JMS to write "Red Mars" for Spike

[Jan]

JMS will be writing "Red Mars", an adaptation of Kim Stanley Robinson's trilogy for Spike TV.

http://deadline.com/2015/01/j-michael-straczynski-red-mars-series-spike-1201354875/

The TV series adaptation, named after the first book in the trilogy, has been on fast track development at Spike since the network took in the project in October with HBO’s Game Of Thrones co-executive producer Vince Gerardis as producer and Robinson as consultant.

Wow!

Jan

[AstroBoy]

I'm now excited about this series. I think that Joe's style and the property are a good match for each other.

I liked the book when I read it years ago. I didn't care as much for Green Mars or Blue Mars. But I think I'll have to give Red Mars another read.

[babylonlurker]

Excited.

Now I may have to start reading the Mars Trilogy (yes, too many things to read/watch etc, so neglected that one)

[Ubik]

Hella excited for this. Seems like Joe is breaking back into SFTV in a big way.

I wonder where the hell he'll find time for a B5 film?

[Jonas]

I'm relatively happy.

I loved the *idea* of Red Mars (sci-fi on a large scale, planetary colonization, socialist politics) but the actual *writing* is painful. Horrid prose, characters who are nothing but national stereotypes, endless descriptions of inconsequential, boring events (regolith regolith regolith!) while the story of the actual colonization plays out offscreen...

But all of these problems are ones a better writer might be able to fix, while maintaining the ideas that make this an excellent story. So there is a lot of potential here.

[Radhil]

This was not some piece of news I'd ever thought I'd hear.

I mean, those books are massive. You can club someone with them. Plenty of plot bits, but it's mostly thick chewy stuff. Someone insane would have to adapt it.

So thanks Joe?

[NotSoWize]

It's been a long time since I've read the Mars Trilogy, but I remember liking them a lot. They definitely had the "soap opera in space" quality to them that many folks love/hate about B5.

This could be a lot of fun!

[JDSValen]

On the surface this seems amazing and I want nothing more than it to go well. The only thing that gives me pause is that this is being developed for SpikeTV. I've never read these (though I plan to, now!) but, based on what I've gathered in research since this announcement, these books seem very unlike Spike and the audience/demographic to which they typically cater.

Maybe Spike's looking to branch out or maybe the pitch by JMS and the producer mentioned in the article bridged the gap somehow, but I can easily see a Crusade/TNT situation happening all over again.

Again, absolutely not what I want to happen at all, just a fear of mine.

[Jan]

In response to the latest Trek rumor, JMS clarified that he's not writing any new trek series and that it's just a rumor that there'll be a new trek series. Somebody posted that 'Red Mars' is a reality, though, right? and JMS replied:

Yes. Got approved to go to script this week.

So apparently it's cleared the treatment or outline stage.

Jan

[Jan]

And a little bit about the Red Mars project:

N: Can you say anything about the adaptation of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars series that you’re working on for Spike? How faithful will it be to the original books?

JMS: It’s a huge story that covers well over a hundred years, and television right now is kind of the place to go for sagas. In terms of the adaptation itself, we’re trying to stay pretty faithful. There are a couple of characters being added. We’re looking at how to do more of a non-linear structure to the story, because there’s such a long period of time that’s covered it makes sense to be able to see in one episode how they got together and then the trip to Mars, and also be able to see Underhill and so on. Patching all that together requires a lot of detail work. It’s very much a game of pieces. The script went in about two weeks ago. They’re very excited. They’re going to fast track this thing if at all possible. I’m getting my first batch of notes from them next week. They’re very excited about it. I think that Kim will feel that the series will do a proper job of adapting his book.

http://nerdist.com/exclusive-j-michael-straczynski-prepares-us-for-his-netflix-series-sense8/

Jan

[Jan]

A few weeks ago JMS posted photos of a shoot that took place in his house where he talked about the 'Red Mars' project he's doing for Spike TV. This looks to be part of a longer interview:

https://vimeo.com/131123089

Jan

[Jan]

Just found this tweet from JMS:

Pilot script for Red Mars is in, working on bible, we'll see where it goes.

Jan

[Ubik]

Just found this tweet from JMS:

Originally Posted by JMS
Pilot script for Red Mars is in, working on bible, we'll see where it goes.

Jan

Cool. Fingers crossed for more JMS TV!

[Jan]

And...it's straight to series for Red Mars!

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/red-mars-spike-series-order-1201656112/

Spike has made a big move into scripted programming, giving “Red Mars” a straight-to-series order with 10-episodes, Variety has learned exclusively. The hourlong drama marks the cabler’s first original scripted series in nine years.

“Sense8” co-creator J. Michael Straczynski will serve as writer, exec producer and showrunner on “Red Mars.” He will exec produce with “Game of Thrones” co-exec producer Vince Gerardis, who first brought the project to Spike, plus David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross of Skydance Television, which is the studio on the series.

Woo-and Hoo!!

From Twitter:

@straczynski 2h2 hours ago
@trekonomics It's an ongoing series, so S1 is set in the first book.

Jan

[Ubik]

Cool news for sure! Are we entering the 'golden age' of JMS TV!?