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Bad News RE: TMOS.... JMS speaks.....

KoshN

Super Moderator
----- Original Message -----
From: <jmsatb5@aol.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 7:10 PM
Subject: additional from jms


> I'm putting this here because the new message threader I sent eaerlier
> is taking a while to move through the system. So this info will repeat
> soonish on another subject.
>
> jms
>
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> The rule of thumb in Hollywood is that for every thousand scripts that
> get written, only a few dozen get into development, and out of those,
> only one will ever get made...if that.
>
> A little over a year ago, I was approached by a company that wanted to
> make a Babylon 5 movie. They optioned the rights, and commissioned a
> script. (It's worth mentioning that I, not WB, own the rights to a B5
> movie. When we were negotiating the original B5 deal -- by whose terms
> I will never see a dime in profit -- the one thing they did let me have
> were the movie rights, figuring they'd never be worth anything in the
> long run.)
>
> Anyway...on December 27th of 2003, the script for "The Memory of
> Shadows" was turned in, and the process began of trying to make the
> deal work with all the various forces involved. It is, to say the
> least, a very difficult process on any movie where the studio does not
> directly take the financial reins. In terms of B5, Warner's position
> was esssentially, "We only do big-budget movies with big names, so
> you're on your own." If there were big-name movie actors in the film,
> they'd get behind it; without that, things become very problematic,
> especially as far as the financing was concerned. You much have to put
> together a consortium of international interests and business plans
> rivaled in complexity only by the Allied invasion of Normandy Beach.
>
> Nonetheless, every attempt was made by the people involved to get this
> deal in place. This was not being done by Doug or myself, but rather
> by the company/individuals who approached us and optioned the rights.
> At times, it seemed we were inches away from a deal...stages were
> reserved at Elstree, actors were contacted, a director was in place,
> the script went through many revisions, a few key staff were hired,
> again not by me...it was really a year-long roller coaster ride.
> During that time, the people involved, with every good intention, tried
> very hard to pull the necessary pieces together on the deal. The
> option expired in late December 2004, but I renewed it without cost, to
> give those involved more time to try and make things work.
>
> In the end, however, the deal could not be put together, and it did not
> look as if that was going to change at any point in the foreseeable
> future. So the option has reverted, and to all intents and purposes,
> the project has dead ended. Nor do I think this particular incarnation
> will arise again at any point in the future, though prognostication has
> always been a tricky art, especially if you have to do it without the
> benefit of hindsight.
>
> This was not the first time someone's taken a run at a B5 feature film,
> and it will not be the last. Eventually it will happen, because such
> things are simply inevitable. If they can do a Brady Bunch movie, you
> can be sure that sooner or later, somebody's going to do a B5 movie.
> The only thing I can say without equivocation is that when that day
> comes, as the rights-holder, I will make darned sure that it's done
> right, because I'd rather have no B5 movie than one that doesn't live
> up to what fans and I myself would want to see.
>
> To that end...I can wait.
>
> Anyway, just thought you should know the story.
>
> jms
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> copyright (c) 2005 by
> Synthetic Worlds, Ltd.
> Reprint permission specifically
> denied to SFX Magazine
 
I will make darned sure that it's done right, because I'd rather have no B5 movie than one that doesn't live up to what fans and I myself would want to see.

I'd say that's good news, actually.
 
I will make darned sure that it's done right, because I'd rather have no B5 movie than one that doesn't live up to what fans and I myself would want to see.

I'd say that's good news, actually.

Bad news that the movie won't be made for now, but good news because JMS says a B5 film *will* be made eventually, & he has the movie rights!!! :D

Tammy
 
If they can do a Brady Bunch movie, you can be sure that sooner or later, somebody's going to do a B5 movie.

That seems a funny thing to say. The Brady bunch movie was made many years (21 years) after the original show ended and didn't have any of the original cast members reprising their roles. Could/would jms see this happen to a future B5 movie?
 
No word yet from JMS about the recasting..

But I am surprised and very heartened to learn that he owns the B5 movie rights. :) As he says, it's inevitable that it will get made. If Starsky and Hutch and the Transformers can get a movie, why not?
 
If they can do a Brady Bunch movie, you can be sure that sooner or later, somebody's going to do a B5 movie.

That seems a funny thing to say. The Brady bunch movie was made many years (21 years) after the original show ended and didn't have any of the original cast members reprising their roles. Could/would jms see this happen to a future B5 movie?

Perhaps it was the fact that it was the same actor who played Captain Matthew Gideon in Crusade who also played Mike Brady in the movie, that brought the comparison to mind?
 
And once again, it just goes to prove how little we fans know about these things. Having spent most of the last few months slagging off WB about the re-casting and the apparent procrastination, etc., it then turns out that not only did those things have nothing whatever to do with them, but even the issue about them only being interested in big budget blockbuster and trying to turn TMoS over to another producer turns out to have been the position from day 1, and not an 11th hour attempt to wriggle out of the deal as many fans suspected.

Hollywood sure is a crazy place to do business ...

But I agree that JMS having the rights to a B5 movie is a cause for optimism, should a movie ever get made. The one thing that is now certain is that neither WB nor anyone can just get off their backsides and do one without him.

:D
 
Is GH right about that? I admit at this point I'm quite confused. I was pretty sure what certain people with reliable sources had to say had some merit. Could they all have been so far off?

Or is there still a level of depth and detail that I'm not getting here? Was there ever a recast question?
 
And once again, it just goes to prove how little we fans know about these things. Having spent most of the last few months slagging off WB about the re-casting and the apparent procrastination, etc., it then turns out that not only did those things have nothing whatever to do with them, but even the issue about them only being interested in big budget blockbuster and trying to turn TMoS over to another producer turns out to have been the position from day 1, and not an 11th hour attempt to wriggle out of the deal as many fans suspected.

