various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26 AM

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

I agree with just about everything you said CE, but, I kinda thought, since he indicated he was gonna be in England for some time, that the English and Australians looking to the horizon might be physically looking to the horizon, as more of a clue to the "wrong side of the river". More fanboy dreams here, Blakes 7 has been rumored to be revived a few times, and it would likely be in England, any chance that might be his new series (I know probably highly unlikely, just throwing stuff out there cause if he is gonna be spending some substantial time in England, it stands to reason it would have something to do with TMoS or the new Series, I would imagine). Dr. Who is definitely out, correct?

Whatever became of the European Film company (Winchester Films?), any thing still possible on that speculation, or maybe definitely out of the picture?

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

I agree with just about everything you said CE, but, I kinda thought, since he indicated he was gonna be in England for some time, that the English and Australians looking to the horizon might be physically looking to the horizon, as more of a clue to the "wrong side of the river". More fanboy dreams here, Blakes 7 has been rumored to be revived a few times, and it would likely be in England, any chance that might be his new series (I know probably highly unlikely, just throwing stuff out there cause if he is gonna be spending some substantial time in England, it stands to reason it would have something to do with TMoS or the new Series, I would imagine). Dr. Who is definitely out, correct?

Whatever became of the European Film company (Winchester Films?), any thing still possible on that speculation, or maybe definitely out of the picture?

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I think the Winchester Films thing is out...a red herring and not worth mentioning really.

As for the heads up...he refers to England twice. Once while talking about the DVDs and the second while refering to his play. This is clearly two different things. I think he's telling the people of R2 that they will not be screwed on the DVDs. And he's telling us in the second reference that he's going to be spending some time in London in the near future.

Does this time in London have anything to do with TMoS? That's a different story. Given that TMoS is probably the biggest thing on his plate and horizon at the moment and in the coming two years or so, it is at least safe to speculate that TMoS might be what's taking him there.

However, you did bring up something very interesting. It is my understanding that JMS is a big fan of Blake's 7. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to believe that a revival of Blake's 7 is in fact the new series he's agreed to EP. I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it. That, too, would be way cool.

CE

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

If the "keep your eyes on the horizon" comment was in reference to the movie DVDs, why did he specifically mention England and Australia? Besides, England and Australia are in different DVD regions. Why didn't he say Europe and Australia? R2, after all, encompasses most of Europe (and Japan). And on a matter like this, why would he simply not say "Don't worry you folks in Region 2, you will get your complete movie set" or something to that effect? Why the lack of clarity on this point? Why "interrupt this message" - why not keep it in with the rest of the movie DVDs info? And also, why did he say it was "a coded message"?

To me, that comment was not about a proper R2 release of the movies, it just seemed a little odd. I'm sure there's nothing in his contract to say he can't tell us we're getting a proper movie set release. I think it may be a hidden clue about TMoS - remember, he can only really talk to us about it in code. And, considering the comment about "the wrong side of the river" it would fit. As someone else (sort of) pointed out, if he'd said "the wrong side of the pond" it would have been pretty obvious what he was talking about. That, coupled with the fact he'll be spending more time in London soon, all points to a grander plan

Anyway, just my 2 cents...

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Note that the revelation about a new series of novels is in a seperate paragraph with the word "also" preceeding it as a qualifier. So, here's how I would interpret this section.

Although he told us some items TMoS wasn't, due to TMoS (remember he told us recently new things have popped up because of TMoS), one of the items he told us it wasn't is now in the works as something new in the B5 universe, and that in addition to that new item, there is also a new series of books in the works. Therefore, I see this as a indication of the "in spades" comment JMS made before. We're getting a new series of novels and something else new that's from the "list of things it ain't" and The Memory of Shadows.

Now the question is, what was that list again? And...what is the newest project that's from that list? (A new series, perhaps? )

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This is the list I found on jmsnews; there may have been another:

I can tell you a
few cases of what it *isn't*...it isn't a novel, or a short story, a comic, an
animated series, a radio drama or a stage play. Beyond that, deponent sayeth
not.

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Before that, I remember him denying it was a series. The list puzzles me.

Novel: Like you said, this can be eliminated, since he mentioned novels seperately.

Short story: This is a strong possibility. They talked about doing a short story collection before, with the old ones from the magazines and some new ones, didn't they? IIRC, Neil Gaiman (!) was even interested in contributing. I wonder if this is *too* likely; it doesn't seem surprising enough to be an "oddity."

Comic: I don't think so. He was commissioned to do a B5 graphic novel for DC/Wildstorm, which I don't think he's written yet, and is on the back burner. Since he's already mentioned that project, it seemed like he could talk about it if he had news. Any other comics couldn't involve him, because he's Marvel exclusive now, and DC has the B5 rights.

