More Babylon 5

[Harvey]

Well, isn't he still working on those screenplays for the remake of FORBIDDEN PLANET that was supposed to be a trilogy? Or was that cancelled?

 

[Admiral_Young]

I think he only wrote a draft of that. Same with World War Z a couple years ago. I think he's given an interview about his experience writing "Forbidden Planet".

 

[Reverend]

It's amazing how much discussion this has fueled from a possible tongue in cheek comment that he posted on his facebook fan page which was as I've explained a reply to someone's earlier post about the status of B5.

It's simply because of the very spectre of a glimmer of a hope of a suggestion of more product.

Babylon 5 fans are a little loyal like that; even after a whole decade marked by subpar and incomplete Babylon titles delivered to the small screen and the home video market any hint by JMS he'd make more is greeted rapturously.

True, which is why I think JMS tends to be a little cryptic with things like this. He's usually very careful about raising false hope, but here in the twitter age, people will often read way too much into even the most harmless comments.

If there is *anything* going on right now in terms of new B5, the most it's going to be is a hypothetical conversation with WB about a ballpark figure for a project before they even begin to start talking about what the hypothetical project might actually be. That is of course if-and I stress *IF*-there is any conversation at all.

Because, sadly, studios don't invest much money in mid-level budgeted productions anymore. Certainly not many mid-level SF features. They're either low-budget or expensive tentpole features. And it doesn't sound like JMS wants to produce a low-budget BABYLON 5 feature.

Not that I totally disagree with that position, but a current lack of mid-level productions hardly precludes the potential for more in the future.
Just out of curiosity: exactly what would one call 'The Walking Dead' if not a mid-level budget production? Granted it's more horror-drama than sci-fi, but in terms of production requirements it's not so dissimilar. I defiantly wouldn't call it "low-budget" (I certainly doesn't look it at least) while at the same time it don't think it's exactly a high budget tent-pole either. I bring this up because as I've said numerous times, this kind of short mini-series format would suit B5 very well. It might even be a way to make the "Lost Tales" as an ongoing anthology as they had originally been envisioned...but I wouldn't bet on that. Whatever it may or may not end up being, even at mid-budget it needs to be a contained story that shouldn't require the viewer to be old fans of the series.

 

[Harvey]

When I brought up tent-pole productions, I was speaking about feature films only. Television, like THE WALKING DEAD, is a completely different ballgame.

Although, wasn't THE WALKING DEAD AMC's most expensive show to date? It was definitely expensive enough that a six episode first season was their maximum initial investment in the series (rather than the more traditional 13 episode order).

 

[Reverend]

^ I honestly have no idea. The show airs on C4 over here and before that I hadn't even heard of a channel called AMC so I really don't have a point of comparison for their usual fare.

Regardless, in this case I'm glad they took the option of making a good series shorter rather than writing off the whole idea because a 13 or 22 episode order would be too expensive. I can't help but wonder if the rash of cancellations of effects heavy shows in recent years has prompted the US studios to re-examine their traditional TV season format. Over here and I think elsewhere in Europe and possibly Japan, short serialised series' are the norm rather than the excaption for dramas and the like, largely because of the cost involved.

 

[Jan]

Oh I understand why we've been going on and on about it but it is still ridiculous to me that it was even reported in the first place.

Does anybody really consider AICN items to be reporting?? Surely not.

The fact that he dropped a DC comics flagship title to continue working on Superman Earth One sequel full time should indicate that he's not working on anything as time consuming as a screenplay right now.

One doesn't preclude the other. Monthly comics have regular and repeating deadlines that feature screenplays wouldn't have (or that would be subject to negotiation). While some feature projects such as the re-write on 'Ninja Assassin' have tight deadlines, most don't. With comics, though, the deadlines are montly and if it's late, the art's late, the books late and the fans react as if you'd dropped their baby.

JMS pretty much always has multiple projects going at once. He's mentioned a TV project for Dreamworks and another feature script for Spielberg that he can't talk about in detail yet. Back in January he mentioned some movement regarding Dream Police and Midnight Nation as featur projects. He's also begun writing his autobiograpy.

Well, isn't he still working on those screenplays for the remake of FORBIDDEN PLANET that was supposed to be a trilogy? Or was that cancelled?

He wrote a script for FP that was leaked so that one was scrapped and another written. According to IMDB, the second draft was turned in last December.

I think he only wrote a draft of that. Same with World War Z a couple years ago.]

He wrote the original script for WWZ and at least one revision. Once the director came on board, he assigned another writer to revise JMS' script.

I think he's given an interview about his experience writing "Forbidden Planet".

I'd love to see that if you can find a link?

Jan

 

[Kegg]

Well, how's Lensman dong?

I liked the idea of JMS writing a screenplay for Lensman. It fits his epic space opera sensibilities a fair bit. I'd actually be more interested in a JMS-penned Lensman movie then a Babylon 5 movie, blasphemously enough.

 

[Reverend]

^Speaking of Lensman, dose anyone know the best order in which to read those books? I've tried a few times but it's never really hooked me. It's a shame because I'd like to know what all the fuss is about.

 

[Jan]

Well, how's Lensman dong?

JMS didn't mention it at the NY Comic-Con. Maybe we'll find out with his year-end roundup.

^Speaking of Lensman, dose anyone know the best order in which to read those books?

