Fresh from the Rumor Mill

Take this with a grain of salt.

While at the convention this weekend in KC, Jason Carter (Marcus) was on stage and was asked about the commentaries the cast has done. He said he was in the studios recording the season 4 commentary (he didn't say who he was with; he did say where, but I don't remember what city it was). Doug Netter asked him to come into his office for a little chat.


Doug said Warner Bros. was astounded by the sales of the dvds, and had realized there really is a market out there for new B5 material. He then said Warner Bros. is going forward with a new B5 project and asked if Jason would be interested in reprising his role as Marcus.

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This excerpt was posted by Colin over at Code7R, but I don't believe he was the original poster. I'm trying to get more info. If anyone attended Slanted Fedora in Kansas City and can verify Jason Carter's comments, please feel free to post. Of course, even if Jason said it, it don't necessarily make it true. I haven't seen a new JMS post in a couple of weeks so who knows what he's up to.

This really makes you wonder. Id believe part of it, if it was any character other than Marcus, who as JMS has said several times, is dead. Sure he could dream up a way to bring him back, but it just doesn't seem like something he would do.

DEFINATELY take this with a grain of salt. Frankly, its not something I believe to be true. Just someone trying to get another rumor started ala Jerry Dolye's radio interview.

Marcus could easily come back. We're assuming the story must be in the future. What if it is occurring during the original B5 story line? JMS could bring Marcus back, as well. However, I could see a short run series about Marcus and the Rangers work during the Shadow War AWAY from Bab-5.

As JMS has often said, its not the ending that matters, its getting there.

-Tim

I've seen this posted elsewhere as well, by someone else. In both cases it appears to be a cut and paste from another source, uploaded without attribution.

It certainly seems plausible to me that solid sales for the DVD sets could convince Warner Bros. that there's life in the old show yet. Despite JMS's throwing cold water on any possible revival of the original series (by Jerry Doyle or anyone else) he has reported that something else in the B5 universe may be in the offing, though talks are at a preliminary stage and as usual he doesn't want to report anything until he knows what's happening.

Personally I think the theatrical film may be moving towards the front burner yet again, given that Warner Bros. was actually pretty hot for the idea at the time S5 was winding down, and only backed away from it when Crusade cratered. Of course, I've been predicting just this possibility since before Warner Bros. even announced the DVDs, so I have even more of a vested interest in having this come to pass than most people.

As for Jason appearing as Marcus - er, anybody here ever heard of a little thing called a "flashback"? If the possible project is the theatrical film, and if the story for that is still the Telepath War, then both Susan and Lennier could have ample opportunity to recall events involving Marcus. JMS always said that the big payday offered by a feature film would be a way of rewarding the cast and crew for all their hard work at lowly TV wages, and that he'd do his best to involve as many of the regulars as is humanly possible when the time comes.

So I'm not taking the report as gospel (certainly not until someone who was there can confirm it) but I don't see anything implausible about Netter having just such a conversation with Carter while he was on the WB lot being interviewed or whatever.


Regards,

Joe

It should be noted that the info that's been released on Season 4 extras does *not* include Jason Carter as one of the actors doing an episode commentary. This could be referring to separate interview material though.

Faith Manages

There have been a lot of rumours going round lately. What with this and the Gerry Doyle interview etc. How much truth there is in these rumours is anyone's guess but there are a lot of people being negative about all this.

Now, I'm pretty sure that cast, crew, and fans alike want the show to come back - whether it is a movie, mini-series or whatever, we all want our beloved B5 back. So, why don't we all be a little more positive about it all.

Being negative accomplishes nothing. Have we learnt nothing from the show?

Faith manages

(rant over)

Re: Faith Manages

Thank you. I'd rather be positive right now. TV is so boring at the moment, so I find myself looking for anything that could signal a turnaround. Something in the B5 universe would certainly help (along with a Cowboy Bebop prequel, but that's another story).

Tammy

Re: Faith Manages

Hmm.. Maybe this really is a little step towards the feature film... I keep my thumbs up for this one. Let us hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. cool: It's so cool)

Re: Faith Manages

While a feature film would be nice, I actually find myself hoping for a mini-series. Especially if this new "project" is going to cover the telepath war.

But that's if this rumour turns out to be true.

Re: Faith Manages

I will believe it when I see it .Until confirmation it is all heresay.

Re: Faith Manages

I broke out my salt shaker reading this myself. But if Warner Bros. sees how much interest is being focused on these rumors, it might be yet another point in favor of something new.

