WB Possibly thinking Big Screen B5 movie.

[Alluveal]

I can't imagine anyone else playing the roles. I just can't.

 

[Bester]

I've been giving alot of thought to a possible B5 feature and I have come to the following conclusion...

Even if a B5 feature is a 'reimagining' and uses a whole new cast (which, in my opinion, is quite likely), it is a good thing. Anything that generates interest in the original series can only be positive. It's also possible that renewed interest in B5 proper may result in a ST-like 'special edition' restoration of the series. And for us fans, that would certainly be something to look forward to

 

[Alluveal]

I don't know. If JMS is involved, I don't imagine he would ever agree to recasting but would, instead, expand the cast to include new and old (as much as the storyline would allow.)

I watch Galactica, re-imagined, and I still find the original a piece of festering crap. I have no desire to watch it. I loathe the idea of ever having to view it or sit through it. I am in no way interested in the original concept.

Now, I know that the original B5 is nothing like the original Battlestar Craptica. My point is, people may love the new version and have no desire to ever sit through the original material. Some? Maybe. Most folks? No.

 

[fisheggs]

The longer it takes, the more likely a "re-imaging" will be the chosen vessel. The genius and problem with B5 is that it is a long complex story, dependent upon "Character developement" and doesn't reduce itself into 2 hour ( ala "Lost in Space") publically compelling piece.


At this point, I personally would want the money that would be spent on a theatrical release to be used filling in the B5 Universe in it's original format, the small screen with lots of time to actually develope a story.:bolian:

And Alluveal, the original was called "Battlestar Ponderosa" during it's original run for a reason.:devil:

 

[Bester]

At this point, I personally would want the money that would be spent on a theatrical release to be used filling in the B5 Universe in it's original format, the small screen with lots of time to actually develope a story.:bolian:

I too would rather see a continuation of TLT, rather than a feature. But jms has already ruled that out!

 

[Bester]

I don't know. If JMS is involved, I don't imagine he would ever agree to recasting but would, instead, expand the cast to include new and old (as much as the storyline would allow.)

I watch Galactica, re-imagined, and I still find the original a piece of festering crap. I have no desire to watch it. I loathe the idea of ever having to view it or sit through it. I am in no way interested in the original concept.

Now, I know that the original B5 is nothing like the original Battlestar Craptica. My point is, people may love the new version and have no desire to ever sit through the original material. Some? Maybe. Most folks? No.

Did you know that 'the powers that be' are planning a BSG feature based on the original series? Makes me wonder to what extent the success of the reimagined BSG had a part to play in such a project.

 

[KoshN]

The good: TG, S1 to S4 (+SiL), ItB, TS, ACtA
The bad: S5 (-SiL), TLT
The downright ugly: TRoS, LotR

I know that this is outside the topic of this thread, but I couldn't let this slide. IMO, the above is inaccurate and a vast oversimplification. Yes, I know that my version does not fit the model of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, but then again, neither does B5 (There really needs to be "The Excellent" category, as well. I'm hard pressed to call a lot of B5 merely "good.").

YMMV.

The good: TG, S1 to S4, S5 (Centauri scenes of NC thru PR; LC & DotD thru SiL), ItB, & ACtA.
The OK/Passable: TRoS, TLT (OT) [I can't bear to call these good or bad.]
The bad: TS, S5 (most teep scenes of NC thru PR); TLT (OH).
The downright ugly: LotR.
[http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/eplist.html Season Five ("Wheel of Fire") order used.]

I don't know. If JMS is involved, I don't imagine he would ever agree to recasting but would, instead, expand the cast to include new and old (as much as the storyline would allow.)

I watch Galactica, re-imagined, and I still find the original a piece of festering crap. I have no desire to watch it. I loathe the idea of ever having to view it or sit through it. I am in no way interested in the original concept.

I an sooooooo with you here.