I'm sure there's somebody here much more knowledgable about the books than I but FWIW, JMS mentioned that he was going to start from Kimball Kinneson (?). I've picked up the books but they're a very different style of writing than is common these days so I haven't gotten very far myself.

Jan

 

[Admiral_Young]

Here is the blurb on his "Forbidden Planet" experience. I'm surprised people have forgotten about this already.

http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLN...ki-rewrites-forbidden-planet-blames-internet/

I don't think Joe working on the Superman: Earth One sequel exclusively precludes him writing a full length screenplay but the fact that he did drop "Superman" to focus full time on the graphic novel would indicate that is what his attention is dedicated to right now. He mentioned on the facebook page too in that comment thread that he was working on laying out "Superman" still for Chris Robertson to write along with plots for "Twelve".

 

[JoeD80]

@JoeD80 I suppose that you didn't pay attention to Jan's post about Joe possessing B5 film rights? If anyone could inform fans about a possible project it would be Joe.

I was referring to the possibility of a television series.

^Speaking of Lensman, dose anyone know the best order in which to read those books?

I'm sure there's somebody here much more knowledgable about the books than I but FWIW, JMS mentioned that he was going to start from Kimball Kinneson (?). I've picked up the books but they're a very different style of writing than is common these days so I haven't gotten very far myself.

Start from Galactic Patrol. That's where the character of Kinnison is introduced and is the main focus through Gray Lensman and Second Stage Lensman. That's your main story, and then Children of the Lens follows Kinnison's children and the Third Stage. Triplanetary was older stuff re-written to fit into the story with First Lensman being written as a bridge between that one and the other books, but follows other characters. His writing style takes a little getting used to, but the universe is interesting.

 

[Admiral_Young]

@JoeD80 I thought it has been clear in this post that the likelihood of a B5 television series is ziltch and that JMS has stated as recently as that facebook fan page post that Joe himself typed that he would be ONLY interested in returning to Babylon 5 as a major feature film series.

 

[JoeD80]

^
He said in his facebook that he would do a feature film OR television series.

The only thing(s) that could bring me back would be either a big-budget feature or a full TV series where I have the kind of creative control I need.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Fair enough. I stand corrected sir

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

^Speaking of Lensman, dose anyone know the best order in which to read those books? I've tried a few times but it's never really hooked me. It's a shame because I'd like to know what all the fuss is about.

"Doc" Smith's prose is so stodgy and dense that it makes it hard for me to get into the books. I think there are some really interesting ideas in Lensmen, but I could never make it through any of the books.

 

[Kegg]

"Doc" Smith's prose is so stogy and dense that it makes it hard for me to get into the books. I think there are some really interesting ideas in Lensmen, but I could never make it through any of the books.

True enough, E.E. Smith's stolid prose is an acquired taste at best but the Lensman books are one of the founding titles of space opera and have an epic, cosmic scope that Babylon 5's myth arc was clearly influenced by.

A big problem for any new Babylon 5 is that JMS has basically laid out his major arc for practically the whole damn universe. So I'd be more interested in seeing him develop a title like Lensman which touches on ideas he's clearly fond of.

 

[Reverend]

^Speaking of Lensman, dose anyone know the best order in which to read those books? I've tried a few times but it's never really hooked me. It's a shame because I'd like to know what all the fuss is about.

"Doc" Smith's prose is so stogy and dense that it makes it hard for me to get into the books. I think there are some really interesting ideas in Lensmen, but I could never make it through any of the books.

^That's pretty much what I've had trouble getting through. Not sure which book it was, but the last time I had a go I got as far as the bit after they had passed some test or other and they're all sitting around smoking pipes and acting stodgy when the part of my brain that has an irrational distaste for upper class elitist types kicked in and I just couldn't read on.

I may have another go, but it's possible this author isn't for me. Which is odd since my favourite books are the Frank Herbert Dune novels and they're not exactly light and breezy, plus I managed Tolkien (captain of the Olympic verbose writing team) and Lovecraft (master of not actually describing anything and being surprisingly racist) without too much bother. Hell, I even got through most of Moby Dick without dying of old age!

I suppose what I really want to know is if Lensman worth the slog or what?

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, isn't he still working on those screenplays for the remake of FORBIDDEN PLANET that was supposed to be a trilogy? Or was that cancelled?

Oh, how I hope that project never comes to fruition.

 

[Jan]

Well, how's Lensman dong?

I liked the idea of JMS writing a screenplay for Lensman. It fits his epic space opera sensibilities a fair bit. I'd actually be more interested in a JMS-penned Lensman movie then a Babylon 5 movie, blasphemously enough.

I went ahead and asked JMS for the usual year-end round-up last night and this is his reply:

Lensman is on hold at Universal, because they know it would cost a mint to produce and they're not certain about the name value, if it's well enough known to bring in an audience that will make the investment pay off...I'm spec'ing out features now based on Dream Police and Midnight Nation, and have an offer to direct the latter once it's done...I'm almost one-third into the second volume of Superman Earth One, which is going really well...making one last pass at Shattered Union and nearly finished with the outlilne for Vanishing Point, both for Bruckheimer...I may have something to say about a new home for Apocalypse Al in the next week or so...there's been an interesting development on The Flickering Light, about which more later...and two other feature projects have landed on my desk as possible assignments, so we'll see where they go.

Jan

 

[Admiral_Young]

Do we know the status of his "Rising Stars" script? I really wanted to see that film.