A new B5 series on the horizon?

[Neroon]

I can't see a reboot of B5 working, for one particular reason: Andreas Katsulas. How can you tell the story of B5 without G'Kar, and how can you have G'kar without Andreas? Something I am positive jms himself has alluded to before.

That doesn't mean I would never have given such a thing a chance. Of course I would have. jms is a good enough writer and he could pull in a cadre of writers of enough quality, that I think it could be done. Provided he's rested and has a decent budget. That said, I'd certainly listen to something new in that universe, ad I've felt about Trek for years now.

 

[Jan]

As was posted elsewhere, a reboot doesn't necessarily mean a remake of the same story.

 

[Candlelight]

I can't see a reboot of B5 working, for one particular reason: Andreas Katsulas. How can you tell the story of B5 without G'Kar, and how can you have G'kar without Andreas? Something I am positive jms himself has alluded to before.

I think it's silly to avoid a reboot just because an original actor is otherwise unavailable. You could easily recast G'Kar and it'll be fine. Sure the die-hard fans would cry bloody murder but it would still be acceptable.

It's like saying you can't redo Battlestar Galactica because Lorne Greene has died. Look what happened; we got an even better actor!

For me, I sincerely hope creative differences is all that made the post-B5-series spin offs of poorer quality. If JMS has full creative control we might be able to get back to the quality of the first four seasons. Otherwise I'd prefer to let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[Timby]

He also states: -

...At this point, I've told the studio that if this isn't going to move ahead, there's something else they need to consider and there's a very informal negotiation going on now in that regard. We'll see where it goes from there....

What this "something else" is and who this very informal negotiation is being held is anyone's guess.

I'd bet real money that it's Straczynski saying to WB, "Look, if you won't let me do anything with the property here, at least let me buy it back from you so I can take it to another studio."

and two other of his scripts ('Underworld 4', 'World War Z') are in production right now.

Look, I know you love Straczynski (and I totally dig Babylon 5) and are quick to defend him anytime, anywhere, but saying "he's not a loser, his script for Underworld 4 is in production" isn't really adding ammo to his credibility. "He wrote the fourth entry in this God-awful series about vampires versus werewolves!" The idiots who write the (Insert Genre) Movie series get their scripts put into production too, you know.

 

[Sindatur]

He also states: -

...At this point, I've told the studio that if this isn't going to move ahead, there's something else they need to consider and there's a very informal negotiation going on now in that regard. We'll see where it goes from there....

What this "something else" is and who this very informal negotiation is being held is anyone's guess.

I'd bet real money that it's Straczynski saying to WB, "Look, if you won't let me do anything with the property here, at least let me buy it back from you so I can take it to another studio."

Actually WB agreed to JMS terms. It's who WB was negotiating with for the money that fell through. So, WB were willing

 

[Harvey]

Would another studio even be interested in Babylon 5, though? It seems like a long-shot to me.

 

[Timby]

Would another studio even be interested in Babylon 5, though? It seems like a long-shot to me.

True, but this is the guy who thought that a 2005 / '06 theatrical movie based upon a niche series that ended in 1998 was a good idea.

 

[Kegg]

Would another studio even be interested in Babylon 5, though? It seems like a long-shot to me.

True, but this is the guy who thought that a 2005 / '06 theatrical movie based upon a niche series that ended in 1998 was a good idea.

Well, Babylon 5 is one of the more succesful things he's done. I don't blame him for flogging that horse.

 

[timothy]

maybe he can take it to HULU. That would be awesome.

 

[FPAlpha]

But at some point it rather comes off as pathetic. Fortunately he's found other stuff to do so it's not like he's fallen through the cracks and is desperate to revitalize his career but after 10+ years i'd give it a rest, enjoy fan admiration from time to time at B5 cons and move on.

 

[Jan]

Look, I know you love Straczynski (and I totally dig Babylon 5) and are quick to defend him anytime, anywhere, but saying "he's not a loser, his script for Underworld 4 is in production" isn't really adding ammo to his credibility. "He wrote the fourth entry in this God-awful series about vampires versus werewolves!" The idiots who write the (Insert Genre) Movie series get their scripts put into production too, you know.

