Links to news items found

[Jan]

As word is spreading, I'm seeing people refer to news items the see. Let's use this thread to post them for all of us in one place. Not forum or bulletin board postings items found places like Scifi.com or darkhorizons.com or a bunch of others.

Jan

[Jan]

The Zocalo today

As mentioned in the original thread, http://www.isnnews.net/ has had the question about recasting as the Discussion Topic for a few days. I encourage everybody to participate and send an email so that it can be posted.

In addition, as word has spread, the space being given to the story is growing. Sandy Bruckner, the publisher says she still hopes that the reports are untrue but doesn't say she doesn't believe them. We all hope they're untrue! She's covering all reports out there.

For those who may not be familiar with it, The Zocalo Today was *the* original B5 newsletter online. Sandy Bruckner and others really helped form the B5 community with news and discussions and lots of interaction between the B5 set and the fans. After the show ended, the Z went away for a time and eventually was resurrected as a website with an email version. With little going on in the B5 universe, it became a nice site to keep an eye on genre TV and movies in general but always with an emphasis on B5. Sandy was instrumental in running the Official Fan Club and contributed articles to the B5 magazine, too.

EDIT: I got some corrected information about the ISNnews.net site that I referred to as being Sandy Bruckner's:

<<The www.isnnews.net site is not owned by Sandra Bruckner. The site owners are David Boyd and Doron Rosenberg. What they did was give Sandy a new home for her Zocalo Today and they moved it to the front page since their own news and B5/Crusade/Rangers pages were dormant.>>

My appologies for giving out bad info and thanks for the correction.

Check it out and send that email, okay? I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't a site that WB might keep an eye on.

Jan

[Jan]

Found this link over at the moderated newsgroup. I don't know anything about this site, does anybody else?

http://www.scifi2k.com/anews2187.html

Jan

[Capt.Montoya]

Go to the SciFi2K.com homepage and check the bottom of the left hand frame, also check the disclaimer.

It's a personal website from someone that seems to be a very dedicated Sci-Fi fan (he only has a hotmail address)... but he's wrong in following the "party line" that recasts are needed. He forgets that the characters of B5 age and there is a defined timeline for the stories in the Universe, and he doesn't consider that a thirty-something Interstellar President Sheridan would look ridiculous.

The problem I see with websites like that one (and this age of "infotainment" in general) is that they don't see that there's a line between reporting news and editorializing. He reports his opinion of the need for a recast as if it was part of the news.

Nice mention of the letter writing campaign, but he forgot to say anything about the tone of the campaign, and he didn't mention the website, too bad this mention is marred by almost pleading that no letters are needed...

Hopefully a few polite emails can help him change his mind.
I already wrote to him, asking him to make a minor correction to the address, and arguing for the adequacy of keeping the original cast, also suggesting he puts a link to KeepB5alive.com
But anyway, I don't think we should bombard him with email, a few polite emails might help to bring him to the cause, but too many might be bothersome to him and counterproductive for us. Especially important that no one sends him hate mail.

[Jan]

This one was mentioned over in the actions & reactions thread:

http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/article.php?Article=754

It's much more the sort of thing I expected to see that the PW blurb wasn't.

Jan

[Jaxa]

I just found this site via Google:

http://www.myentertainmentworld.com/mew/audition_newlisting.html

Here's the full text of the B5 casting call:

(UK) - Send pictures & resume ASAP to: Details Are only Available By Subscription..
Title: BABYLON 5: THE MEMORY OF SHADOWS.
EXEC PROD, Adam W. Rosen, Doug Netter;
PROD, Alain Gottesman, J. Michael Straczynski;
DIR, Steven Beck;
SCR, J. Michael Straczynski;
CSTG, Donald Paul Pemrick, Dean Fronk.
Shoot Dates: Early April, 2005 (in UK).

Breakdown--
Diane Baker: Late 20s or early 30s.
A bright and attractive woman. She's an Earthforce Intelligence Officer in civilian clothes who is reputed to be one of the best agents in the service. When her beloved brother is killed in a mysterious explosion on his spacecraft, Diane sets out to learn what caused the tragedy. She suspects a top-level cover-up - but before she can get to the root of the problem, she is herself accused of conspiracy and murder. Despite the efforts of her friend, Elizabeth Lochley, to shield her, Diane finds herself behind bars, prey to a corrupt official who will stop at nothing to protect his greedy self-interest. But to Diane's amazement, the remarkable Galen, a techno-mage of near-supernatural skill and daring, enlists her help in unraveling the real mystery behind the recent deaths. Their investigation reveals that an ancient technology perfected by the mystic extinct Shadow race is being unleashed upon mankind by some as yet unknown conspirator. Once unleashed, the huge and all powerful shadow vessels could enslave the entire galaxy - unless quick steps are taken to avert calamity. Star Name Only. Lead;

