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JMS at SDCC - the news

Re: Latest Update from JMS

And let's all admit it: Severed Dreams and Into the Fire were actually five-hour shows. JMS just makes sure that any time anyone actually watches them, there's a handy time warp to make it seem like they're only 42 minutes long.
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

If one takes a lot of regular B5 episodes and only runs the A-plot, excluding the B-plot (and depending on the episode also the C-plot), the one primary plot would end up being much the same amount of time that each of these minis are going to be.
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Yeah, that is a very good point. I was also thinking that a lot of B5 was about building up - so the really great eps, although good in their own right, were made even better by knowing what lead up to it.

I do however have every faith in JMSs storytelling ability and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with.

So, it seems like each story is based around one character - I wonder which characters he will choose? I suppose he can pick any time period, so who knows, we may see Marcus before/when he joined the Rangers, a Bester/Lyta would would also be cool, and maybe even David (Sheriden/Delenns son) - lots of potential :)
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

So, it seems like each story is based around one character - I wonder which characters he will choose? I suppose he can pick any time period, so who knows, we may see Marcus before/when he joined the Rangers, a Bester/Lyta would would also be cool, and maybe even David (Sheriden/Delenns son) - lots of potential :)
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Except that JMS has already said that the tales would center around established characters, which would automatically exclude David Sheridan. Unless it was a story that centered around Delenn, or John Sheridan, and David Sheridan were involved peripherally. But again, it wouldn't feature David Sheridan, according to what we already know from JMS.
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

I think you're probably right, but still, it depends on what JMS means by established. It IS established that David Sheridan exists, even if we haven't really seen him. Of course, any story with him would probably include Sheridan, and/or Delenn, even if he were the main character.
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

From what I've gathered, "established character" is kind of a defined thing in the business. And it would not involve a character we've never even seen .

That's my guess, at least. He's planning on using former castmembers. :cool:
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

He's planning on using former castmembers. :cool:
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:D Oh yeah, we're doing the happy dance now!

Personally, I'd love to see Sheridan in The Lost Tales, but I'd be tickled with any of the original cast members... :cool: that would be too cool!
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

There's a reason why "established character" wouldn't include a character from the books who's never been seen in the series: someone seeing an episode with Lochley might say, "Hmmm, this Lochley is an intriguing character. I think I'd like to check her out some more. So I'll go and buy season 5 and do just that..." With an established character, there's impetus to check out the already-existing material, and the opportunity for more sales. It's also a way to get people who have seen the old series to be interested enough to check out the new series. So for the owner of the property, Warner, there's every reason to use characters that enhance their ability to make more sales of the thing that actually makes them a lot of money. The DVDs, and the new series. Not books.
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

The transcript from Comic-Con is going more slowly than I'd hoped/expected but I have finished the key announcements. Here's what JMS said said regarding B5:TLT:
Anyway, they call every so often and want to do something with B5 and asked “Do you want to do a feature film?” and I thought about it for a while and I said, “No.” And here’s why. A) I don’t trust movies that much but B) most important, I can’t see the structure of a B5 movie right now as long as long as Andreas and Rick insist on staying dead. As much as B5 was about the stories of Sheridan and Delenn and those guys, there’s the Londo and G’Kar arc that was the clothes line from which I hung all that. And without G’Kar…maybe in a year or two I can start to see the structure of it but right now I can’t do something big right now. I’d love to but I can’t. Do you want to do something else?

WB: “Whatever you want to do, let’s do.”

So I thought about it and I came back to them and said, “Here’s what I’m thinking. When we did Babylon 5, what I liked were the small little stories that we did as ‘B’ plots and as short stories. What if we did a whole bunch of short films? Little mini-movies, each one worked around established B5 characters, not somebody else. One that’s worked around Sheridan, one that’s worked around Delenn, one that’s worked around Lochley or Garibaldi or whoever it is, and put these things out on DVDs and sell them to networks, whatever you want to do, make them short stories. An anthology show set in the Babylon 5 universe. They said, “Okay.” We already have an network that wants to carry them, by the way. We’re negotiating with them now. In addition to the network who wants to broadcast them, put them on DVD, three per DVD and sell them and build up an inventory of these: Babylon 5: the Lost Tales, basing a lot of them on stories I had for the series but never had a chance to actually put into gear-a bunch of different stories I never had time to produce.

