B5: Legend of the Rangers finally on the way?

Joseph DeMartino · 07-03-2005, 08:22 PM

Play 24/7 has the unsold pilot for a proposed Babylon 5 sequel series listed for an October 24, 2005 release in the U.K.. The pilot is set in the year 2265 and follows a group of Ranger, including some of the first members to come from ISA member planets other than Earth and Minbar. The Rangers are especially charged with helping the member worlds recover from the ravages of the Shadow War (and in some cases of the mostly-Earth-centered Telepath War.)

No word yet on the U.S. or the rest of the world, but I would have to assume that an R1 version is pretty much inevitable. Watch this space for futher news.

Regards,

Joe

Scott Kriefall · 07-04-2005, 10:41 AM

Thanks for the news. I'll be sure to buy this one when available in R1...

Qui-Gon John · 07-04-2005, 10:47 AM

This should have been in the Babylon 5 Movies box set.

Rex Bachmann · 07-04-2005, 12:55 PM

John Co wrote (post #3):

Quote:

[Legend of the Rangers] should have been in the Babylon 5 Movies box set.

I agree, notwithstanding the standard apologetics for its absence. Nevertheless, I think it's well worth having on its own. I've always been disappointed that this pilot didn't win clearance for a regular series. It had its flaws (like the silly, repetitive dialog ("We live for the one. We die for the one." [Ho-hum!]), but nothing insurmountable, and a lot of potential for the great mystery-sci-fi that JMS is so talented at bringing to the screen. Too bad.

Joseph DeMartino · 07-04-2005, 02:52 PM

I don't have a problem with its being released separately. It is set in the same universe, but in terms of plot, character and focus, it is completely separate from the series, which is not the case with any of the other TV movies. (Only G'Kar among the original cast appears in the film, and that in a cameo, and the most recent major event tied to the main B5 story - the Telepath War that destroys the Psi Corps - isn't even mentioned. One of its results is, but even that is only an oblique reference to the fate of one character.)

Rangers is clearly the pilot for a new series, not a spin-off from an existing one. (As even A Call to Arms obviously isn't, featuring, as it does, only a couple of characters from the series. It is the last B5 adventure, starring John Sheridan, and concerning technology left over by the Vorlons and the Shadows, not the first Crusade story with Matthew Gideon and crew.) JMS said he just didn't feel it "fit" with the others and I tend to agree. (Also there were a fair number of fans who didn't like the pilot, and who probably would have objected to paying a few dollars extra to have it included.)

More cynically I think Warner Home Video may have gone along with JMS's wishes because they knew he was talking about doing a feature film (he holds the theatrical rights to the series, not Warner Bros.) that might involve the Rangers at around the same time. Since they weren't going to profit from the film directly, this could offer them a good chance to leverage the publicity surrounding the film by issuing Rangers on DVD at the same time.

Since that deal fell apart earlier this year, there is no further reason to delay.

Regards,

Joe

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todd s · 07-04-2005, 09:41 PM

Kinda off topic. Why was the new movie cancelled??

Joseph DeMartino · 07-04-2005, 10:26 PM

The guys who were trying to put it together kept having the financing fall through and after twice extending their option for no additional money, JMS finally had to decline their third request, for fear they either couldn't pull it off at all or that the film would be too badly compromised by the limited budget.

Although he's neither confirmed or denied reports to this effect in public, I have it on what I consider to be very good authority that another behind the scenes issue was the question of using characters and cast members from the original series. At a certain point the producers trying to attract "name" actors to take at least some of the original roles. Some suggest that this was done in order to attract more financial backing and reassure investors that the film would "open". Others have indicated that the group approached Warner Bros. about taking an equity position in the film along with distribution and that it wsa the studio that said it would only become involved if at least one or two roles went to established film actors.

Either way JMS was reported not to be amused. Others involved in the production got word out to the fans who protested the alleged attempt to recast the film vociferously. In the interest of full disclosure I should say that I was directly involved in this effort, which is believed to have contributed to the ultimate collapse of the feature film project.

Regards,

Joe

Sam Favate · 07-05-2005, 06:15 AM

I wonder if the new movie Serenity is a success, Warner will reconsider the vitality of the B5 film franchise? Serenity doesn't have any "name" stars, just the cast of the TV show Firefly and the support of its fan community. If that film is a success, I hope Warner will see the possibilities for B5.

In any event, kind of strange to have the Rangers movie out there by itself, when every other B5 production is in some kind of box set. Still, I will pick it up.

Paul McElligott · 07-05-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

I wonder if the new movie Serenity is a success, Warner will reconsider the vitality of the B5 film franchise? Serenity doesn't have any "name" stars, just the cast of the TV show Firefly and the support of its fan community. If that film is a success, I hope Warner will see the possibilities for B5.

Depends on how big a success. If Serenity is merely "profitable," Warners probably won't notice. If Serenity is a monster hit (stranger things have happened) than hoo, boy, you betcha!