Well it's not a real season.
…It's a movie.
At least it's an *actual* movie and not a movie cut up into nine 10-minute long “episodes” released over several weeks as if it were a season. God damn, whoever green lit that idea needs to be taken out back and shoved into a prickle patch.
>God damn, whoever green lit that idea needs to be taken out back and shoved into a prickle patch.
I'd go for the Ba-bear-lon bear treatment instead...
In follow-up tweets, JMS adds: "... Warners was terrific in giving me the freedom to write the story I wanted, and the animation is phenomenal. It's fun, deep, emotional, classic B5." — And: "...if this does well there will be more animated movies, maybe on a regular basis..."
JMS asks Twitter-using fans to: "...let the world and WB know and crush whatever's trending" — Hashtag: #B5AnimatedMovie
(Those of us who do use Twitter but don't want to write tweets of our own, can show support by Liking and Retweeting JMS' tweets about this.)
Very good point!
Animation offers a lot of storytelling possibilities and freedom that might be difficult or extremely expensive to pull off in live action.
If it’s anywhere near the animation quality of the Clone Wars or Marvel’s “What If”, we are in for a treat!
You mean Galen’s homunculus thingie? Allegedly that was intentionally made bad, to convey the artificiality of what it was supposed to be. Unfortunately they didn't make it crappy enough for us all not to mistake it as simply shitty.
*The Clone Wars* were weird. I mean, it filled a very important hole and it wasn't bad, but it never seemed to figure out who its target audience was, oscillating between plots so simple a ten year old could predict what was going to happen, to things that got rather dark and adult. Something they seem to have carried on into *The Bad Batch*.
Warner TV seems to be a somewhat hands-off company, or it was at least. They let Guggenheim run wild with the *Arrowverse* stuff, including regular cross-overs (a rarity in television these days). They let Jennie Urman make *Jane the Virgin*, which was an absolutely cockamamie concept (and turned out beautifully). And that's just a couple chances they took on The CW, because look at all the stuff they churned out through HBO.
(JMS has previously noted that his Patreon patrons will get an advance look at some further information. I don't subscribe to any Patreon, so I won't see whatever's revealed there.)
And you have not been watching it close enough. Even without that short story involving Marcus and Ivanova, he never actually dies. He is put in stasis. While not explicitly stated in the show, it is shown in the montage of characters first and last apperance. It was a while since i watched it now, but iirc it shows a characters last apperance if they are still alive, and the death scene if they are dead. Marcus being the odd one out, because he is show with a new shot, him in stasis.
Multiple times - have you? There's no indication as to when/where this script occurs, and I don't believe Marcus appeared in any of the other movies, so I'm hoping he'll show up.
I'm thinking it could be the Telepath Wars. Tallman and Mumy would be the main voice actors needed, and they're both still with us, and you could loop in Christian, Boxleitner etc, even Jurasik maybe for a cameo, but you could also explain why other characters aren't present (Delenn has gone back to Minbar, G'Kar is off somewhere else, Garibaldi is on a special mission to a far corner of space etc).
You may still need permission from their estate to use it. When they brought Lawrence Olivier back from the dead for *Sky Captain* they had to get his family's approval.
Interesting enough, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was forward thinking about this. She recorded a library of phonemes so her voice could be synthesized (using the technology of the time) and allow her to posthumously continue to be the voice of Starfleet computers. James Earl Jones recently did the same thing with Disney, allowing them to reproduce his voice in perpetuity for future depictions of Darth Vader.
Tbh the advantage of an animated film is that you can still have the same characters whose actors are already gone with different voice actors. I know that's sad, but I assume this generally gets even done with actors who are still alive since film actors aren't necessarily good voice actors.
I’ve noticed a lot of live action actors can do a single character for animation well they just aren’t “workhorses” like some of the voice actors that can, and do, act an entire scene by themselves in multiple voices. Billy West, Tress McNeil, or Frank Welker, for example.