Now, I know that the original B5 is nothing like the original Battlestar Craptica. My point is, people may love the new version and have no desire to ever sit through the original material. Some? Maybe. Most folks? No.

You think that people who watch a new B5 movie will view us (those who like Original Cast B5.) in the same light as those who rabidly like Original BSG? Almost any exposure to Original Cast B5 ought to cure that.

 

[KoshN]

The longer it takes, the more likely a "re-imaging" will be the chosen vessel.

Given the speed with which Warner Brothers moves, that's a very bad thing. All of the generations who saw B5 in its original run and on DVD, JMS and all of the original cast will probably be dead before Warner Brothers figures what they should have done.

The genius and problem with B5 is that it is a long complex story, dependent upon "Character developement" and doesn't reduce itself into 2 hour ( ala "Lost in Space") publically compelling piece.

Given the attention span of most of the TV audience today, you're right.

At this point, I personally would want the money that would be spent on a theatrical release to be used filling in the B5 Universe in it's original format, the small screen with lots of time to actually develope a story.:bolian:

At this time, I personally would want the money that would be spent on a theatrical release to be used filling in the B5 Universe with novels like the Psi Corps, Centauri and Technomage trilogies. Well, at least that's ever so slightly more probable than filling in the B5 Universe in it's original format, the small screen with lots of time to actually develop a story. There's no way in Hell that the latter will happen, and if it does, it'll be cancelled in 13 episodes or less because it would have been put up against American Idol or Dancing with the Has-Beens (just to make absolutely sure that the cancellation is enough of an insult.).

 

[Bester]

I know that this is outside the topic of this thread, but I couldn't let this slide. IMO, the above is inaccurate and a vast oversimplification. Yes, I know that my version does not fit the model of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, but then again, neither does B5 (There really needs to be "The Excellent" category, as well. I'm hard pressed to call a lot of B5 merely "good.").

YMMV.

The good: TG, S1 to S4, S5 (Centauri scenes of NC thru PR; LC & DotD thru SiL), ItB, & ACtA.
The OK/Passable: TRoS, TLT (OT) [I can't bear to call these good or bad.]
The bad: TS, S5 (most teep scenes of NC thru PR); TLT (OH).
The downright ugly: LotR.
[http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/eplist.html Season Five ("Wheel of Fire") order used.]

I wondered how long it would take someone to comment on that Yes, it is a simplification. But I stand by my opinion. At least we agree on LotR!

 

[KoshFan]

Given the attention span of most of the TV audience today, you're right.

Sure, it's easy to say that... but also remember that 24 and Lost were/are big hits, and required a great deal of patience. I think the attention span of the US TV audience shouldn't be overestimated... but it's been sorely underestimated as well.

And there will always be the dedicated types who find the gold and stick with it -- be it B5 or the Wire or whatever.

 

[KoshN]

Sure, it's easy to say that... but also remember that 24 and Lost were/are big hits, and required a great deal of patience.

I think 24 gets 'em cranked up at every commercial break with their ticking digital clock, plus the whole show is one long adrenaline-fest for action junkies. I watched at least the first two seasons and started the next, but then dropped it. How many times can you tell essentially the same story? The perils of Kim were wearing on me as well. Well, that and the fact that it was like a trashy, backstabbing, daytime soap, with lots of added violence, aired at night. I can't believe people are still watching that show.

Everything I've heard about Lost seems to indicate that it's a meandering mess. Maybe people are hooked on it like they get hooked on daytime soaps.

I think the attention span of the US TV audience shouldn't be overestimated... but it's been sorely underestimated as well.

A lot of the most popular shows do seem to be nothing more than a place to mindlessly vegitate or receive instant gratification.

And there will always be the dedicated types who find the gold and stick with it -- be it B5 or the Wire or whatever.

...but will there be enough of us to support a show like B5 (sci-fi, well thought out, with lots and lots of interconnecting threads, with a beginning, middle and an end, as opposed to a continuous extrapolation, often past the point where the writers have run out of story, until it gets cancelled.) ever again?

