Saw this tid-bit on Dark Horizons

[Markraven]

Babylon 5: The 'big thing' JMS was hinting at the other week may in fact be a movie - a UK source indicates that Winchester Films is rumoured to be in talks with the show's creator about doing a movie which would be shot late next year.

[Joseph DeMartino]

Possible, but nothing in that snippet says that they're in talks about a B5 movie. It isn't like that's the only thing JMS can or does write.

From what I can find out on the 'web, Winchester Films is a UK-based studio that does both television (including a lot of childrens' programming, though they seem to be cutting back in that area) and feature films. (One of the current projects that they are either doing themselves or partnering is is Red Dwarf: The Movie.) They have worked with U.S. studios, including MGM, mostly handling overseas distribution.

It is certainly possible that a B5-based feature film could be shot in the U.K., as were Star Wars, Alien and Cleopatra. (OK, that last one isn't such a good omen.) In that case a U.K. company would necessarily be involved. But I'm surprised that the words "Warner Bros." don't appear in this piece. JMS can't do a B5 film with another studio - he doesn't own the property. Only Warner Bros. can make the film and only they can involve an outside entity like Winchester Films in the project.

(BTW, if this does refer to a B5 project, then it has to be a feature film. It would make no sense for WB to go to the U.K. to shoot a TV movie. That would be more expensive than shooting in Burbank and much more expensive than shooting in Canada. U.S. productions go to the U.K. for easy access to certain studio facilities like the legendary Bond stages, for actors who haven't "burned out" with the American audience and for convenient access to U.K. and European shooting locations. None of these would be a factor in a TV movie, which wouldn't need specialized production facilities, a large case or exotic exterior locations.)

But it is at least equally possible that JMS has sold Winchester an original screenplay or that he's been brought in as a writer on one of their projects. Don't forget, B5 was very popular on TV when people could find it, did very well on VHS and has been selling a lot of DVDs. If DVD sales in the U.S. may have gotten Warner Bros. interested in doing something new with B5, why shouldn't they have gotten Winchester interested in having JMS do a non-B5 SF project for them?

Regards,

Joe

[Bluelady]

Hope is eternal. Particularly where a B5 fan is concerned. Hope says its a B5 miniseries

[Mr_Morden]

That would be outstand !! Lets hope this rumor is close to the truth. We will have to wait till Jan 15,2004 to find out whats up with JMS.



MR Morden

[Jan]

Or later, possibly closer to the end of January. He'll tell us when he can, I'm sure.

Jan

[Bluelady]

The news will be worth waiting for, but I can hope for sooner than later!

[Vir]

Ok I'm a newbie so be nice.

If this is a new Babylon 5 project, does that mean that TNT would be involved again, or has that all been sorted.

As we learned from Crusade, JMS will not be bullied by them into sexing it up.

If they do still hold the writes to B5 then I would have thought that JMS would steer clear of it all together.

[Lyta]

Warner Brothers owns Babylon 5 not TNT. I suppose there is always the possiblity that TNT would be involved with this new project as long as JMS is left alone and there is likely to be new management he would have to deal with.

In any case, I don't think anyone knows what studio he will be working with but we will probably know within a month when JMS can say something about the project.

[Joseph DeMartino]

In any case, I don't think anyone knows what studio he will be working with

Sure we know which studio he'll be working with - Warner Bros. As you pointed out yourself, they own the show. Just as nobody but Paramount has or can produce a Star Trek film or series, nobody but Warner Bros. can produce anything in the B5 universe for TV or movies. (And not for any other media without WB's approval)

If this is a TV project (mini-series or movie) then we don't know what network or cable channel will be distributing it. If it is a theatrical film - well, see my earlier posts on pros and cons of WB working with an overseas partner for a project that would shoot out of the country for at least part of the time. Even with a feature film I'm skeptical that WB would do something that would so substantially increase their costs, though, unless there were a really compelling script reason to do so - and I can't think of any.

(You don't gain much by having your actors shoot on the streets of the real Geneva in 2004, for instance, if they're supposed to be in the Geneva of 2264 or 5. You'd have to replace so much with matte paintings or CGI that it wouldn't matter where you shot the actors. You could easily send the second unit to shoot background plates and other footage for a couple of days a lot cheaper than schlepping your cast around the world at first class air and hotel rates.)

Regards,

Joe