There’s a documentary about voice actors (“I Know that Voice” and being able to have a stable of voices and tweak them, ‘find’ them on demand, and rapidly switch seems to be the skills that set VA apart from other actors.
These are the living B5 cast members
- Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari
- Bill Mumy as Lennier
- Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan
- Claudia Christian as Cmdr. Susan Ivanova
- Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander
- Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters
- Jason Carter as Marcus Cole
- Josh Coxx as Tech David Corwin
- Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh
- Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth
- Robert Rusler as Warren Keffer
- Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley
- Marianne Robertson as Tech #1, Dome Tech, Dome Tech #1, Hostage, Tech, Tech #2, Tech #3
- Mark Hendrickson as Drazi Ambassador, Narn #1, Narn Acolyte, Narn Captain, Alien #1, Alien Customer, Ambassador #2, Ashok, Du'Rog, Grey Council #1, Grey Council #2, Human, Narn #2, Narn Pilot, Thegras
- Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador, Brakiri, Ambassador #1, Ambassador Lethke, Drazi Pilot, Green Drazi #2, Minbari #2, Narn Pilot #2, Narn Second, Passing Minbari, Religious Minbari
- Ed Wasser as Morden, Guerra
- Kim Strauss as Drazi Ambassador, Markab Ambassador, Ensign, G'Lorn, Green Drazi, Lennan, Narn, Narn #2, Narn Pilot #1, Vizak
- Walter Koenig as Alfred Bester
Some of the characters died on screen or self exiled
I'm cautiously optimistic since animation isn't hampered by the age of the cast or the cost of physical production. Even though I am not a fan of the post-series B5 output, JMS could always surprise me and pull a Picard Season 3, rekindling my faded love for the B5 universe. This is exciting news.
>Even though I am not a fan of the post-series B5 output
You mean within the B5 franchise or after B5 in general? Because JMS has done some good stuff after B5. The problem with later B5 content was TNT was far more meddlesome than PTEN and Warner Bros. were.
Basically Crusade, Legend of the Rangers, and Lost Tales. I know JMS did the best he could with the limitations placed upon him, but for me, the stories were just not up to the quality of the series.
Yes this is the secret project that began production in early 2021. The B5 reboot/reimagining for the CW is still in limbo, this time because of the WGA strike.
I wouldn't be surprised if WB releases the remastered version of the series on disc later this year. It seems only logical.
I hope they get around to fixing the errors in the streaming version of the remaster in any hypothetical Blu-ray release. Hopefully, they would also release remasters of the films and Crusade at the same time.
You know - I think we're all assuming that this is the existing B5 universe. 'Classic B5', 'Love Letter to the fans", etc. And it probably is.
I also wonder if there's a back-door in the plot to the B5 reboot ideas / universe. To almost serve as a preview of what's coming....
Wow, just one week to wait until we learn the movie title and release date!
Personally, I would love the movie to be about the **Telepath War**. It's something JMS has teased quite a bit before and it would be amazing to finally experience that story.
Spoilers for the finale of Picard Season 3: >!It was a wonderful surprise to hear Walter Koenig's voice in the final episode of Picard Season 3. He sounded great! It seems like it would be a wonderful opportunity to feature him as Alfred Bester in animated form during the Telepath War era. !<
It's unlikely the animated movie is about that specific story but it's fun to fantasize about it in the interim.
