More B5 on the way?

[vacantlook]

In my email today from jms:

BABYLON 5 UPDATE
J. Michael Straczynski via Facebook
July, 2011

Last year, the studio offered a full season of a new and rebooted B5 as part of a new distribution venue they were creating (us and several other shows from the same studio were part of the same deal). We'd have a full season, a big budget, and total creative control. The negotiations (not between us but between the participants of the venue) dragged on for over a year, we were told repeatedly this is going to happen, but finally, the participants couldn't make the math work. So we and the other three shows that they were hoping to put out there got set aside.

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.

But again, B5 was never created to be a Deep Space Franchise, we wanted to do our 5 years and get out clean. That was my intent going into this, and if that's where this ends up, I'm happy to stick with that.

There are other film and TV projects I'm doing, including a deal just concluded to write a pilot for Will Smith's company on a show that's been pretty much pre-sold for a full season overseas (two bidders want it badly for Europe, and now they're just looking for a US partner)....The new show is intended as a mainstream prime-time drama.

"Rebooted"? Hmm....

 

[Sindatur]

In my email today from jms:

BABYLON 5 UPDATE
J. Michael Straczynski via Facebook
July, 2011

Last year, the studio offered a full season of a new and rebooted B5 as part of a new distribution venue they were creating (us and several other shows from the same studio were part of the same deal). We'd have a full season, a big budget, and total creative control. The negotiations (not between us but between the participants of the venue) dragged on for over a year, we were told repeatedly this is going to happen, but finally, the participants couldn't make the math work. So we and the other three shows that they were hoping to put out there got set aside.

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.

But again, B5 was never created to be a Deep Space Franchise, we wanted to do our 5 years and get out clean. That was my intent going into this, and if that's where this ends up, I'm happy to stick with that.

There are other film and TV projects I'm doing, including a deal just concluded to write a pilot for Will Smith's company on a show that's been pretty much pre-sold for a full season overseas (two bidders want it badly for Europe, and now they're just looking for a US partner)....The new show is intended as a mainstream prime-time drama.

"Rebooted"? Hmm....

"New and Rebooted", sounds more like starting the existing universe back up again with something new. I can easily see JMS taking Crusade and starting it over from the beginning, but, B5 proper, it just doesn't sound like JMS that he would be starting over again from the beginning. So, I'm thinking "rebooted" doesn't mean erase everything and start all over.

 

[Galahad]

BABYLON 5 UPDATE
J. Michael Straczynski via Facebook
July, 2011

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.

It's this intriguing nugget that piques my curiosity and interest the most.

 

[Jan]

BABYLON 5 UPDATE
J. Michael Straczynski via Facebook
July, 2011

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.

It's this intriguing nugget that piques my curiosity and interest the most.

The way JMS phrased it at his spotlight in San Diego last week, he approached WB and said that if they weren't going to do A, B & C (presumably the failed project) that they should let him do D, E & F.

No details, and if the negotiation is still informal, I'm sure there's a long way to go. What I find encouraging is that WB had agreed to the major points in the previous try: Full season order, good budget and creative control.

Jan

 

[hypatia]

Thanks a lot, Sindatur.

O.K. I'll keep an open mind. It's NOT hope. Just, and open mind.

 

[Sindatur]

Thanks a lot, Sindatur.

O.K. I'll keep an open mind. It's NOT hope. Just, and open mind.

Faith Manages!!

 

[vorlonlovechild]

Question. Dunno if anyone can answer this but do WB have any time limit on their rights to B5?

 

[Jan]

Nope, they own it completely with the exception of the movie rights which JMS owns.

Jan

 

[A_M_Swallow]

A reboot could start the story 10 or 15 years after Babylon 5 opened.

 

[KoshN]

Nope, they own it completely with the exception of the movie rights....

....which JMS owns.

Jan

And they let him have what they figured would be worthless.

 

[vorlonlovechild]

listening to JMS on the babble on podcast the reboot sounded like a reboot of B5 as it exists now. Changing some things to make it relevant to a new audience while keeping the same end goal. Some characters played by different actors while some of the original actors playing different roles.

 

[KoshN]

listening to JMS on the babble on podcast the reboot sounded like a reboot of B5 as it exists now. Changing some things to make it relevant to a new audience while keeping the same end goal. Some characters played by different actors while some of the original actors playing different roles.

Agreed, and I'm glad that didn't happen. What I'd most like to see would be a continuation of Crusade. Unfortunately, Hawaii Five-0, as bad as it is (writing, McCarrot, etc.), is considered a hit, and DDK is captive to it. Then, they'd have to recast Lt. Matheaon and that would probably spur a Crusade reboot, which if given the chance, JMS would probably make completely different. Hence, it would not be a continuation.

I can't win.

 

[Mike G]

Interesting news, and not necessarily bad either. It shows that WB still thinks enough of Babylon 5 to want to do *something* with it.
"Rebooted" in this context could mean a lot of different things, from doing the 5 year arc again to just continuing with more stories in the B5 universe.

 

[KoshN]

Interesting news, and not necessarily bad either. It shows that WB still thinks enough of Babylon 5 to want to do *something* with it.
"Rebooted" in this context could mean a lot of different things, from doing the 5 year arc again to just continuing with more stories in the B5 universe.

Listen to the podcast.

http://tinyurl.com/3mzmept

By reboot, he means retelling the B5 story, with some of the original cast playing their old characters, others of the original cast playing different characters, and with a "real budget" and new CGI.

To hear what JMS means by a reboot in this case, pay particular attention to the 2:26:56 to 2:27:58 part of the podcast. Not good.

