Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows (2006)

[Matthew]

what is this?

http://www.themovieinsider.com/m2273/babylon-5-the-memory-of-shadows/

 

[PillowRock]

That was a movie that was "in development" for a while. It died fairly early in pre-production.

I'm sure that a search of this site will turn up old threads with detailed discussions, including quotes from JMS postings about it.

 

[Jan]

Very badly out of date. 'The Memory of Shadows" was to be the theatrical Babylon 5 film that dead-ended last year after a year of the optioner trying to get financing.

See http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17289

Jan

 

[Sindatur]

It died because WB didn't want to put money up for it, unless they could replace the TV cast with "Big Names" and JMS would rather not do it, than use different principal actors. Other financing didn't come in that allowed him to keep the TV cast, so, it got shelved.

 

[hypatia]

It died because WB didn't want to put money up for it, unless they could replace the TV cast with "Big Names" and JMS would rather not do it, than use different principal actors. Other financing didn't come in that allowed him to keep the TV cast, so, it got shelved.

Is that, strictly speaking, true? I followed this story for some time, and my memory is... ... but didn't that turn out to be a bit of an exaggeration?

Wasn't it more like WB wasn't interested in the first place? I heard so many rumors, I'm not sure I ever quite figured out what really happened. Maybe more like the backer just couldn't get the funds, did ask WB, they said they are only interested in making films with "names"?

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

Maybe more like the backer just couldn't get the funds, did ask WB, they said they are only interested in making films with "names"?

That's the way I remember it being explained too.

 

[Sindatur]

It died because WB didn't want to put money up for it, unless they could replace the TV cast with "Big Names" and JMS would rather not do it, than use different principal actors. Other financing didn't come in that allowed him to keep the TV cast, so, it got shelved.

Is that, strictly speaking, true? I followed this story for some time, and my memory is... ... but didn't that turn out to be a bit of an exaggeration?

Wasn't it more like WB wasn't interested in the first place? I heard so many rumors, I'm not sure I ever quite figured out what really happened. Maybe more like the backer just couldn't get the funds, did ask WB, they said they are only interested in making films with "names"?

Well, that's basically what I said, isn't it? I thought WB sent JMS to the smaller guys, they couldn't get the money, and WB said we won't give you the money without "Big Names"

 

[Jan]

As I understand it, JMS was approached by the company/individual who picked up the option and commissioned the script. I never heard of any WB involvement before the optioner approached them for financing and distribution which *seemed* to be fairly late in the option period.

 

[hypatia]

As I understand it, JMS was approached by the company/individual who picked up the option and commissioned the script. I never heard of any WB involvement before the optioner approached them for financing and distribution which *seemed* to be fairly late in the option period.

Thanks, Jan. That's more how I thought it went.

Sindatur: the difference is that WB isn't really being the big, bad meanie here. If I own the rights to something, and someone wants to purchase them from me, great. Let's talk purchase price. To then come back to me and say "we don't quite have enough money, want in on this project?" is not really making me the big, bad meanie here.

Not that we don't have ample reason to criticize Warner Brothers, I just mean I don't really see WB as having "ruined" this deal in any way, and I sometimes get the impression others do.

 

[Sindatur]

Yea, I see what you mean, didn't mean to make out that WB was the bad guy "this time"

I do hold them as the bad guy for not making Rangers more worthwhile for SciFi Channel to pick up though.

 

[Jan]

Indeed. For all we know, WB wasn't even aware of TMoS until they were approached by the optioner because it's JMS who owns the movie rights.

WB has a policy that they only want involvement in high-profile films, a perfectly legitimate policy. The fans tried to get them to change that with the write-in campaign. It just didn't work and the optioner didn't have the wherewithal to put together the financing without WB's involvement.

Jan

 

[hypatia]

You know, I forgot that JMS held on to the movie rights. So WB really had NO connection to this project at all.

I find "the business" very confusing, I must confess.

And I blame Warner Brothers for basically being big business and acting like it. But yea, it's not like what TNT did. Maybe WB could have "worked harder" for B5, but TNT really did go out of its way to destroy "Crusade".

I really wonder that anything even remotely approaching art ever manages to make it to the big screen (or the little one, for that matter).

 

[Alluveal]

Ok, if we all pitch in 500,000$, we'll get a MOVIE!

 

[hypatia]

Now there's a plan!

Markas, dear, can I borrow 500,000 dollars from you?

 

[RW7427]

You think he has that kind of money? He's an unemployed bum, remember?