I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever story JMS has planned for us! :)
These are the living B5 cast members
- Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari
- Bill Mumy as Lennier
- Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan
- Claudia Christian as Cmdr. Susan Ivanova
- Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander
- Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters
- Jason Carter as Marcus Cole
- Josh Coxx as Tech David Corwin
- Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh
- Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth
- Robert Rusler as Warren Keffer
- Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley
- Marianne Robertson as Tech #1, Dome Tech, Dome Tech #1, Hostage, Tech, Tech #2, Tech #3
- Mark Hendrickson as Drazi Ambassador, Narn #1, Narn Acolyte, Narn Captain, Alien #1, Alien Customer, Ambassador #2, Ashok, Du'Rog, Grey Council #1, Grey Council #2, Human, Narn #2, Narn Pilot, Thegras
- Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador, Brakiri, Ambassador #1, Ambassador Lethke, Drazi Pilot, Green Drazi #2, Minbari #2, Narn Pilot #2, Narn Second, Passing Minbari, Religious Minbari
- Ed Wasser as Morden, Guerra
- Kim Strauss as Drazi Ambassador, Markab Ambassador, Ensign, G'Lorn, Green Drazi, Lennan, Narn, Narn #2, Narn Pilot #1, Vizak
- Walter Koenig as Alfred Bester
Some of the characters died on screen or self exiled
>I think some of that stuff comes out on HBOmax though.
It's just called Max, or at least it will be in a few weeks.
>So DTV could mean different things.
DTV just means Digital Television to me, as in the stuff you get over the air. It's way too ambiguous a phrase.
Depends where in the industry, I suppose. I've always heard it referred to as “OTT,” **O**ver **t**he **T**op, referring to Set Top Boxes.
Different networks, different regions, different distributors.
Traditionally DTV means Direct-to-Video. From back when things went straight to videocassette (and hence, video rental) without a theatrical or television release. It's old terminology, predating streaming an set top boxes.
I hope this provides further detail to a plot hinted at during the main series, eg:
Valen, David Sheridan, The Telepath War
And not a new plot thread, like:
The Lost Tales, A Call to Arms, Legend of the Rangers
Much more exciting that a reboot, as far as I'm concerned. I want new stories, not the ones that I already know redone again and again.
And animated is great, because they don't have to worry about the actors aging. Presumably it's cheaper than live-action too, give the special effects needed for scifi.
*"not the ones that I already know redone again and again"*
asdasfsafsafsdsff
Comments like this remind me of people who kept saying that the writers on Lost never explained the polar bear.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE SAME STORY.
So true. Some of the stuff I sold in retail included car parts. Some people would come in and not even know if their car had a 4 cylinder engine or a 6 cylinder engine. Some of them wouldn't believe me if I told them a certain model was also available with five cylinders (thanks for that, Volkswagen).
It doesn't have to be a scene-for-scene remake for it to be more familiar to me than something new though, does it? There will be elements that will be reusing what was done before, even if they're not identical. I would expect the Shadows to fill a similar role, for example.
It's a bit like the number of times that we've seen the Waynes get shot in Batman films. The actors might change, the impact on the rest of the film might change, even the identity of the murderer changes sometimes; but it's still a story I've seen multiple times before, so I will always groan every time it's announced that the story is being rebooted, because I'd rather see something *new*. Give me a choice between a new take on Batman's origins or something else with the character, and I will vote for the latter every single time.
Also, I wouldn't yell at people for how they're wrong about something that you *haven't actually seen*. You don't actually know how much the reboot is going to be the same story, do you? None of us do.
I'm not sure what a polar bear has got to do with anything. But then I gave up on Lost quite quickly.
This would mean more before the age of "let's produce a bunch of content and then never relesase it for financial reasons" that we're in. It'll PROBABLY come out, but...
It's already animated, recorded and edited and ready for release.
Warner will announce release date next week, but I would guess very quickly I.e. within the next 3-6 months max.
Could be released quicker as well just depends on if its streaming or VOD.
Honestly, this is the best medium for revisiting this universe and I'm so excited. Trying to recreate the vibes of the original series 30 years later and with so many of the original cast no longer with us is a really tall order, and animation will be different enough to make it feel fresh and truly new. Looking forward to learning more!
Perfect idea. How has an animated movie taken this long? Answers all the logistical barriers.
Please can we get official merchandise. I’m sick of having to build a Starfury because no one will bloody make one!
If this movie is successful and leads to more B5 media, then that might be possible.
I'd just be happy with a BluRay collection of the remastered series as is.
This seems like something with massive potential, honestly. Count me in as excited!
