Has There Been Any News Re. The New B5 ~2016+~ Theatrical Movie?

[tygirwulf]

I hate when companies sit on a license just to smother it to death.

[Sinclair]

I don't think I've seen you around here in years tygirwulf! How've you been?

[B5_Obsessed]

You never know might turn up.

[Raw Shark]

Jan, I hadn't heard about Warners blocking projects before. Is it possible JMS brought this upon himself? Didn't he say a few years ago that they had mentioned the possibility of other projects, and he told them no, only a big budget film? Do I have that right? It is incredibly sad that B5 has fallen into a deep hole that it can't escape. What an awful situation.

Raw Shark

"The future isn't what it used to be, Mr. Angel."
Louis Cypher, Angel Heart

[Jan]

Yes, JMS turned down more Lost Tales when they didn't offer what he considered a sufficient budget. As for other projects, there may have been a low-budget game that JMS also declined to be involved with. There was at least one reboot TV series a few years ago that was contracted for and JMS had gotten a full season order and good budget and creative control. The venue that was planned for the series failed to materialize, however. Sources I trust have said that Big Finish, the audio drama people, have asked about getting a license and been turned down. During the Free Babylon 5 campaign, I heard of some TV stations that asked about running B5 but were either turned down or got no response. I'm not certain of these sources personally but it fits in with the response that all of us who wrote letters to WB got - nothing at all.

Here's JMS' post from 2008 where he talked about only wanting to do a big-budget feature film. Later in appearances he expanded that to a properly budgeted TV series. This is the key for me:

As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to
return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to
subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made
them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I
am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them
again.

Jan

[JonFrain]

Originally Posted by Raw Shark

Jan, I hadn't heard about Warners blocking projects before. Is it possible JMS brought this upon himself? Didn't he say a few years ago that they had mentioned the possibility of other projects, and he told them no, only a big budget film? Do I have that right? It is incredibly sad that B5 has fallen into a deep hole that it can't escape. What an awful situation.

It's certainly possible that they don't want to do anything to help rebuild the property just to have JMS make a movie they have no control over. WB is really strange regarding B5 and I have a hard time understanding why. Turning down Big Finish makes little sense unless they want to bury the franchise.

[JonFrain]

Originally Posted by Jan

Yes, JMS turned down more Lost Tales when they didn't offer what he considered a sufficient budget. As for other projects, there may have been a low-budget game that JMS also declined to be involved with. There was at least one reboot TV series a few years ago that was contracted for and JMS had gotten a full season order and good budget and creative control. The venue that was planned for the series failed to materialize, however. Sources I trust have said that Big Finish, the audio drama people, have asked about getting a license and been turned down. During the Free Babylon 5 campaign, I heard of some TV stations that asked about running B5 but were either turned down or got no response. I'm not certain of these sources personally but it fits in with the response that all of us who wrote letters to WB got - nothing at all.

Here's JMS' post from 2008 where he talked about only wanting to do a big-budget feature film. Later in appearances he expanded that to a properly budgeted TV series. This is the key for me:

Jan

I think the quality of many scripts went WAAAY down after B5 ended, actually after Season 4 was completed. Crusade had meddling for sure, but that doesn't excuse the poor writing, casting and composer. LOTR was super disappointing, especially the goofiness of the battle sequence. It was a solid concept though. Putting Lochley in one of TLT episodes was a misfire as well, I know that Joe became fond of the character but she was probably last on my list of B5 regulars I wanted to see return. It seemed like Joe kept trying to make lemonade of the lemon that was Claudia bailing.

Jeremiah didn't really hit it's stride until late in the first season, but I think part of he issue was being forced to hire recognizable actors that sometimes simply weren't very good.

[JoeD80]

Originally Posted by JonFrain

WB is really strange regarding B5 and I have a hard time understanding why. Turning down Big Finish makes little sense unless they want to bury the franchise.

My understanding is that it is related to WB having many different competing branches. B5 was part of the PTEN branch and the show was produced independently of the WB studio (by Joe & Doug's studio); there is probably no branch in WB left to support it.

[hypatia]

Originally Posted by tygirwulf

I hate when companies sit on a license just to smother it to death.

It seems bizarre, when you thin of it. But sometimes networks and production companies seem to do this, and I'm convinced sometimes it is that they don't want a project they had moderate profit from suddenly make big bucks for someone else.

If you're really convinced a project is dead, why not sell the rights to some audio plays and such?

[JonFrain]

Originally Posted by JoeD80

My understanding is that it is related to WB having many different competing branches. B5 was part of the PTEN branch and the show was produced independently of the WB studio (by Joe & Doug's studio); there is probably no branch in WB left to support it.

PTEN dissolved before season 5 was even filmed. There was quite a bit of merchandising after that occurred, as well as spinoffs. I'd have to see something concrete to believe your premise. Things dried up after JMS stopped playing ball with them. They know that as long as he's alive, fans won't accept anything he doesn't approve of and it's already a niche product as it is.

Would JMS even work with Big Finish? Would Big Finish want the property without JMS approval? They do good work but where would JMS make the time to provide outlines and approve scripts? And maybe WB doesn't want to work with JMS anymore.