WB: Okay.

JMS: And I want no interference. What I write is what I write. I don’t want notes, I don’t want interference, I want complete creative support and I want it in writing.

WB: Okay.

JMS: And I want to direct it.

WB: Okay.

We will shoot in September. It’s greenlit. We had a meeting a week ago where they turned on the lights. It’s greenlit. I’m still writing the script. We haven’t figured out which three actors we’re going to use out of the B5 repertory company. We have to figure out which those three actors are going to be and I’ll write the script around those three actors and we’ll shoot three mini-episodes with these actors. I’ll direct it and it’s going to be a lot of fun.

I want to do things that I can sink my teeth into the characters-to do nice little character stories which we all like. The best scenes in B5 for me were the elevator scenes-two guys in a room. I’m a playwright by nature and love those kind of small stories so to me that’s the joy of it. To have Warner’s say “You’ve got complete creative support. You can do whatever you want, you can direct it, black and white, we don’t care, do whatever you want, go bugfuck, we don’t care.” is terrific. So we’re going to go ahead.

I just started the script and we’re looking at stages now. The theory is that we get it shot in September, Post October, November, December-there’s a lot of CGI in this thing-then we’ll probably come out in the second quarter of 2007. So that’s the big one for B5 fans out there. Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. [looks under con tote on the table] Oh, there they are! I found them again.
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Jan
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

Thanks for all the effort, Jan. That definitely makes what he is doing clearer. I wonder... did WB actually say "go bugfuck?" Hmmm... maybe we'll see N'Grath in a porno somewhere. :eek: ;)
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

... did WB actually say "go bugfuck?" shocked: ;)
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Actually, I believe that's going to be Warner Bros.'s marketing slogan for 2007: "Let's Go Bugfuck!" So they want to work it into all their projects in one way or another. ;)

Regards,

Joe
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

Indeed, thanks as always, Jan. :)

Is one project with Ron Howard enough to make Hollywood fall prostrate on the ground before JMS, now? :LOL:

:beer:
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

Maybe not entirely but I don't think it'll hurt. It doesn't seem that the 'Changeling' deal was an influence on WB as per JMS's 7/24 post:

As for what prompted the interest now at WB...it's only recently that
they've finally run through all 5 seasons, which for many years now has
been a constant source of revenue, and I think they would love to have
something to continue to with. The recent news re: Changeling probably
didn't hurt, but the deal was actually being negotiated long before
there *was* a feature film deal with Imagine. As I recall, we
finalized the deal right around the time that the Imagine news was
announced.

It was a rather extraordinary 24 hours.
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But this post gives you an idea of how Hollywood has reacted to the news.

Jan
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

I wonder... did WB actually say "go bugfuck?"
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Well...keep in mind that when I'm transcribing, quote marks are placed kind of by guess and by golly. :confused: JMS can say more distinct words at the exact same time than anybody I've ever known. It's really amazing-all distinct, separate words said faster than any ear can hear properly. Which is why I started recording a couple of years ago after StarStuff showed me the benefits. :)

Jan
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

Actually, I believe that's going to be Warner Bros.'s marketing slogan for 2007: "Let's Go Bugfuck!" So they want to work it into all their projects in one way or another. ;)

Regards,

Joe
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Considering they once had a talking frog as a corporate "spokesman," copulating insects doesn't seem that far off. A good way to distinguish themselves from Disney.
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

Considering they once had a talking frog as a corporate "spokesman," copulating insects doesn't seem that far off. A good way to distinguish themselves from Disney.
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Disney, of course, has a corporate logo featuring a large rodent in the act of shooting himself in the foot. :)

Regards,

Joe
 
Re: Latest Update from JMS

Considering they once had a talking frog as a corporate "spokesman," copulating insects doesn't seem that far off. A good way to distinguish themselves from Disney.
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Apparently, you've never seen The Lost Tales of Jiminy Cricket... ;)
 
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