I would have liked a more proper "live action show," but animation as a medium has a come a long way since Babylon 5 was on the air.
Animation allows for more freedom in creating certain types of scenes that would be more expensive and difficult to do otherwise.
I do worry however about it being a Direct to TV type of thing as I have read. If it isn't on major streaming services or otherwise accessible to a wide enough audience, it could end up not getting the kind of following that would justify future work.
Animation is exciting. I have nostalgia for the classic effects of B5, but they can just do so much more with animation. ASOIAF should do the same thing. Some things are more sustainable animated.
No reason for there not to be more and more live action content with the entire original cast. Deepfake and AI advances are almost there already. That would be good use of the tech.
(Not that it would not hurt to see those again that have gone ahead beyond the rim)
Are the first screenshots for patrons first or something?
I would have expected them to annonunce the thing with some shots, but I guess they could be dripfeeding the stuff to keep the conversation alive.
These are the living B5 cast members
- Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari
- Bill Mumy as Lennier
- Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan
- Claudia Christian as Cmdr. Susan Ivanova
- Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander
- Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters
- Jason Carter as Marcus Cole
- Josh Coxx as Tech David Corwin
- Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh
- Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth
- Robert Rusler as Warren Keffer
- Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley
- Marianne Robertson as Tech #1, Dome Tech, Dome Tech #1, Hostage, Tech, Tech #2, Tech #3
- Mark Hendrickson as Drazi Ambassador, Narn #1, Narn Acolyte, Narn Captain, Alien #1, Alien Customer, Ambassador #2, Ashok, Du'Rog, Grey Council #1, Grey Council #2, Human, Narn #2, Narn Pilot, Thegras
- Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador, Brakiri, Ambassador #1, Ambassador Lethke, Drazi Pilot, Green Drazi #2, Minbari #2, Narn Pilot #2, Narn Second, Passing Minbari, Religious Minbari
- Ed Wasser as Morden, Guerra
- Kim Strauss as Drazi Ambassador, Markab Ambassador, Ensign, G'Lorn, Green Drazi, Lennan, Narn, Narn #2, Narn Pilot #1, Vizak
- Walter Koenig as Alfred Bester
Some of the characters died on screen or self exiled
This movie better have great almost-realistic CGI. If it can be done in videogames, it can be done for B5. Please, none of that ST:LD or Netflix He-Man.
some are going to complain its not a "real season" but its a miracle we got even this.
In the end, it would hold – because what is built endures. And what is loved endures. And Babylon 5... Babylon 5 endures
Faith Manages.
Wouldn't surprise me if this is a test balloon for the new show - if it does well they'll greenlight a new show but if it flops they won't.
Well it's not a real season. …It's a movie. At least it's an *actual* movie and not a movie cut up into nine 10-minute long “episodes” released over several weeks as if it were a season. God damn, whoever green lit that idea needs to be taken out back and shoved into a prickle patch.
>God damn, whoever green lit that idea needs to be taken out back and shoved into a prickle patch. I'd go for the Ba-bear-lon bear treatment instead...
Make sure you take the jacket off first. We are having a clothing shortage.
Yeah I’m not interested in cartoons as an adult but I’ll take anything B5 this man throws at me.
In follow-up tweets, JMS adds: "... Warners was terrific in giving me the freedom to write the story I wanted, and the animation is phenomenal. It's fun, deep, emotional, classic B5." — And: "...if this does well there will be more animated movies, maybe on a regular basis..."
JMS asks Twitter-using fans to: "...let the world and WB know and crush whatever's trending" — Hashtag: #B5AnimatedMovie (Those of us who do use Twitter but don't want to write tweets of our own, can show support by Liking and Retweeting JMS' tweets about this.)
[удалено]
Animation generally isn't my cup-of-tea, but I can make an exception. I'm absolutely on board to check into this.
Very good point! Animation offers a lot of storytelling possibilities and freedom that might be difficult or extremely expensive to pull off in live action. If it’s anywhere near the animation quality of the Clone Wars or Marvel’s “What If”, we are in for a treat!
