Babylon 5: the movie (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Grey]

I'm assuming this is the same Steve Beck who helmed Thirteen Ghosts and Ghost Ship. He's also worked in the visual effects field prior to directing.

Don't know about that synopsis though. Maybe its only the first five minutes of the movie but absence of any series' characters other than Galen is intriguing. I agree with Dave- this doesn't sound mainstream enough at all. Although maybe they are aiming to get a major "name" for this Diane Baker character.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Neither was Firefly and that lasted only half a season.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Well B5 will do better than Firefly. Firefly does have the Benefit that it's so obscure that they can start from Scratch. B5 has to rely on it's past to tell a new chapter

 

[todd s]

I think it is a mistake not having the main cast in the movie (ie-Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, etc.)

 

[Kevin Grey]

I wouldn't be so quick to make the assumption they won't be in it. Everything JMS has said seems to indicate that he wants to bring back everyone who is willing to come back (which would be most of the cast I imagine). That's why I said above that this synopsis sounds like a prologue for the movie.

 

[Joshua_W]

Or a brief synopsis of the movie. Just because it only mentions Galen by name doesn't mean he'll be the only regular with a part.

I would expect, at the very least, to see Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, and Gideon (since Galen will be there), providing that the actors are willing and available. I know that Dr. Franklin was to have a part in the movie, and that Richard Biggs' passing made rewrites necessary. (And I also can't imagine a Babylon 5 movie without Londo and G'Kar, though shoe-horning them into an Earth-specific story might be difficult.)

The synopsis makes it sound like the movie will be wrapping up plot threads from "Crusade," which seems kind of strange, but it also provides them a way to include -- at least in some capacity -- the Shadows, which are arguably the "coolest" part of the B5 Universe. Which could make for an interesting standalone movie for the mass audience that still touches on the mythology of the series.

It's always been an assumption that a Babylon 5 movie would focus on the Telepath War, since the events there have been conspicuously left untold in either the series, comics, or novels. Maybe that would be the next movie?

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

I think having cast members that people have come to love over the years is definitely a selling point for the Big
Screen.

 

[DaveGTP]

I've been re-watching B5 for basically the 3rd time, as I've gotten my wife to watch it (trading 1-for-1 for Buffy). Every time I watch it I like it that much more. My favorite damn thing ever laid down on television, and rivaling some of my best series of books.


I'll go and see the movie 3 or 4 times just to help support more B5 stuff being produced. Whatever I have to do to bring support to getting more of it, I will do.


EDIT: Incidentally, there's some pretty strong rumors going around (reportedly from industry sources) that are saying that WB is trying to get bigger name actors in for the B5 movie to replace some of the TV actors. Kind of scary. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, because I think JMS would quit the project before giving in. Especially with how ticked off he is about the Crusade commentary, apparently.

 

[Kevin Grey]

Haven't heard about this- did they remove his commentary?

I'd be surprise if they actually recasted roles with big name actors but I could definitely see a push for new roles to be filled with some bigger names.

Then again, I have a hard idea of what kind of name could really appear in a B5 movie in any capacity. I don't think we'd see any A-Listers. As for B-Listers- I would think it would be a wash considering the backlash from the core fan community wouldn't be offset with the very negligible draw a B-List star brings.

 

[DaveGTP]

Yeah...a little off topic.

Here's the quote from jms (the first question is from someone on the mailing list to jms)

 

[Joshua_W]

Yeah, I read a usenet post earlier today from one of the RASTB5M regulars, which basically said the same thing.

The post was from a frequent poster, so it seems credible.

God, I hope Warners doesn't f... this movie up like they did Crusade.

 

[nolesrule]

TNT f...'d up Crusade.

 

[Kevin Grey]

Thanks for the info, Dave. Although I already know the story behind Crusade its a shame that it wasn't in the DVD set (which I haven't has the chance to watch yet).

 

[Steve Berger]

I wonder if ther's any chance of the missing commentary showing up as a document or even an MP3 (ala South Park)?

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

More trouble is afoot. The latest is that they (WB) are thinking or recasting some of the central characters....


Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows: More on the movie spin-off is up at Cinescape, whilst controversy is brewing over potential cast replacement - see

http://www.sfcrusade.com/News/B5_News.html for details.