Sense8) being renewed for another season and him being the show runner for Red Mars on Spike with no comment from him about B5 and his previous declaration.

"So in 2015 I will write a Babylon 5 screenplay. I’ll be giving Warner Bros. the opportunity – if they want to step up, “Help yourself”. If they don’t, 2016: We make it. I’m not going to wait around for more of our cast members to die."

Kind of also like the Studio JMS site. Had a posting for how long now saying it was being updated and would be rebooted August 2015? Message is still there. You don't give specific dates unless you have some sense you can actually meet them. If you can't meet them, you announce that it isn't going to be met. You certainly don't give dates and then drop it and say nothing when those dates are months in the past.

To me things like this is basically a slap in the face to fans. Especially when it happens again and again and the person says I don't want to give dates because when it doesn't happen people get upset, and then gives another date.