 

[Galahad]

Sure, it's easy to say that... but also remember that 24 and Lost were/are big hits, and required a great deal of patience. I think the attention span of the US TV audience shouldn't be overestimated... but it's been sorely underestimated as well.

LOST is extremely clever in that it knows how to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

For those with a short attention span, the writers lay it on thick with the Jack/Sawyer/Kate love triangle... which annoys the hell out of many. Then for every three of these episodes, a really high concept/powerful storyline comes along involving Desmond/Locke that is written for those of us who are in for the whole thing. These episodes are more often than not among the strongest.

Season 3's "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and Season 4's "The Constant" rate as my favourite episodes to date.

They play to both crowds and do it very successfully. The conversations I used to have at work about it were interesting, because you'd find that everyone who watched it broke down into one of the two groups... with only a few inbetween.

 

[Alluveal]

Did you know that 'the powers that be' are planning a BSG feature based on the original series? Makes me wonder to what extent the success of the reimagined BSG had a part to play in such a project.

I read that somewhere and I vomited in my mouth a little.

 

[Sindatur]

I read that somewhere and I vomited in my mouth a little.

A little? Dang, you have a strong constitution

 

[darth_librarian]

I can't wait to hear this one fail. If there is one thing that honks me off, its old school BSG who decry the new one at every stage in an unreasonable fashion. It was pure 70's cheese, glorious and ridiculous in the same way, and should stay there. It sounds a bit nasty, but I really hope they never see this movie.

They are the same 10 people and I see them on every other site I visit. I cannot honestly belive this movie is being made for the GINO crowd.

If we live in a world where Larson can get a budget for old school BSG but JMS cannot make more B5 with less that $10, then there is no jsutice, none I say !!!

Lets all hope sanity prevails.

Sorry to derail this thread further.

 

[Markas]

My question about a movie based on the 70's story is "based how much?" If we take the rather campy portions of the story away (and the 70's hair), the standard storyline is similar. Humans make Cylons. Cylons break off. There is war. There is a truce. The Cylons come back and destroy the human colonies and chase the remnants of human society which is guarded by Battlestar Galactica.

The dark reimagining of the new series may be successful on many fronts, but what is wrong with a less hilarious, straightforward presentation of "fleeing from the Cylon tyranny the last battlestar, Galactica leads a rag tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest. A shining planet known as Earth," Old-style metal Cylons and Count Baltar leading the chase?

 

[Sindatur]

My question about a movie based on the 70's story is "based how much?" If we take the rather campy portions of the story away (and the 70's hair), the standard storyline is similar. Humans make Cylons. Cylons break off. There is war. There is a truce. The Cylons come back and destroy the human colonies and chase the remnants of human society which is guarded by Battlestar Galactica.

The dark reimagining of the new series may be successful on many fronts, but what is wrong with a less hilarious, straightforward presentation of "fleeing from the Cylon tyranny the last battlestar, Galactica leads a rag tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest. A shining planet known as Earth," Old-style metal Cylons and Count Baltar leading the chase?

Don't forget Lucifer. You can't revisit TOS BSG without his fantastic one-liners (the one thing still worth watching of TOS)

 

[vacantlook]

My question about a movie based on the 70's story is "based how much?" If we take the rather campy portions of the story away (and the 70's hair), the standard storyline is similar. Humans make Cylons. Cylons break off. There is war. There is a truce. The Cylons come back and destroy the human colonies and chase the remnants of human society which is guarded by Battlestar Galactica.

Well, to be a bit pedantic, it's my understanding that in the original BSG series the robot-cylons were not created by humans but by an extraterrestrial reptilian race that were also called "cylon". At least, that's what Wikipedia says.

 

[Markas]

You're cute when you're pedantic.

 

[vacantlook]

I'm cute all the time.