Re: Babylon 5: The Lost Tales
OK, here's the situation as of today:
A few months ago JMS met with WB, which had finally gotten around to really auditing the take on the DVDs (something in the area of half-a-
billion dollars world-wide), to discuss possible projects in the
B5 universe. For the first time since
Crusade shut down they seriously broached the idea of a financing and distributing a feature film. (Owing to a quirk of the original contracts, JMS ended up owning the feature film rights to
B5 - and
only the feature film rights. That's why the abortive
The Memory of Shadows project was and indy project and why WB didn't become involved.) But the loss of Andreas Kastsulas and Richard Biggs is too fresh for JMS to even think about how to write around them to do an original cast feature. (Which has always been his plan for a
B5 theatrical film.) He's been adamant that he will never recast either role. Maybe he'll feel up to it in a year or two. I hope so, and I hope WB is still as interested in the ida. I just wish they'd warmed to it couple of years ago when Andreas and Rick were still alive.
Anyway, since WB was still interested in doing
something and since they were launching a new line of direct-to-DVD projects (and
B5 having done extraordinarily well on DVD, far beyond WB's expectations) JMS proposed doing some DVD originals.
A slight digression: As many of you know, JMS has been publishing all of his
B5 scripts through the print-on-demand house Cafe Press. In addition to the scripts themselves (usually final shooting drafts, sometimes other versions) each volume includes a new introduction for each script, personal photos, memos to the production staff, the studio and the network, notes and drawings. In going through his personal archives and rewatching the episodes for the intros, JMS rediscovered a lot of notes, one or two line descriptions and short paragraphs for possible story ideas. Generally they were for "B" and "C" stories, subplots that could be plugged in to fill out longer "A" story ideas to full episode length. For one reason or another a lot of these were never used, and JMS thought it would be fun to go back and explore these little nooks and crannies of the
B5 universe, the little stories that would have taken place around the margins of the great epic.
Thus was born
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. JMS proposed a series of stories told in semi-anthology format, all connected to the places, characters and events of the original series, but each self-contained. He suggested doing the tales in groups of 3, each about 30 minutes long, and connected
thematically, but not in terms of plot or character. Each mini-movie will focus on one regular or recurring actor/character from the series.
Based on the original series DVDs WB came up with a sales estimate on which to base a budget, and committed to producing at least the first batch and distributing it as a DVD original. In this case a TV sale, if it comes, would be gravy. The studio doesn't need a network to go into production, a network doesn't have to commit money up front to get an approved script filmed. WB can shop the finished film around for a broadcast or cable pick-up later.
Three 30 minute films would add up to around 90 minutes, which would come out to a 2 hour TV movie on commercial television.
So, WB gave the greenlight, JMS wrote the first three scripts and they went into pre-production. There isn't a lot left of the old
B5 anymore. WB lost and/or destroyed (apparently by accident) all of the original CGI files, including the 3D models and background plates. Some of the uniforms and hand props are still around, but the sets are long gone. So to do the first three scripts, an awful lot of stuff had to be recreated from scratch, which is going to take time and money.
The show is being shot in hi-def video and widescreen, with JMS directing in order to set the look of the new episodes, and that involves a learning curve.
So he decided focus the first three scripts on Human characters, to reduce the make-up and prosthetics required. His three scripts featured Sheridan, Lochley, Garibaldi and Galen (from
A Call to Arms and
Crusade.) I'm assuming Galen will be more of a guest star in someone else's story, but JMS doesn't indicate
whose. (He's met Lochley and Sheridan and shares an interest in certain EarthForce "black projects" and the darker side of Psi Corps with Garibaldi.) The initial trio was given the over-all name "Voices in the Darkness" and I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the unifying theme was "command".
The stories are set on Mars, B5, Minbar, and Earth, and cover the distant past, the future and the "present" from the point of view of original series.
Yesterday JMS revealed that the Garibaldi segment is being dropped from the first production run and moved to the second trilogy. The remaining two segments are being expanded to fill the original time allotment.
Quote:
| Given that the Garibaldi story was the most complicated visually and technically, also the most difficult from a CGi perspective, that's the one that got pushed until, potentially, next time. |
The Garibaldi segment would have, at a minimum, required lots of CGI exteriors, probably more virtual sets and added to costume and prop requirements. In addition, most of this stuff would have been Mars-specific, not readily transferable to other stories, since there is simply less reason to set stories on Mars than on the station itself or on Minbar. So it makes sense to hold off on this episode and expand the other two, where the sets, CGI props etc. can be built once and then banked for future use.
Peter Jurassik retired from acting and now teaches the subject in either North or South Carolina. After his meeting with WB JMS touched base with Peter to find out if he'd be interested in reprising the role of Londo in a future
Lost Tale. When Peter said, "Yes", JMS tentatively sketched out a plan for the second trilogy which would focus on alien characters. Presumably this is where Peter heard about his Londo and the possible Vir segment. The studio certainly won't commit to the second batch of stories until the first is shot, maybe not until they've seen the sales figures sometime next summer, so at this point there can't be any contracts or scripts, and everything beyond the first two segments is necessarily
very tentative.
The good news is that Christopher Franke is signed up to do the music, a deal has been struck with make up and FX houses in Vancouver, and production offices are open and pre-production is proceeding apace. Target date for release remains 2nd quarter 2007.
And that's about all I know at this point.
Regards,
Joe
