Issues with your account? Bug us in the Discord!
JMS: Adding to the legacy- Act big or go home.
David of Mac
Elite RangerCa
in Babylon 5
JMS has posted the [url=http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated/msg/3047b5daf18b8524]final word on the Lost Tales,[/url] and it isn't cheery.
[quote] One final note re: recent discussions on TMoS and more Lost Tales.
B5:TLT was commissioned at a $2 million budget to, yet one more time, "test the waters" for B5. We did what we could with that, and that was that. As we did with Rangers, which also suffered from not having a lot of money because of concerns about "is there really a B5 audience?" Which is, of course, a foolish question from a studio that has never really understood what it has in B5.
Of late, there have been more discussions from WB about doing more DVDs, again at a low cost, or a cable thing, again with minimal investment.
So for the last few months, I've been giving this whole subject a lot of quiet thought. And I've come to a conclusion.
B5 as a five year story stands beautifully on its own. If anything else is to be continued from that story, it should be something that adds to the legacy of B5, rather than subtracts from it.
As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them again.
So I've let everyone up here know that I'm not interested in doing any more low-budget DVDs. I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable things or small computer games. The only thing I would be interested in doing regarding Babylon 5 from this point on is a full- featured, big-budget feature film.
It's that or nothing.
And if it's nothing, I'm totally cool with that because the original story stands on its own just fine. I'm not lobbying for it, I'm not asking fans to write in about it (nor should you) because such campaigns never really have much impact...that's simply the position I've taken up here. Lord knows I don't lack for other things to do these days. I'm busier on more prestige projects with terrific people and great film-makers than at any other time in my career.
At the end of the day, for me, it's not just a matter of getting more B5. It's a matter of getting more *good* B5 that respects what came before it and doesn't have to compromise visually or in terms of action. The original show deserves better than that, the surviving cast members deserve better than that, and the fans who have supported it over the years definitely deserve better than that. A lot better.
So I've drawn that line in the sand, and I'm happy living on whichever side of that line the universe puts me. Just thought you should know, 'cause it's your show too.
jms [/quote]
[quote] One final note re: recent discussions on TMoS and more Lost Tales.
B5:TLT was commissioned at a $2 million budget to, yet one more time, "test the waters" for B5. We did what we could with that, and that was that. As we did with Rangers, which also suffered from not having a lot of money because of concerns about "is there really a B5 audience?" Which is, of course, a foolish question from a studio that has never really understood what it has in B5.
Of late, there have been more discussions from WB about doing more DVDs, again at a low cost, or a cable thing, again with minimal investment.
So for the last few months, I've been giving this whole subject a lot of quiet thought. And I've come to a conclusion.
B5 as a five year story stands beautifully on its own. If anything else is to be continued from that story, it should be something that adds to the legacy of B5, rather than subtracts from it.
As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them again.
So I've let everyone up here know that I'm not interested in doing any more low-budget DVDs. I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable things or small computer games. The only thing I would be interested in doing regarding Babylon 5 from this point on is a full- featured, big-budget feature film.
It's that or nothing.
And if it's nothing, I'm totally cool with that because the original story stands on its own just fine. I'm not lobbying for it, I'm not asking fans to write in about it (nor should you) because such campaigns never really have much impact...that's simply the position I've taken up here. Lord knows I don't lack for other things to do these days. I'm busier on more prestige projects with terrific people and great film-makers than at any other time in my career.
At the end of the day, for me, it's not just a matter of getting more B5. It's a matter of getting more *good* B5 that respects what came before it and doesn't have to compromise visually or in terms of action. The original show deserves better than that, the surviving cast members deserve better than that, and the fans who have supported it over the years definitely deserve better than that. A lot better.
So I've drawn that line in the sand, and I'm happy living on whichever side of that line the universe puts me. Just thought you should know, 'cause it's your show too.
jms [/quote]
Comments
It's a pity he's against a game though. There's potential there not just for a space combat game but something in the style of Mass Effect would work too.
Worf
Not [I]entirely[/I] true, as Jericho fans proved last year and Star Trek fans years ago...though in this case, with a decade behind us, I would agree.
Well, I guess all I can do is remain hopeful that something big-budget *will* happen...even if it won't.
Man, what a Monday morning downer!
The one thing Hollywood values above all else: A sure thing...
Jake
It's a pity he's against a game though. There's potential there not just for a space combat game but something in the style of Mass Effect would work too.[/QUOTE]
I dunno, i've interpreted his line
[quote=jms]
I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable things or [b]small computer games[/b].[/quote]
as beeing against small computer games like the BSG game.
A big AAA Title on the other hand... (not that i believe this is gonna happen...)
So like I said, I don't really have a problem with this and am actually relieved.
Though a computer game I would just love. There's so much potential in that.
I would HATE for Babylon 5 to turn into some kind of franchise.... YUCK! (Example: Star Trek: REBOOT.... WTF...? He should've stuck to making "LOST" -imo)
Didn't care much for the new SW movies either... (and I only saw bits and pieces of them haha)... and not even going to bother with the animated stuff..
In my opinion, when something so great and epic is created and finished, NOTHING that comes after, will ever be as great. Sequels are rarely as good as the original, and almost never out-do it (unless the original thing sucked to begin with lol). So, I say it should be left alone - in regards to any future movies / series.
However, I'm all for PC Games / sims... etc. Not really into consoles - tho not against them making a Console version of a B5 game, provided there's a quality PC version of it as well (and it is NOT A console-port, but rather 'made-for-pc' title).
Plus the SW prequels were actually pretty good. Even Episode I was decent although it does have notable flaws.
As for sequels being worse....well, that's the case a lot of the time, although there are many notable exceptions.....gotta be funny and say Empire Strikes Back and Wrath of Khan being two examples that you yourself inferred at in your support of YOUR claim. Also Terminator II and arguably Aliens (although I think it is just as good as Alien, just a different type of film). From Russia With Love (and many other Bond films for that matter were better than Dr. No). I could go on.
Godfather II
Jake
A Galaxy in Darkness is better than Darkness Unleashed which is better than The Darkness Consumes which is better than Falling into Darkness :)
Worf
Jan
To clarify a bit, this is what JMS posted to his Facebook page yesterday about syndicating B5:
[QUOTE=JMS]To answer a question upstream, WB has deliberately kept B5 out of on-air syndication for lo these many years because they have been using it to drive their new tech and revenue platforms: putting it on AOL, on DVDs, through their own net se...rvice, itunes, hulu, netflix and other services. The B5 fan base gives them a way to drive the new technologies that they would (at least in part) lose if B5 were available in syndication. To me this is foolish because it precludes the fan base from actually growing: established fans will seek it out wherever it is (which is what WB counts on to drive their tech growth), but average viewers can't stumble across the show in open syndication, which is where shows like Trek established their real audience. The only way to sample the show is to buy something, and that seems to mitigate against people sampling it.[/QUOTE]
Worf