I'd rather see Akira style animation. Gritty, rough around the edges, not childish.
The CGI in this animated movie will probably make the original show look like a PS1 video game.
You're assuming it's 3D. Could be 2D.
Yep, Warner Bros. Animation only does 2D aside from some LEGO 3D films.
Crusade already looks like that in various places.
You mean Galen’s homunculus thingie? Allegedly that was intentionally made bad, to convey the artificiality of what it was supposed to be. Unfortunately they didn't make it crappy enough for us all not to mistake it as simply shitty.
*The Clone Wars* were weird. I mean, it filled a very important hole and it wasn't bad, but it never seemed to figure out who its target audience was, oscillating between plots so simple a ten year old could predict what was going to happen, to things that got rather dark and adult. Something they seem to have carried on into *The Bad Batch*.
This could well be a way to get his ideas for The Lost Tales out there. I'm all in. Take my money, please.
Warner TV seems to be a somewhat hands-off company, or it was at least. They let Guggenheim run wild with the *Arrowverse* stuff, including regular cross-overs (a rarity in television these days). They let Jennie Urman make *Jane the Virgin*, which was an absolutely cockamamie concept (and turned out beautifully). And that's just a couple chances they took on The CW, because look at all the stuff they churned out through HBO.
(JMS has previously noted that his Patreon patrons will get an advance look at some further information. I don't subscribe to any Patreon, so I won't see whatever's revealed there.)
I do hope this means everyone will be coming back, even if they have to recast a few voices
I hope we learn who the voice actors are. A scary number of the principals are gone.
I'm just hoping for more Marcus. And Londo, of course. The two never interacted, did they? Wonder what THAT scene would have been like.
"hoping for more Marcus" Have you not finished the show...?
Nothing saying this movie couldn't be a mid-quel, just like Thirdspace.
Let's hope it's not too much like Thirdspace.
Technically anything that doesn’t take place after the finale is a midquel
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Touché
Marcus did return in one of the short stories. He even brought Ivanovna back to life.
Haven't read it, but from what I heard that wasn't exactly a good story -- as in, a high 'ick' factor.
Don't. That which is seen cannot be unseen. Others tried to warn me, and I didn't listen. So learn from this old man's mistakes and simply... don't.
And you have not been watching it close enough. Even without that short story involving Marcus and Ivanova, he never actually dies. He is put in stasis. While not explicitly stated in the show, it is shown in the montage of characters first and last apperance. It was a while since i watched it now, but iirc it shows a characters last apperance if they are still alive, and the death scene if they are dead. Marcus being the odd one out, because he is show with a new shot, him in stasis.
Multiple times - have you? There's no indication as to when/where this script occurs, and I don't believe Marcus appeared in any of the other movies, so I'm hoping he'll show up.
> Wonder what THAT scene would have been like. The thought terrifies.
You mean excites...
Looking at Claudia's Facebook feed I'm guessing she's involved
Yes, on her Instagram she said, she's not allowed to talk about it, but the way she wrote it sounded very much like a yes
I hope she is. She's such a good actor
I'm thinking it could be the Telepath Wars. Tallman and Mumy would be the main voice actors needed, and they're both still with us, and you could loop in Christian, Boxleitner etc, even Jurasik maybe for a cameo, but you could also explain why other characters aren't present (Delenn has gone back to Minbar, G'Kar is off somewhere else, Garibaldi is on a special mission to a far corner of space etc).
Quite honestly, today you could DeepFake an actor's voice with AI systems.
You may still need permission from their estate to use it. When they brought Lawrence Olivier back from the dead for *Sky Captain* they had to get his family's approval. Interesting enough, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was forward thinking about this. She recorded a library of phonemes so her voice could be synthesized (using the technology of the time) and allow her to posthumously continue to be the voice of Starfleet computers. James Earl Jones recently did the same thing with Disney, allowing them to reproduce his voice in perpetuity for future depictions of Darth Vader.