Probably not for the kind of cash that JMS can pull in, I'll bet.

The entire post was in response to somebody who declared that JMS

is living off his B5 years by getting gigs in related niches like comic books and the occasional novel or whatnot.

which, of course is bull-oney.

As for that person's next post, it's not as if JMS is knocking on doors trying to get more B5 stuff made. WB (or others, in the case of the dead-ended TMoS movie) approach him and he's open to hearing them because he still loves that universe.

Jan

 

[Timby]

Look, I know you love Straczynski (and I totally dig Babylon 5) and are quick to defend him anytime, anywhere, but saying "he's not a loser, his script for Underworld 4 is in production" isn't really adding ammo to his credibility. "He wrote the fourth entry in this God-awful series about vampires versus werewolves!" The idiots who write the (Insert Genre) Movie series get their scripts put into production too, you know.

Probably not for the kind of cash that JMS can pull in, I'll bet.

The entire post was in response to somebody who declared that JMS

is living off his B5 years by getting gigs in related niches like comic books and the occasional novel or whatnot.

which, of course is bull-oney.

As for that person's next post, it's not as if JMS is knocking on doors trying to get more B5 stuff made. WB (or others, in the case of the dead-ended TMoS movie) approach him and he's open to hearing them because he still loves that universe.

Jan

Indiana ... let it go.

 

[RJDiogenes]

No, I disagree. It rook Roddenberry ten years to get a Trek movie in theaters and another seven or so to get another series on the air. As long as it's good, it doesn't matter how much time goes by.

Personally, I'd rather see some kind of conclusion to Crusade but that ship has pretty much sailed by now. He should just jump ahead a century or so and start fresh.

 

[Timby]

No, I disagree. It rook Roddenberry ten years to get a Trek movie in theaters and another seven or so to get another series on the air. As long as it's good, it doesn't matter how much time goes by.

Star Trek also had a significantly larger audience on its worst day than Babylon 5 ever had.

 

[Harvey]

Would another studio even be interested in Babylon 5, though? It seems like a long-shot to me.

True, but this is the guy who thought that a 2005 / '06 theatrical movie based upon a niche series that ended in 1998 was a good idea.

Well, yeah, but project fell apart, obviously.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I can't see a reboot of B5 working, for one particular reason: Andreas Katsulas. How can you tell the story of B5 without G'Kar, and how can you have G'kar without Andreas?

Maybe I'm cold-blooded, but I can see it working without Katsulas, without G'Kar even. B5 to me goes beyond any one character and certainly beyond any one actor's interpretation of that character.

After seeing a character I'd always assumed was the most unrecastable of all - Spock - successfully recast, I'm very open minded about reboots, especially in the case where the actors are simply too old to reprise their roles, or have passed on, and therefore there's no shame in a reboot (even if it's a mild one, involving only recasting of existing roles).

I'd love to see more on the Telepath War and the Psi Corps.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I think JMS stated that we wouldn't probably see the "Telepath War" depicted in any live action medium. The books of course dealt with the origin and eventual fall of the Corps and I believe touches on Lyta as well. I know for a long time a lot of fans wanted to see a "Telepath War" movie.

 

[RJDiogenes]

No, I disagree. It rook Roddenberry ten years to get a Trek movie in theaters and another seven or so to get another series on the air. As long as it's good, it doesn't matter how much time goes by.

Star Trek also had a significantly larger audience on its worst day than Babylon 5 ever had.

That's true, but we also have a different world with more venues now. The point is that there's no real reason for him to abandon B5 just because fifteen years have gone by.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I think JMS stated that we wouldn't probably see the "Telepath War" depicted in any live action medium.

That's because a battle between telepaths would probably look something like this:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWgg20IqibM[/yt]

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Interesting news. I remember hearing something about more B5 back in Feb. Anyways, I'd prefer a reboot with the series post B5, than B5 itself.