 

[vorlonlovechild]

Thank god it's fallen through then eh?

Personally don;t see what all the fuss is about. If JMS thought he could do it then fair enough. Gotta trust him as it's his baby.

We do need more B5 tho, and what joe has proposed as a second option is still not dead in the water yet.


Hope is all we have!

 

[AnlaShokGrey]

To hear what JMS means by a reboot in this case, pay particular attention to the 2:26:56 to 2:27:58 part of the podcast. Not good.

Seriously agree with this. I've read the quote of JMS's that Jan posted on the jmsnews.com forums (see the "Great Debate" thread in the Babylon 5 section), and while it sets my mind at ease with regard to G'Kar specifically, I *still* don't like the idea of a reboot, in whatever form it was going to take. I don't think we need to "re-" anything.

 

[hypatia]

Agreed, I'm with that. Extend within the potential of what was made, which was one intellectually amazing work of science fiction. Don't say "I'd love to do it again... this way". :wtf:

 

[Sindatur]

I, agree B5 Proper should stay as is for at least a few more years, Though, I would love Crusade to be started over again/rebooted. It had the potential to be very "Blake's 7" once it hit S2 or S2.5. Speaking of which, if JMS is free and no one wants to finance B5, I'd love him to helm a reboot of Blake's 7, if someone would finance that

 

[vacantlook]

...I've read the quote of JMS's that Jan posted on the jmsnews.com forums (see the "Great Debate" thread in the Babylon 5 section),...

Just for the sake of having it here too. Link: Jan posting on jmsnews.com a Facebook post from jms

Doran, the reason I asked the question -- and if you come in here loaded for bear and start throwing around assumptions without a shred of actual, specific information you deserve the reply you get -- is that I wanted to see if you had an i...nformed opinion or if you had no idea what the hell you were talking about. It's the latter.

If you or anyone else thinks that I'm going to simply redo the exact same story (your accusation) in the same way," same characters, same start point" (your words again)...that person is an idiot. There would be no point. Zero, none, nada.

Take G'Kar, for instance. In my notes, there is no new character named G'Kar because for my money, no one else can ever BE G'Kar, so G'Kar is a religious figure, a legend, not unlike G'Quon. Did you know that? No. Why? Because you don't have the freaking pages in front of you and you're acting like a hysteric.

Despite what some folks say, the fact is that saying "reboot" is like saying "science fiction," it means what you're pointing at, and there are all kinds of permutations of what that means. It (and remember we're talking about something that is not currently on the boards) can't be a straight-ahead sequel because the market can't sustain it when the show hasn't been on the air in the US in over a decade. That's never, ever going to fly. It can't be called Babylon 5 if there isn't a place called Babylon 5, so the station has to be in existence, otherwise you can't use that name. You could do a show about the telepath war, but you couldn't call it Babylon 5 unless there's a Babylon 5 there, otherwise it'll confuse the hell out of new audiences (oh, that's named for a station that used to be there in another series you never saw).

The challenge I set for myself in this is very simple: knowing what I know now, having grown a lot as a writer since 1992 (or for that matter the late 80s when I started writing the pilot), having the experience of the original show in what worked and what didn't, and with all the technology available to us now that wasn't there in 1992, if I were to put the show together right now, what would it look like? That, for my money, is what a reboot is.

So no, I don't like it when you come in here, Doran, and make baseless accusations about something you actually know nothing at all about. You made a direct statement that I was going to do the same thing in the same way with the same characters all over again, and that has NOTHING to do with what I have (or had) in mind.

You ask a smart-alec question, you get a smart-alec response. If you come in loaded for bear don't expect me to be a stationary target for your comments. And don't hide behind the "well, fans have a right to know" thing because I've been keeping the fans accurately in the know for decades. I respect the fans too much to do otherwise. The poor behavior is yours for making an accusation that had nothing to do with facts. Yes, fans have a right to speculate, and should, but when speculation arises, one asks a question, one doesn't come in with an accusation. There's this notion that I've fought for years, that a person can come into a web site or page and be as offensive or patronizing as they want, but if the other person responds in the way ANYONE would respond if you pulled that crap in person, somehow THAT'S the offense. Sorry, I don't buy into the bullshit.

If you want to know something, ask a fair question and I'll always provide a fair and reasoned response. I've been doing it since 1992. Act like a jerk, and I'll call you on it every time.

To everyone who is not Doran: we're talking about something that's a moot point at the moment anyway. The discussions I'm having with the studio are business oriented regarding B5 and not in terms of a specific new show or a new project. It may be a year before any of those talks go anywhere. So can we not burn down the town over someting that's not actually being discussed at the moment?

I'm not even sure I understand jms's description of a reboot then. It would be a similar story set around a station named Babylon 5 but with none of the original B5 show's characters? I would possibly end up liking it because I like jms's storytelling, but I would totally be apprehensive and would have to be won over by watching it.

 

[KoshN]

I'm not even sure I understand jms's description of a reboot then. It would be a similar story set around a station named Babylon 5 but with none of the original B5 show's characters? I would possibly end up liking it because I like jms's storytelling, but I would totally be apprehensive and would have to be won over by watching it.

Not none of the original show's characters, some of the original show's characters, and some original actors playing the same characters and some of the original actors playing different characters, some new actors playing both new and original characters (though G'Kar, and presumably Dr. Franklin, Zathras, Dr. Kyle and Zack Allen would not be recast.). Different start point. Different path through the story. Old trap doors may not have to be used. New trap doors may.

The whole thing sounds like a mishmash, clusterf*** to me.

Looks like "Crusade" will be the closest thing we'll ever get to a true series that builds off of the original "Babylon 5."