IT'S DEAD, JIM?

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

A story about Shadowtech with "guest star" roles in the foreground and maybe a bit of overlap with Crusade seemed a bit like a "thowaway" to me, and an odd choice for what might be the only shot at a WB-backed major B5 feature. But it makes perfect sense if this was going to be a rather risky venture with some folks who might or might not be able to pull off a feature film. Why blow a story like the Telepath War, with the risk that the script would end up in the hands of the producers who had failed to make the movie, as TMoS evidently has?
Regards,

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That makes a heap of sense.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

Why blow a story like the Telepath War, with the risk that the script would end up in the hands of the producers who had failed to make the movie, as TMoS evidently has? By using a standalone story JMS lost relatively little. If things had worked out and the film had done well he would have been in an ideal position to do the Teep War or some other "big" story as the inevitable sequel.

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Gotta hand it to JMS, he's not only a great writer and a thrifty showrunner, he's super-smart about the whole industry. I'm sure he reserved the Teep War intentionally for the reason you say.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

Does anyone know if the "save the stars" campaign caused any water cooler talk at Warner Brothers?

TV companies are used to save the show campaigns but I suspect that film companies are not. Their write-ins probably come from power mad religious types wanting censorship. Getting the fan mail before the film is made is likely to be unusual.

Does anyone know how much money the DVD of "In the Beginning" made?

That is the straight to DVD value of TMoS2. With full marketing there are also tv rights and a theatrical release. Possibly art-house, possibly blockbuster release or both. Test market the film with an art-house release in one state, if it is popular then blockbuster release the film nationwide.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

Why blow a story like the Telepath War, with the risk that the script would end up in the hands of the producers who had failed to make the movie, as TMoS evidently has? By using a standalone story JMS lost relatively little. If things had worked out and the film had done well he would have been in an ideal position to do the Teep War or some other "big" story as the inevitable sequel.

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Gotta hand it to JMS, he's not only a great writer and a thrifty showrunner, he's super-smart about the whole industry. I'm sure he reserved the Teep War intentionally for the reason you say.

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I'm a little skeptical about that being the reason the teep war is not part of TMoS. Any good writer would be able to write many versions of the same events through different character perspectives. For example, all the different movies about WW2 - they all revolve around the same events, but none are the same stories.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

For example, all the different movies about WW2 - they all revolve around the same events, but none are the same stories.

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Apples and frickin' hand grenades. WWII was a real event which is, in the nature of things, in the public domain. What makes the hundreds of WWII film different from one another is that the main characters are usually fictional and unique to each film. (For that matter the events of each story are also fictional.)

The Teep War is a fictional event of short duration in a fictional universe. There is a very good chance that the contract terms would have been such that he couldn't merely tell the same events through a different viewpoint character. In fact, any characters who are unique to TMoS (or a hypothetical Teep War script) would likely remain the property of whoever owned the script, and would not have been available to JMS for other projects.

Regards,

Joe

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

It could have been in the contract, but that is quite unlikely. If that was true, even mentioning the teep war in future works would not be possible, and I doubt JMS would sign that kind of contract. If he had done this in the past, there would be no way any new films/series/etc could even mention events of the past. If that kinda of contract was in TMoS, then characters within it would never be able to be used again... and since major characters were involved, that would be improbable.

What TMoS at the moment has limited is it's productions, translations, and novelizations, basically. Those are all based on the script, not the events that happen within, but the way they are viewed, portrayed, etc.

This is all a moot argument though ; )

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

Much credit to JMS for keeping this shit real, and for wanting to do it right, and treating the fake universe with some respect. We've all seen what happens when people don't do that eslewhere.

Funny that JMS is certain that there will be a B5 movie someday. Ok, cool. But forgive me for pointing out the seemingly obvious- by the time they do get around to making one, the question of who plays the B5 characters will be moot, because the actors will be old, so it will have to have all new characters.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

By the way, this new insight into the business arrangement makes it easier for me to understand why at least the rumors seemed to indicate that the story would be somewhat peripheral to the main B5 story. A story about Shadowtech with "guest star" roles in the foreground and maybe a bit of overlap with Crusade seemed a bit like a "thowaway" to me, and on odd choice for what might be the only shot at a WB-backed major B5 feature. But it makes perfect sense if this was going to be a rather risky venture with some folks who might or might not be able to pull off a feature film.

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So Joe, does that mean that you now think that the Hollywood North Report plot info (which is what I assume you're refering to by "A story about Shadowtech with "guest star" roles in the foreground and maybe a bit of overlap with Crusade") was accurate? IIRC, as of a couple of weeks ago, you were agnostic on that point.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

Funny that JMS is certain that there will be a B5 movie someday.

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He also said there would be a DVD release at a time when many scoffed, and for much the same reason: "It is inevitable" As for when a movie gets made - well if it takes so long the parts have to be recast, so be it. But I'll bet he could also come up with a story about the characters at a later stage of life. (In "SiL" they're all in the sixties, after all.) He could even do a story told in flashback, with the original cast playing their "old" selves and others playing the younger Sheridan, Delenn, etc.

