Babylon 5 Movie through Studio JMS

[Ubik]

That's a good question. I'm not happy about this at all.

I finally figured out why I hate reboots so much. It's not that they've univerally sucked as a rule. It's not even that they are short-hand cribbing and robbing from something I usually like. It's that it's the final and true death knell for a series/show/movie that there will be no more of those in the original story universe because the IP has moved on and there is not going to be more. Studios do not compete against themselves, so why would they put a throwback to the original to compete with their rebooted monstrosity? Answer, they won't.

The one bright spot, and it is really a true bright spot in this particular case, is JMS is still JMS. I believe what he will make will very likely be very good, after a time I may even come to enjoy it, but it means that B5 as I know it is done. No more new stories. I appreciate what we have, but the hope, false hope, but hope that we'd get something from Crusade, more Rangers, The Telepath Crisis, The Dilgar War, G'Quan and the mindwalkers vs. the Shadows, Valen and B4 vs. the Shadows, (those last two would make a really good movie trilogy), and that's just off the top, are now officially gone.

Jan, you can delete this or move it to the angry thread or something, everyone else has been so happy and upbeat, I hate to rain on it, but this is my post.

All perfectly valid points, and eloquently expressed! More later... when I get time to reply properly.

[Marsden]

I suppose if this is a complete reset of the universe, we'll be looking at a whole new set of stories, that will perharps differ from what we know. I'm personally hoping it will, otherwise what's the point!?

That's a good question. I'm not happy about this at all.

I finally figured out why I hate reboots so much. It's not that they've univerally sucked as a rule. It's not even that they are short-hand cribbing and robbing from something I usually like. It's that it's the final and true death knell for a series/show/movie that there will be no more of those in the original story universe because the IP has moved on and there is not going to be more. Studios do not compete against themselves, so why would they put a throwback to the original to compete with their rebooted monstrosity? Answer, they won't.

The one bright spot, and it is really a true bright spot in this particular case, is JMS is still JMS. I believe what he will make will very likely be very good, after a time I may even come to enjoy it, but it means that B5 as I know it is done. No more new stories. I appreciate what we have, but the hope, false hope, but hope that we'd get something from Crusade, more Rangers, The Telepath Crisis, The Dilgar War, G'Quan and the mindwalkers vs. the Shadows, Valen and B4 vs. the Shadows, (those last two would make a really good movie trilogy), and that's just off the top, are now officially gone.

Jan, you can delete this or move it to the angry thread or something, everyone else has been so happy and upbeat, I hate to rain on it, but this is my post.

[Ubik]

In the audio file posted of his announcement at SDCC, JMS goes into a little detail of a story the network wouldn't approve.
The idea was the crew and ambassadors switch identities due to a yet unexplained phenomena.

Garibaldi trades personalities with Londo, Delenn with Ivanova, Sharidan with G'Kar which leaves G'Kar running the station

FarScape did a similar idea in a second season episode called 'Out of their minds"
It may have worked because the fans are used to the unexpected and don't need to be spoon-fed the stories.
http://youtu.be/4uGThCTuTWE

I think this was purely to illustrate that it would be possible to use some of the old cast in different roles.

It is a cool idea though, and it did make me think of the Farscape episode, which is very very amusing.

I'm just kinda trying to pin point JMS motivation for going back to B5, after the 5 year arc was completed and the story he want to tell was told.

I suppose if this is a complete reset of the universe, we'll be looking at a whole new set of stories, that will perharps differ from what we know. I'm personally hoping it will, otherwise what's the point!?

[Ubik]

For those complaining about a prequel somehow "not working" - remember that the original series talked a lot about B4 disappearing, and then the cast went back in time and made it happen.

As I recall - it went over pretty well.

That's hardly a prequel though is it? Jumping around in time can definitely work a well for serialised TV, and indeed for a film. But when I talk about prequels I'm referring to films that typically give us the origins of characters and events with which we are already familiar. For example the Star Wars prequels, Prometheus, etc... I just tend to find them a bit dramatically flat because, ultimately, we know where they're going. There are exceptions (see below), but I'm struggling to think of many good ones off the top of my head.

If you've set up a mystery, a la Sinclair and the battle of the line, it works a treat. 'In the Beginning' is a clear prequel film, and it does work because it ties into B5 in a way that answers questions. It's one of the few truly good TNT films. But, for all that material to be interesting viewers need to know existing B5 canon.

That familiarity is something you can't expect from a new viewer coming to a B5 feature film. To be comercially viable it has to start fresh. So, when people start talking about the telepath war, and B4, I kinda just roll my eyes. Sure these elements could feature, but not in a way that will flesh out existing B5 chronology. Based on what JMS has said, I'm fairly confident it'll be a new cast, and a new story.

The first film will need to re-establish the universe in a new way, and then it can get on with business with telling an interesting story. Once that's done, it could potentially go anywhere, but let's hope it goes somewhere NEW. As someone already mentioned, it could and should be a trilogy of films to allow for a satisfying arc of its own.

[Delenn_of_Mir]

In the audio file posted of his announcement at SDCC, JMS goes into a little detail of a story the network wouldn't approve.
The idea was the crew and ambassadors switch identities due to a yet unexplained phenomena.

Garibaldi trades personalities with Londo, Delenn with Ivanova, Sharidan with G'Kar which leaves G'Kar running the station

FarScape did a similar idea in a second season episode called 'Out of their minds"
It may have worked because the fans are used to the unexpected and don't need to be spoon-fed the stories.
http://youtu.be/4uGThCTuTWE

Body switching eppies are very common in sci-fi and supernatural fantasy shows. It may not have been as well known in the 90s but nowadays it seems like every speculative show does it at least once.

Farscape did it like two or three times.