Hell, it's a dirt-cheap way to test the waters. Send an email, float a rumor, and watch the net to see what happens. If no one picks up on it, obviously it's a bad idea. If people go into a frenzy, you've got a winner.

Re: Faith Manages

I don't know if these rumours about B5 are true, but we've just had some fab news in the UK.

DR WHO IS COMING BACK!!

I wonder if we could get jms to pen a script for us?

I've seen this posted elsewhere as well, by someone else. In both cases it appears to be a cut and paste from another source, uploaded without attribution.

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People have been posting on my boards about this too and we are skeptical as well. However, it looks like the original source was (Omaha)Star who actually used to post here at some point:
http://www.thegalacticgateway.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=163

There was someone else who attended this con who also confirmed it (via personal email) but didn't give it much weight since nothing official is being said.

but didn't give it much weight since nothing official is being said.

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But at this stage there isn't anything official to say. Assuming that the latest reports accurately reflect something Jason Carter said at a Con, all that is happening at the moment is that Warner Bros. is thinking about thinking about doing something, and Netter took advantage of Carter's proximity to find out if he has any interest if the opportunity presents itself. Presumably if Carter had said, "No thanks. I never want to put on that stupid Ranger suit again for as long as I live" Netter would have told JMS, "Don't mention Marcus if Warner Bros. asks for a pitch meeting, Jason isn't interested."

A couple of years ago when the feature film was getting near the outline stage, somebody asked Walter Koenig if he'd be interested. Because if Walter had said "No" JMS would have had to plan or recasting Bester or (more likely, knowing JMS) writing the Teep War movie so that Bester remained a mostly off-screen villain like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings or the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back rather than a major on-screen player.

According to the report, Netter asked Carter if he'd be interested in reprising his role of Marcus for a possible B5-related "project". A "project" can mean anything, from lending a voice to an animated series to doing a computer game to a featured role in an "A" list feature film along the lines of Spiderman or The X-Men. We just don't know at this point, and we shouldn't. People shouldn't be talking about this stuff (which just stirs up the beehive for no good reason) until there is a definite deal on the table and money is changing hands. That's usually been JMS's approach (except when a leak pre-empts him) and a good approach it has been. In reply to Jerry Doyle's interview JMS allowed as how there were some talks about something in the B5 universe ("talks" in this case meaning actual talks between himself, Netter and WB, not talks between Jerry Doyle who doesn't own the series and a syndicator who doesn't own a studio to produce a series.) He specifically said they did not involve a series deal, but beyond that correctly said nothing. Because there is no point in saying anything until the thing is a done deal.

Regards,

Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jms at B5" <jmsatb5@aol.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2003 5:54 PM
Subject: Re: Attn JMS: rumor of new B5 project from Jason Carter


> I spoke to Doug about this today, and he indicated to me that this conversation
> never happened. It's either a misstatement from Jason or an inaccurate fan
> rumor.
>
> jms
>
> (jmsatb5@aol.com)
> (all message content (c) 2003 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
> permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
> and don't send me story ideas)

However, it looks like the original source was (Omaha)Star who actually used to post here at some point

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That's what I thought at first, but now I'm not convinced that Star is the original source. The post has the story, followed by a break (*****) followed by comments from Star. That looks more like Star quoting someone else, then adding a P.S. In which case nobody knows where this came from or if the source was worth a damn.

Obviously the version as told above isn't accurate, given the most recent JMS post quoted above.

Regards,

Joe

But at this stage there isn't anything official to say.

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Yes, that was my point Joe.

That's what I thought at first, but now I'm not convinced that Star is the original source. The post has the story, followed by a break (*****) followed by comments from Star. That looks more like Star quoting someone else, then adding a P.S. In which case nobody knows where this came from or if the source was worth a damn.

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Look, I know that Omaha was at that convention as well as another person I know who went. They -both- said the report was correct. What I think a more likely account of what happened is that Jason got some misinformation or misinterpreted the question or even said something he wasn't supposed to. Who knows really. The point was that it is all no more than speculation and rumors.

How I read Omaha's post was the part above the *** was his account of what Jason said at the con and what came after were his comments about it.

I won't believe anything until I'm sitting in front of it and the credits are rolling. But that's just me.

Given the Jerry Doyle thing and now Jason's comments, I've heard that JMS is working on a new short story, a sequel to "...And the Sky Full of Stars"

The title?

"...And the Cast Full of Shit"



Regards,

Joe

ah let it be a (atleast) 5 year arc show