Animated series, stage play, or radio drama: These are the weird ones. I know there used to be a Trek animated series, but it still doesn't seem likely. I doubt he'd start a new series with the original cast, and if it's not the original cast, why not have it be live action? A stage play based on a sci-fi TV franchise seems beyond strange to me, but anything's possible. A radio drama seemed just as strange at first, but that's a real possibility, right?

I don't think it can be a TV movie, since he never denied that TMoS was one. A new series seems unlikely given his heavy workload, but then, he got the ball rolling on Rangers when he was hip-deep in Jeremiah and comics.

As for the possibility of JMS on Trek . . . wow. I'm stunned. Just . . . stunned. I was ready to write Trek off for good, but now . . . wow.

YAY! HAPPY DANCE! MORE AND MORE B5! B5 "IN SPADES"! YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAA!

CE

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Indeed. Happy dance all around.

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

I may do something similar in London, since I may be spending a bit amount of time there fairly soon.

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Hmm, 3 choices here I think
a) TMOS is at least being partly filmed in london
b) The film score is being recorded in london
c) The special effects are mainly being done in london

Oh...and I've been offered an EP position on a network series,

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Star Wars the Series anyone? If the rumours are correct, can't imagine anyone better to take it on.

les

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

One oddity...constant readers will remember a while back when I was asked what
TMoS was, and I provided a list of things it *wasn't*. The aforementioned
oddity is...one of those things has come up as an adjunct to TMoS.

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Two possibilities popped into my head when I read this.

1) New series based off of TMoS? Or resurrection of a previous series idea?
2) New B5 Books.

He DID list B5 books below, so perhaps that is it. Would be interesting if there are discussions around a new B5 Series to take place after the movie. Granted, these are not only speculations, but speculations on something that WB and company might be just DISCUSSING and not planning. Bear in mind we still havent heard anything official announcement wise on TMoS.

I'm sure I will be happy with TMoS whatever it is. I am REALLY excited to read about a new series of B5 books coming out. If there are discussions of a possible B5 series down the road, and if they do come to pass, who could ask for anything more.

Time will tell of course.

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Hmm, 3 choices here I think

a) TMOS is at least being partly filmed in london

The script isn't even locked, they're still negotiating with the cast. I don't think they're booking studio space yet. And they almost certainly wouldn't be finished with pre-production and ready to start shooting in less than six months - and that's if WB got all the signed contracts later this afternoon.

b) The film score is being recorded in london

The score is one of the last things done on film. The recording of the score is virutally the last thing.

c) The special effects are mainly being done in london

Incredibly unlikely given the exchange rate, the fact that the U.S. and Canada are fairly overflowing with top-flight CGI talent and given the JMS has formed a mutal admiration society with the WETA guys of late - they're the folks would did a little flick called The Lord of the Rings. Actually who does the CGI will almost certainly be determined by where the film mostly shoots. No one is going to film in Toronto and have the FX done in Los Angeles or London or Wellington - and the same goes for any combination of those cities. The FX have to integrate too closely with the live action and you need to have everybody in the same room to hash things out, and you need FX guys on the set. It isn't the kind of work that can be done remotely.

If the "keep your eyes on the horizon" comment was in reference to the movie DVDs, why did he specifically mention England and Australia? Besides, England and Australia are in different DVD regions.

Because the English-as-main-language PAL editions will go to those two countries, regardless of Region?

Why didn't he say Europe and Australia? R2, after all, encompasses most of Europe (and Japan).

It isn't like there is a single "R2" version of most DVDs, as there is a single R1 (U.S./Canada) verison. True, all of Europe is R2, but the packaging of a German R2 edition is apt to be in German, the mix of languages and subtitles are going to be different, and the local censorship boards (where such things exist) are going to individually rate the content. So the edition of The Gathering sold in the U.K. is not the same as that sold in Germany or in some other countries. (In several countries the original cut of TG was released, because the re-edit was never translated into the local language(s) for either dubbing or subtitles.)

The reference to Australia and England followed a mention of the Crusade actors doing a commentary track. Anybody got a convention schedule for the U.K. and Oz for the next year or so? Maybe some of the Crusade alumni will be booked for cons. Maybe there's a reason they're being booked for cons. Maybe they'll have something interesting to say by the time the cons roll around.

Who knows?



Joe

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

how about ''The Memory of Sinclair'' for a series .

The shadow war which involved Valen and also explaining what happened to valen after the war.

( the memory of sinclair was one of the things JMS said it wasn't )



( I think )

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

The script isn't even locked, they're still negotiating with the cast. I don't think they're booking studio space yet. And they almost certainly wouldn't be finished with pre-production and ready to start shooting in less than six months - and that's if WB got all the signed contracts later this afternoon.

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For all we know all the contracts with the cast could be signed, the remainder could be catering/transport/director/sfx etc. jms didn't specify who the holdouts were..

