JMS at SDCC - the news

Jan · July 23rd 06, 05:01

Here’s the news in the order JMS gave it at the panel. I’m posting it pretty much simultaneously to the moderated newsgroup and to JMSNews and B5TV.

--JMS sold a movie to Ron Howard. It’s a thriller/mystery movie set in the ‘20s in Los Angeles. They want to get it into production as fast as possible and JMS is flying up there on the 3rd to meet with Ron Howard and those guys to go over the script and make sure everything is where it needs to be. It’s going to be a big budget film. Ron Howard is a nice guy. The first time JMS had a phone conference with him about the script, JMS called him Mr. Howard and the reply was “You hired my dad on Babylon 5, you can call me whatever you want.” Possibly it could be in production by the first part of next year.

--JMS was up in Toronto recently and they did a 12 episode radio drama series for the CBC called the Adventures of Apocalypse Al. It’s kind of a film noir style comedy drama science fiction supernatural series a la Men In Black or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s in little 5 minute chunks and it’s fall-down funny.

--A pilot for Touchstone has started for a dramatic prime time network series called Borrowed Lives. It was actually sold last year but it was too late to go into development but now they’re actually in the script stage.

--Rising Stars is in development with Sam Raimi’s production company for a series.

--Midnight Nation is being bid on by two different studios for a movie.

--He pitched Dream Police to a major studio, they want to do a motion picture and they’re negotiating now for JMS to write it.

--And there’s something else…WB came to him as they do periodically wanting to do something with B5. They asked if he wanted to do a feature film but JMS declined mainly because he can’t yet picture structuring a B5 movie “…as long as Andreas and Rick insist on staying dead.” Maybe in a year or two he’ll be able to but right now he can’t do something big. What JMS suggested was a bunch of short films—little mini-movies, an anthology show set in the Babylon 5 universe. They said, “Okay.” There’s a network already interested in carrying them but they’re also planned for direct to DVD. This will be “Babylon 5 – The Lost Tales’, a lot of small stories that never made it into the series that he’s rediscovered notes for. And JMS wants no interference, complete creative support – in writing. They said, “Okay.” And JMS wants to direct them. They said, “Okay.” The first will be three individual stories about three of the main characters (to be determined). The plan is to shoot in September, post-production Oct.-Dec. and they’ll probably come out the second quarter of 2007.

I’ll attempt more of a transcript later on but that’s the highlights.

Jan
Woo-Hoo!

Jade Jaguar · July 23rd 06, 05:23

B5 Obsessed beat you to posting your own post, in the B5 World forum. But, this is where it belongs. Thanks for posting this so quickly, Jan. My reaction, in the words of Popeye the Sailor, Well blow me down!

vacantlook · July 23rd 06, 07:27

Thank you for bringing us this information Jan. jms sure's got a lot going on (when does he ever not, really, eh?). There are some good sounding things up in this.

T_Fleming · July 23rd 06, 07:59

This is fantastic news !!!!

... Told you so (sorry couldn't resist).

Elenopa · July 23rd 06, 12:18

Oh, Excellent news.

The B5 'Lost Tales' could have so many possibilities. If they could be set back in 2260, I wonder if a certain Ranger could make an apperance?

darth_librarian · July 23rd 06, 12:38

Great stuff...

KoshFan · July 23rd 06, 13:09

Did he stockpile all this news, or did it really all happen at once like that? I'm rather amazed. I'll feel better when there are release dates, though. I'm still leery of projects falling off the rails.

Now all I need is for my other creative hero to hurry up and finish Wonder Woman so he can write more comics.

Jan · July 23rd 06, 14:46

He said that all of this has come down since February. As for falling off the rails, the treatment was accepted, the budget was accepted, they'll be starting to talk to actors in about 10 days, they're looking at soundstages.

Jan

Shaal Mayan · July 23rd 06, 15:01

Regarding the B5 thing I am still leary things can still fall apart.I won't get excited until I can either watch it or buy it.Until that time comes theres nothing to be excited about.

hypatia · July 23rd 06, 15:20

Quote:

He said that all of this has come down since February. As for falling off the rails, the treatment was accepted, the budget was accepted, they'll be starting to talk to actors in about 10 days, they're looking at soundstages.

Jan

If you really want to be pessimistic: some films get made but never released.

I think, Jan, that some people are just so fed up with the on again/off again plans for B5. I don't blame them for saying "I'll get excited when I see it's playing in the local theater".

I, on the other hand, need something to get excited about.

I've bought but not yet watched the new Battlestar Gallactica, and the new Who is great.

Apart from that, I find myself very uninterested in most television and movie offerings. But a movie whose script was written by JMS?

I'd go to see that even if it is horror.