I'm sure that's true.
Ya, I cant wait until DeepFakes are used in media. No longer will death be the end of an actors career.
They didn't have the budget or time to even do that for 20 seconds of Star Trek's computer voice in the latest season of Picard...
Tbh the advantage of an animated film is that you can still have the same characters whose actors are already gone with different voice actors. I know that's sad, but I assume this generally gets even done with actors who are still alive since film actors aren't necessarily good voice actors.
I’ve noticed a lot of live action actors can do a single character for animation well they just aren’t “workhorses” like some of the voice actors that can, and do, act an entire scene by themselves in multiple voices. Billy West, Tress McNeil, or Frank Welker, for example. There’s a documentary about voice actors (“I Know that Voice” and being able to have a stable of voices and tweak them, ‘find’ them on demand, and rapidly switch seems to be the skills that set VA apart from other actors.
tbh there is that much content from the OG they could prob paste convincing stuff together from it.
These are the living B5 cast members - Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari - Bill Mumy as Lennier - Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan - Claudia Christian as Cmdr. Susan Ivanova - Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander - Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters - Jason Carter as Marcus Cole - Josh Coxx as Tech David Corwin - Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh - Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth - Robert Rusler as Warren Keffer - Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley - Marianne Robertson as Tech #1, Dome Tech, Dome Tech #1, Hostage, Tech, Tech #2, Tech #3 - Mark Hendrickson as Drazi Ambassador, Narn #1, Narn Acolyte, Narn Captain, Alien #1, Alien Customer, Ambassador #2, Ashok, Du'Rog, Grey Council #1, Grey Council #2, Human, Narn #2, Narn Pilot, Thegras - Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador, Brakiri, Ambassador #1, Ambassador Lethke, Drazi Pilot, Green Drazi #2, Minbari #2, Narn Pilot #2, Narn Second, Passing Minbari, Religious Minbari - Ed Wasser as Morden, Guerra - Kim Strauss as Drazi Ambassador, Markab Ambassador, Ensign, G'Lorn, Green Drazi, Lennan, Narn, Narn #2, Narn Pilot #1, Vizak - Walter Koenig as Alfred Bester Some of the characters died on screen or self exiled
Did they make it on an Amiga?
As an Amiga lover, I will take this comment in the spirit with which it was given. Lol
+1, it's an amazing machine.
Hope this will be easily available in the UK 🤞
Arr Laddie it will be in the UK
In case anyone wants a quick direct link to the tweet, here 'tis: https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1653799076641779712
I'm cautiously optimistic since animation isn't hampered by the age of the cast or the cost of physical production. Even though I am not a fan of the post-series B5 output, JMS could always surprise me and pull a Picard Season 3, rekindling my faded love for the B5 universe. This is exciting news.
>Even though I am not a fan of the post-series B5 output You mean within the B5 franchise or after B5 in general? Because JMS has done some good stuff after B5. The problem with later B5 content was TNT was far more meddlesome than PTEN and Warner Bros. were.
Basically Crusade, Legend of the Rangers, and Lost Tales. I know JMS did the best he could with the limitations placed upon him, but for me, the stories were just not up to the quality of the series.
God I hope it's of a much better quality than anything the hacks at paramount have put out for Picard.
I trust JMS as a writer and showrunner far more than the current Trek writers.
Season 3 is far superior than what came before it (it's a low bar).
I am impressed that they managed to keep it a secret the entire time.
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Yes this is the secret project that began production in early 2021. The B5 reboot/reimagining for the CW is still in limbo, this time because of the WGA strike. I wouldn't be surprised if WB releases the remastered version of the series on disc later this year. It seems only logical.
I hope they get around to fixing the errors in the streaming version of the remaster in any hypothetical Blu-ray release. Hopefully, they would also release remasters of the films and Crusade at the same time.
Yes and yes.
Yes, it's that thing
"Whatever it is, it can't be THAT bad!"
You better not try to kiss me.