Actually who does the CGI will almost certainly be determined by where the film mostly shoots. No one is going to film in Toronto and have the FX done in Los Angeles or London or Wellington - and the same goes for any combination of those cities. The FX have to integrate too closely with the live action and you need to have everybody in the same room to hash things out, and you need FX guys on the set. It isn't the kind of work that can be done remotely.

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In many genre films recently, this hasn't been the case e.g Harry Potter (filmed in the UK, special effects ILM in the US) Matrix sequals filmed in australia but some if not most of the special effects done in the US by WB, Star Wars prequals (filmed in the UK and Sydney) CGI done in the US by ILM. By no means unique.

les

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Maybe the look the horizon comment means he will be visiting those places.

The series thing he is talking about could very well be a series that is not out yet, and not even realeased to the public.

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

how about ''The Memory of Sinclair'' for a series .

The shadow war which involved Valen and also explaining what happened to valen after the war.

( the memory of sinclair was one of the things JMS said it wasn't )



( I think )

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I would consider it *extremely* unlikely that any TV network would even consider a series with absolutely no human or "apparently human" (without any prosthetic makeup) characters anywhere in it. They would be too concerned about trying to market it to a wider audiance. The same thing applies to movie studios.

I have, therefore, always considered Valen's Shadow War to be extremely unlikely to even be produced for TV or film, although it could be a subject for tie-in books.

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

YAY! HAPPY DANCE! MORE AND MORE B5! B5 "IN SPADES">! YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAA!

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After all this sadness, we get some good news.

Happy dance



And some spades:

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

I would consider it *extremely* unlikely that any TV network would even consider a series with absolutely no human or "apparently human" (without any prosthetic makeup) characters anywhere in it.

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I quite agree, nor is there anything anywhere to suggest that any other possible project would share the same initials as TMoS, making The Memory of Sinclair doubly unlikely.

For the similar reasons fanboy fantasies like "the origin of the Vorlon-Shadow Conflict" "the Vorlons vs. the Thirdspace aliens" and "The First Ones: Beyond the Rim" can also be dismissed. Nobody is going to invest millions of dollars bringing such things to the screen as the main focus of any future projects.

One way in which such things could be touched on, however, is in flashback within a more "contemporary" story, or even through parallel (and intetersecting) storylines, where solving a problem in the story's "present" requires figuring out something from the past, or where the events of the two timelines comment on one another. (Oddly the only two examples of the kinjd of thing I mean that immediately spring to mind are The French Lieutenant's Woman and Longitude - both of which feature Jeremy Irons. )

Thus a story involving Vir and Londo searching for an Earth "cat" in 2278 and studying a book by Valen to help them told in parallel with Valen's writing his famous treatise on ducks could work quite well. It could even have an appropriate title, The Mallard of Sinclair.

Regards,

Joe

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Also, expect word fairly soon-ish about a new series of B5 novels.

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By the way, I feel compelled to point out that it is just like JMS to post something like this two days after I mail a letter to Del Rey Books bemoaning the lack of support for the B5 novels, the apparently moribund short fiction anthology and their total failure to cross-promote the existing trilogies to new fans buying the DVDs. Just fraggin' like him.

Regards,

Joe

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

I shall consider the last news from JMS to be a good news. We have a lot of info based on his text. Next two-three months will be wild speculating, like how does minbari use a toilet and is there any connection between Tolkien's elves and Drazi women. It's part of B5, I must say. Bow to thy news!

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Another JMS post:
There's a second commentary track with Fiona, Janet, Peter Woodward and Carrie Dobro.

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I think this means the cast commentary will be for "The Well of Forever". Only episode that's written by Fiona Avery and Directed by Janet Greek. Galen and Dureena also appear in this ep.

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Also, expect word fairly soon-ish about a new series of B5 novels.

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By the way, I feel compelled to point out that it is just like JMS to post something like this two days after I mail a letter to Del Rey Books bemoaning the lack of support for the B5 novels, the apparently moribund short fiction anthology and their total failure to cross-promote the existing trilogies to new fans buying the DVDs. Just fraggin' like him.

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Congratulations, Joe, I think you've now experienced good old B5 Synchronicity up close and personal!

Jan

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Flounder.

Mad props for busing out the peanut butter jelly time banana.

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

Congratulations, Joe, I think you've now experienced good old B5 Synchronicity up close and personal!

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I believe that's "The Babylon 5 Straczynchronicity."

Regards,

Joe

Re: various from jms - Monday, June 14, 2004 8:26

As noted by someone else previously, I think the EP position sounds a lot like it could be the much rumored Star Wars series (i'm personally rooting for a "rise of the rebellion" type series), due to his obvious love of SW and the timing of it...and most tellingly that he might be in England a lot soon. SW does tons of pre- and post- production in the UK.

However, I think it should also be noted that there is a new Dr. Who series in pre-production in the UK, with comic artist Bryan Hitch recently attached as conceptual designer.