Regards,

Joe

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

I certainly hope it doesn't take as long as that to do a B5 movie where they are all old and grey.If JMS has faith that a movie might still come our way then so do I .Well have to wait and see.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

The only real problem I forsee is that actors age and pass away. And physically change ( Delta Burke, anyone?) The longer a new project takes, the less likely the original cast can be used, and that is truely a shame.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

I keep hearing this argument, but it didn't seem to slow down the Trek movies. And wasn't that quite some time between last episode and first movie? I mean QUITE some time.

Perhaps I and others count on the Trek success a bit too much, though. Especially since the years the Telepath war story could be told are rather limited, aren't they?

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

I keep hearing this argument, but it didn't seem to slow down the Trek movies.

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The last episode aired in 1969, the first film was released in 1979. (Although Treik is a bit of an anomolly having started as a revival of the TV series with only part of the original cast before evolving into a feature film because of the reality of the TV market and the success of Star Wars.)

And the actors ages will be a factor only depending on the time frame of the story. "War Without End" took place in 2278, 16 years after "Objects at Rest" It's been less than seven years since "SiL" aired. And for actors in their 40s and 50s a couple of years here or there is less of an issue than it is for an actor in his teens or early 20s. A little make-up, the right lighting, they'll be fine. The teep war ends about three years after "Objects at Rest". They could do that story any time in the next three or four years and it would be "close enough for government work" as those of us who work for the government like to say.

Regards,

Joe

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

I was wondering, what is JMS gonna do for the next two years. According to the e-mail he sent out to the List, he was going to let the movie sleep for a couple of years because someone had offered him a job. Don't know if it's a series or what. Anyone have any guesses as to what it might be?


Tibbetts

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

Don't know if it's a series or what. Anyone have any guesses as to what it might be?

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Correction: He would let the TREK idea sleep for a couple of years becuase, among other things, he had accepted to run a TV series in the fall of 2006.

He'll let the B5 movie sleep for a few years as well.

What it is? It has to be a series that they know is going to be aired. Which means that it's allready on the air today, or it's something high-profile like, for example, the Star Wars TV series that is starting in the fall of 2006.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

I'm ok without a movie or series but I REALLY wish we had a book or two. I know it's too much to ask for the script of TMoS to be leaked (but if it DID and someone emailed me the link I'd take their identity to the grave).

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

What it is? It has to be a series that they know is going to be aired. Which means that it's allready on the air today, or it's something high-profile like, for example, the Star Wars TV series that is starting in the fall of 2006.

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Well, I seem to recall JMS talking about being offered a showrunner role on a brand new show starting in 2006, the nature of which meant that the whole thing had to be written before shooting could even be started simply because of the nature of it.

Could be the same show I guess.

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

A Star Wars TV series?!

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

A Star Wars TV series?!

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Any leftover Shadow tech elements that might have been involved in TMoS would have to be reworked for a new script to avoid rights issues. None of the new characters would be able to be used at all. But any original B5 characters and already WB owned story elements would be able to be used in some way, including elements of CRUSADE, etc. Dialogue would not be able to be used again, so all lines would be revamped in their entirety. The same leftover Shadow tech idea would be approached still, but from a completely different direction with new side characters.

JMS has said that, yes, he's going to let the film rest for a couple of years before trying again. I don't blame him. I know how much effort he's put into this attempt and how draining it can all be. I knew he would need to recharge his batteries, but that he could and would never will let the hope to make a B5 film die. I believe JMS wants to see B5 on the big screen as much as we do.

Yes, he was about to sign some contracts on this new series, the show creator being someone he knows and respects and the show being one he said he would be stupid to turn down. It would have to be fully planned in advance and the first season written in advance before shooting could begin this summer or fall for a 2006 premiere.

I do not believe this is the SW series, nor is it any ST series. It is either something completely new that no one knows about, or it's the Frank Spotnitz re-envisioned NIGHT STALKER series which has supposedly been greenlit.

For those who don't know what that is, THE NIGHT STALKER was a short lived series in the early 70's starring Darren McGavin. It was about a cop who investigated the paranormal. It was also the inspiration for Chris Carter in creating THE X-FILES.

If you recall, there was an ep. of THE X-FILES where the first agent to start investigating the X-Files was approached by Muldar. The older version of this character was played by Darren McGavin (an homage and inside joke).

Co-Producer and writer on THE X-FILES, Frank Spotnitz, has now gotten the greenlight to make a new re-envisioned series of THE NIGHT STALKER. NIGHT STALKER dealt more with the paranormal and the supernatural in a horror-type setting than X-FILES did (and actually the script for the new X-FILES film is supposedly a supernatural, horror/thriller story).

I would not be surprised if this new series isn't THE NIGHT STALKER. And unlike Chris Carter, Spotnitz (and hopefully JMS) is planning this series in detail in advance (something THE X-FILES suffered from).

My opinion only, but much more likely than any SW or ST series.

CE

Re: IT\'S DEAD, JIM?

For those who don't know what that is, THE NIGHT STALKER was a short lived series in the early 70's starring Darren McGavin. It was about a cop who investigated the paranormal.

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Kolchak (or however that character's name was spelled) was a reporter, not a cop, IIRC.