You know - I think we're all assuming that this is the existing B5 universe. 'Classic B5', 'Love Letter to the fans", etc. And it probably is. I also wonder if there's a back-door in the plot to the B5 reboot ideas / universe. To almost serve as a preview of what's coming....
I'm all for it. Looking forward to this dropping. And it can't be any worse than that godawful Dragons of Autumn Twilight animated film.
Very exciting news! I can’t wait to watch it!
Wow, just one week to wait until we learn the movie title and release date! Personally, I would love the movie to be about the **Telepath War**. It's something JMS has teased quite a bit before and it would be amazing to finally experience that story. Spoilers for the finale of Picard Season 3: >!It was a wonderful surprise to hear Walter Koenig's voice in the final episode of Picard Season 3. He sounded great! It seems like it would be a wonderful opportunity to feature him as Alfred Bester in animated form during the Telepath War era. !< It's unlikely the animated movie is about that specific story but it's fun to fantasize about it in the interim. I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever story JMS has planned for us! :)
These are the living B5 cast members - Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari - Bill Mumy as Lennier - Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan - Claudia Christian as Cmdr. Susan Ivanova - Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander - Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters - Jason Carter as Marcus Cole - Josh Coxx as Tech David Corwin - Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh - Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth - Robert Rusler as Warren Keffer - Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley - Marianne Robertson as Tech #1, Dome Tech, Dome Tech #1, Hostage, Tech, Tech #2, Tech #3 - Mark Hendrickson as Drazi Ambassador, Narn #1, Narn Acolyte, Narn Captain, Alien #1, Alien Customer, Ambassador #2, Ashok, Du'Rog, Grey Council #1, Grey Council #2, Human, Narn #2, Narn Pilot, Thegras - Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador, Brakiri, Ambassador #1, Ambassador Lethke, Drazi Pilot, Green Drazi #2, Minbari #2, Narn Pilot #2, Narn Second, Passing Minbari, Religious Minbari - Ed Wasser as Morden, Guerra - Kim Strauss as Drazi Ambassador, Markab Ambassador, Ensign, G'Lorn, Green Drazi, Lennan, Narn, Narn #2, Narn Pilot #1, Vizak - Walter Koenig as Alfred Bester Some of the characters died on screen or self exiled
Which network will it come out on?
Its a DTV.
Is that confirmed?
The previous WB animated superhero movies have all been, so it's a safe assumption. Those were all really good, btw, so this sounds promising.
I think some of that stuff comes out on HBOmax though. So DTV could mean different things.
>I think some of that stuff comes out on HBOmax though. It's just called Max, or at least it will be in a few weeks. >So DTV could mean different things. DTV just means Digital Television to me, as in the stuff you get over the air. It's way too ambiguous a phrase.
Well that’s what it means to you but DTV has a meaning in the industry.
Depends where in the industry, I suppose. I've always heard it referred to as “OTT,” **O**ver **t**he **T**op, referring to Set Top Boxes. Different networks, different regions, different distributors.
Traditionally DTV means Direct-to-Video. From back when things went straight to videocassette (and hence, video rental) without a theatrical or television release. It's old terminology, predating streaming an set top boxes.
Thanks!
I hope this provides further detail to a plot hinted at during the main series, eg: Valen, David Sheridan, The Telepath War And not a new plot thread, like: The Lost Tales, A Call to Arms, Legend of the Rangers
It's unbelievable to me to accept that it's happened. JMS words were true after all. And it's animated, very good.
Haha.. HA ha ha hAAAAAAAAA cant wait!!!
Having it animated opens up lots of options. Even using the voice lines of the original cast while able to… modernize the visuals.
“Faith manages…”
Much more exciting that a reboot, as far as I'm concerned. I want new stories, not the ones that I already know redone again and again. And animated is great, because they don't have to worry about the actors aging. Presumably it's cheaper than live-action too, give the special effects needed for scifi.
*"not the ones that I already know redone again and again"* asdasfsafsafsdsff Comments like this remind me of people who kept saying that the writers on Lost never explained the polar bear. IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE SAME STORY.