I suppose it's possible that many fans suspected that but one might be hard pressed to find any of us involved in promoting the campaign who *said* that, I think. What was said, starting less than three weeks before the option was due to expire on December 27 was:

- That WB doesn’t want to distribute The Memory of Shadows (aka: TmoS) because, being based on a TV show, it’s not ‘high profile’ enough for them. WB is only interested in big-budget projects with big stars.

- That other studios are being negotiated with.

- That it’s thought that fans won’t come out to see TV actors in a motion picture and that casting breakdowns have gone out looking for “Stars” over JMS’ objections.

- JMS is fighting the idea, knowing that the original actors who created these roles are the only ones who should.

Now, same point by same point, what JMS said:

- In terms of B5, Warner's position was essentially, "We only do big-budget movies with big names, so you're on your own." If there were big-name movie actors in the film, they'd get behind it;

- without that, things become very problematic, especially as far as the financing was concerned. You much have to put together a consortium of international interests and business plans rivaled in complexity only by the Allied invasion of Normandy Beach.

Nonetheless, every attempt was made by the people involved to get this deal in place. This was not being done by Doug or myself, but rather by the company/individuals who approached us and optioned the rights.

- nothing applicable except possbly "a few key staff were hired, again not by me...it was really a year-long roller coaster ride."

- again, nothing applicable. It's notable that the original cast probably was contacted at a late date before the project dead-ended.

So if there was a sense of urgency, it was due to deadlines looming (I didn't know it was the option itself), not due to anything 'last minute' except that it was as that same time that the casting breakdowns were being leaked.

What the letter writing campain's goal was, was to convince WB to make the movie and to use the original actors in the movie. No more, no less. And no conflict unless people read more into what was being done than actually was.

Jan
 
Since I'm a Babylon 5 fan, this is no surprise or whatsoever to me. We were always shafted, DVD's were part terrible etc. So this is no surprise and frankly, I never did believe that this would happen. But since JMS holds the rights to the movie... Maybe next time we'll get this feature film. Who knows. And maybe then we will have our "real" Galen in it :).
 
Since I'm a Babylon 5 fan, this is no surprise or whatsoever to me. We were always shafted, DVD's were part terrible etc. So this is no surprise and frankly, I never did believe that this would happen. But since JMS holds the rights to the movie... Maybe next time we'll get this feature film. Who knows. And maybe then we will have our "real" Galen in it :).

I was thinking that myself. Maybe the film could be made during a time that Woodward was available. I was disappointed when it seemed like they were going to recast Galen because Woodward was working on something else.

Tammy
 
Just to clarify Jan, I was never anything less than supportive of the letter writing campaign and sent my letters and B5 bucks to all the relevant addresses, and I am glad that I did so.

My view has always been that B5 with the original characters but not the original actors is just some other SF movie jumping on the B5 bandwagon in the hope of sing the name to sell it. As others have already said, I am quite happy for the movie to be cancelled if the alternative is "fake" B5 for want of a better expression.

My point (which wasn't totally clear I admit) was that, as fans, we are always very, very quick to jump all over WB when B5 is shafted and it would appear that, at least in this case, this ultimately wasn't all the fault of WB.

If WB's position right from the start was that they are only interested in "Blockbuster" movies with "movie-name" casts and B5 doesn't fit that bill then it is not surprising that the project be handed over to others (however incompetent) when they express an interest in doing a B5 movie.

Hypothesis ...

1. New Babylon 5 Project Ltd set up to make TMoS

2. Owners of NB5PL go out to find the money to make it

3. Sufficient funding not forthcoming

4. Owners go back to WB and ask them to come back on board, promising to change the cast to movie names and turn it into a blockbuster

5. Fans get wind of this and start a letter writing campaign to persuade WB that they will only go see TMoS if the original characters are played by the original cast.

6. Campaign is so successful WB goes back to NB5PL and say that there is no way that the fans would accept a movie without the original cast, therefore they are still not interested

7. NB5PL decide they cannot raise the funding required and the project dies.

All of this is rampant speculation on my part, but in this scenario the death of TMoS is just one of those things - it was no one's fault, no one "screwed it", they just couldn't make it happen and it became one of the dozens of scripts that are developed every year that never make it to the screen.

Here's hoping that next time everything comes together.
 
GH, that sounds like a reasonable hypothesis. I hope JMS lets us know, before too long, just what really happened. I am in the camp that says no movie is better than a phony B5 with a replacement cast. I am still hopeful for the future. Maybe JMS should go talk to MiraMax!
 
Better yet, New Line.

I was just thinking the exact same thing!!! :cool:

Wouldn't that be both awesome and ironic if both Lord of the Rings and Babylon 5 were made by the same studio. :eek:

Ooh, ooh. Even better... What if Peter Jackson also directed B5? Yeah, I know. Unlikely. But we can all dream.
 
New Line sounds like a good studio.

Peter Jackson is doing King Kong. And JMS has a strong enough vision that he doesn't need a "star" director for it.

Evangelion fans are speculating about Peter Jackson too: Peter Jackson a possibility?

If Peter Jackson has to direct all the movies, we'll be sitting around here waiting for years and years....

Jackson wasn't well known before LotR. I think the Babylon 5 movie might be directed by somebody the general audience hasn't heard about. But there's a chance that one of the TV directors gets the job.
 
But there's a chance that one of the TV directors gets the job.

If that's true and if JMS had his choice, Mike Vejar would probably be the one.

According to JMS's DVD commentaries, he likes Mike's unorthodox artistic and budgetary requests and is quite amused by him choosing to shoot "Christmas lights" in the foreground and to project lights from monitors in people's faces. :)
 
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