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  • #1

    Coincidence, or hint?

    Over in JMS News is a new post entitled:

    Re: You ain't gonna believe this one, folks (OR: Why, Oh Why Did I

    All is says is:

    For more info go to:
    http://harlanellison.com/heboard/unca.htm

    This site includes a discussion of the following daft situation.

    Harlan Ellison (familiar to B5 fans) wrote a screenplay for the "I, Robot" movie, which attempted to stay true to the original book. This was rejected by the studio. The film that was made bears little or no resemblence to Isaac Asimov's short story collection.

    A bit miffed, Harlan published a book containing the original screeplay, which is now turning up at a major national retailer bundled with copies of the DVD of the film.

    At least, thats what I gather - please correct me if I'm wrong.

    Still with me - & asking yourself what this has got to do with B5?

    Well - perhaps I'm paranoid, but it seems an opportune time for JMS to point up the way a major film studio (in this case Fox) is prepared to interfere with their writers in the misguided pusuit of maximum profit.

    What do you think? Coincidence or hint?
    Tags: None
  • #2
    If anything there would be less profit for Warner Brothers in my opinion because a lot of B5 fans won't see the movie if they recast. At least I won't.

    Comment

    • #3
      Originally posted by B5fan
      If anything there would be less profit for Warner Brothers in my opinion because a lot of B5 fans won't see the movie if they recast. At least I won't.
      But you're looking at it from a fan's POV, not a studio exec's. The studio exec might know that a movie will open to 40 million at the box office if it headlines with Bruce Willis. A movie starring someguy with a passing resemblance to Bruce Willis is an unknown quantity.

      (Remember, JMS is dealing with Warner's feature film department, not their television department. He basically has to prove himself all over again...)
      Got movies? www.filmbuffonline.com

      Comment

      • #4
        Harlan Ellison did not publish the script, the studio published it for him. They are now having to pay for a script that never got filmed.
        Andrew Swallow

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        • #5
          Perhaps the probem is not "RECAST", but "DISCARD". From all credible reports I've seen only Galen and Lochley are from prior B5/Crusade series. So far the rest are new characters.

          We know JMS wanted too use Dr. Franklin. Maybe he wanted to use many more of the original cast, but the studio changed that to create new characters that they could cast big name stars and as they please.

          Unlike other things I've seen recently, this just my theory and there is no proof to support it that I know of.
          Col. Danning: "Hey, it's what I do!"

          G'Kar: "No one here is exactly what he appears"

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Coincidence, or hint?

            Originally posted by mike_9000

            What do you think? Coincidence or hint?
            Neither. There was already discussion of the HE script going on. JMS and Harlan are best friends.

            Jan
            "As empathy spreads, civilization spreads. As empathy contracts, civilization contracts...as we're seeing now.

            Comment

            • #7
              BTW- HE's script is fantastic. I remember reading it when it was first published in Asimov's Science-Fiction Magazine back in the 80s...


              (geez that makes me sound old... )
              Got movies? www.filmbuffonline.com

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Coincidence, or hint?

                Originally posted by mike_9000
                Well - perhaps I'm paranoid, but it seems an opportune time for JMS to point up the way a major film studio (in this case Fox) is prepared to interfere with their writers in the misguided pusuit of maximum profit.

                What do you think? Coincidence or hint?
                It does seem unbelievable by the very reasons stated by Harlan Ellison himself. The very studios that rejected the Ellison script will release a book with the script in connection to the I,Robot movie made with a script that Ellison hated. Too bad I'm not a CostCo member or I'd look for it... apparently the deal is limited exclusively to them.

                Nothing to do with B5. Nothing that JMS could use to point anything to WB, this relates to a script decision by FOX on a script written by a friend of the original writer (Asimov), not to a recasting decision by WB on characters included in a script by the original writer and creator of B5.
                Such... is the respect paid to science that the most absurd opinions may become current, provided they are expressed in language, the sound of which recalls some well-known scientific phrase
                James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79)

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                • #9
                  If it was at the DISCARD stage, I'd imagine JMS would be in a position to be a lot more forthcoming with the details.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Re: Coincidence, or hint?

                    Originally posted by Jan
                    Neither. There was already discussion of the HE script going on. JMS and Harlan are best friends.

                    Jan
                    Ah.. thats no fun. :P
                    Milkman
                    www.mhoc.net

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Although part of an ongoing discussion, I thought it was an interesting time to comment on the strange behaviour of major film compies - ie, a time when he would like to say something about WB but couldn't...

                      His very next post:

                      Re: Danger folks.. Warner Bros is screwing with TMOS Casting..

                      I would like to be able to comment on this, but for the time being I am not
                      able to do so.

                      jms

                      I hope "The time Being" does not last very long....

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