Galen: 30-45.
A cloaked, mysterious figure. He appears to be human - but there's an intensity about him that bespeaks something supernaturally powerful and enigmatic. Yet there's also something wry and urbane about Galen, a suggestion that he has humor and wicked wit lurking under his inscrutable exterior. A techno-mage - one of an ancient sect that used science to perform apparently miraculous feats - Galen is the guardian left behind by his kind to ensure that the ancient Shadow technology did not fall into the wrong hands. Aghast when he realizes that his long vigilance has been violated, Galen sets out to learn who is behind the Shadow technology that now threatens the galaxy. He teams with the feisty Diane in his investigation and he comes to feel real tenderness for his human ally. A hero and a deeply moral force, Galen stands strong against the forces of corruption that have been unleashed by his own people. Star Name Only. Lead;

Colonel Joss Morgan: Late 20s or early 30s.
A dashing and handsome officer with the Earthforce Marines, he is the head of a security detachment sent to Babylon 5 to protect a contingent of inter-galactic diplomats who are meeting there. Humorous and daring, Morgan tries to befriend Elizabeth Lochley, the current commander of Babylon 5, but she's a bit prickly about having her jurisdiction violated by his forces. Later, Morgan and his forces prepare to battle the Hunter Killers unleashed by the evil Tyrell - a virtual suicide mission that they face with gallantry, bravery and resolve. Star Name Only. Lead;

Tyrell: 35-45.
Dark, enigmatic, striking and chilling, he is another techno-mage, Galen's old childhood rival, who supposedly departed for a distant sector of the galaxy years ago. Yet Tyrell has been secretly infiltrating the area, developing the ancient shadow technology and putting it on sale to the highest bidder. A deadly adversary of supernatural skill and power, he is not a rogue, as initially suspected. In fact, he is actually carrying out a mandate of his own kind. When Galen resists the corruption and madness, Tyrell prepares to battle him to the death. Star Name Only. Lead.
(Posted: December 13, 2004)

[Doktor]

Woah. That's interesting. An actual casting call with no mention of the original characters? Could this be good news?

[colonyearth]

Could be, could be not. According to my source the casting descriptions that went out for the original cast roles were sent out on the QT. They were not a part of the main call.

It was a sly attempt on the part of the financiers to try to trump JMS from what I'm told.

I hopefully has blown up sufficiently in their faces.

CE

[Doktor]

Well from what we know now, it would appear as though the characters in the main casting call will be the actual leads - which makes you wonder why it would be so important to get 'names' to play the original characters? Especially when half of them are gonna be covered in prosthetics.

[Andrew_Swallow]

Originally posted by colonyearth
Could be, could be not. According to my source the casting descriptions that went out for the original cast roles were sent out on the QT. They were not a part of the main call.

It was a sly attempt on the part of the financiers to try to trump JMS from what I'm told.

Going out on the QT can be good news - it goes to the existing actors. Alternatively it went to the Head of Casting's friends.

In any other business the financiers normally try to cut the budget. Any named star is likely to cost more than a TV star.

[Doktor]

Originally posted by Andrew_Swallow
In any other business the financiers normally try to cut the budget. Any named star is likely to cost more than a TV star.

It does seem odd that the financiers should try and insist on 'names' for supporting parts.

[drpangloss]

Good news

As the post title would indicate, this sounds like good news to me, provided it's legit. "Visiting diplomats" sounds like code for B5 characters "guest starring", if one can guest star in a movie. It'd be a nice way to tie things together without getting too mired in continuity. And, maybe, just maybe, enough of the movie-going public will enjoy these supporting players to bulk up their parts in some following B5 feature.

By the way, this is my first time posting. This whole Memory of Shadows kerfuffle was finally enough to get me started.

[Marty]

Originally posted by Doktor
It does seem odd that the financiers should try and insist on 'names' for supporting parts.

I don't think those are supporting parts, I rather think the original cast will be 'sort of a supporting' cast, with which I wouldn't have a problem as long as we're talking about the original cast.
Think about it: All our main characters are spread all over the universe. I think it's highly unlikely that they'd all appear as main characters(or most of them) in TMoS. THat would feel artificial and forced(for the sake of old times) but not make a good story...at least that's my take on it.

[vacantlook]

We're glad to have you, drpangloss. Welcome.

[drpangloss]

Question

You know, it just occured to me, I can't think of a single film that takes place in an established universe but doesn't focus on the characters that made that universe popular in the first place. I suppose you could count Galen, but this movie is potentially much more "about" Galen than Crusade ever was. I just don't think anything like this has been tried before. For instance, would paramount ever consider making a Star Trek movie about a whole new crew? I doubt it.

Can anyone else think of examples where anything like this has been done before? Or not. Take your pick.