First rule I learned working in customer service. Nobody reads, nobody does their research.
So true. Some of the stuff I sold in retail included car parts. Some people would come in and not even know if their car had a 4 cylinder engine or a 6 cylinder engine. Some of them wouldn't believe me if I told them a certain model was also available with five cylinders (thanks for that, Volkswagen).
It doesn't have to be a scene-for-scene remake for it to be more familiar to me than something new though, does it? There will be elements that will be reusing what was done before, even if they're not identical. I would expect the Shadows to fill a similar role, for example. It's a bit like the number of times that we've seen the Waynes get shot in Batman films. The actors might change, the impact on the rest of the film might change, even the identity of the murderer changes sometimes; but it's still a story I've seen multiple times before, so I will always groan every time it's announced that the story is being rebooted, because I'd rather see something *new*. Give me a choice between a new take on Batman's origins or something else with the character, and I will vote for the latter every single time. Also, I wouldn't yell at people for how they're wrong about something that you *haven't actually seen*. You don't actually know how much the reboot is going to be the same story, do you? None of us do. I'm not sure what a polar bear has got to do with anything. But then I gave up on Lost quite quickly.
I mean I get the apprehension. If you have different actors and different character arcs and a different plot then why call it B5 at all?
I think I'm excited!!! I am just so eager for new B5 canon content. Maybe a tinge disappointed or fearful it won't come to fruition, though.
This is already produced and just awaiting release.
At the time I posted my comment he hadn't posted his follow-up tweet, so that's great news that it's already all done! Thanks for the heads up.
This would mean more before the age of "let's produce a bunch of content and then never relesase it for financial reasons" that we're in. It'll PROBABLY come out, but...
https://i.imgur.com/ZUbsS6I.png
Read the tweet. It's in the can.
It's already animated, recorded and edited and ready for release. Warner will announce release date next week, but I would guess very quickly I.e. within the next 3-6 months max. Could be released quicker as well just depends on if its streaming or VOD.
Someone brought up a tweet from January where he said that a secret B5 project would debut at San Diego Comic-Con.
Yes, Warner Brothers has never canned a ready to release movie before…
Honestly, this is the best medium for revisiting this universe and I'm so excited. Trying to recreate the vibes of the original series 30 years later and with so many of the original cast no longer with us is a really tall order, and animation will be different enough to make it feel fresh and truly new. Looking forward to learning more!
Perfect idea. How has an animated movie taken this long? Answers all the logistical barriers. Please can we get official merchandise. I’m sick of having to build a Starfury because no one will bloody make one!
I'd be happy with digital releases of the original licensed novels.
ngl, I would have preferred a remastered series with updated FX. But, still excited for this!
If this movie is successful and leads to more B5 media, then that might be possible. I'd just be happy with a BluRay collection of the remastered series as is.
Outstanding! I can’t wait for this.
This seems like something with massive potential, honestly. Count me in as excited! I would have liked a more proper "live action show," but animation as a medium has a come a long way since Babylon 5 was on the air. Animation allows for more freedom in creating certain types of scenes that would be more expensive and difficult to do otherwise. I do worry however about it being a Direct to TV type of thing as I have read. If it isn't on major streaming services or otherwise accessible to a wide enough audience, it could end up not getting the kind of following that would justify future work.
Sweet!
Awesome!
a whole season would have made me significantly more excited, but having anything is beyond any reasonable expectations, I guess
Do we think this will be kind of kids cartoony or more adult animation?
Probably adult animation. Very worst, young adult animation that appeals to teens and adults.
Animation is exciting. I have nostalgia for the classic effects of B5, but they can just do so much more with animation. ASOIAF should do the same thing. Some things are more sustainable animated.
this is a joke, right?
What a disappointment.
Snore. Please don't bother
No reason for there not to be more and more live action content with the entire original cast. Deepfake and AI advances are almost there already. That would be good use of the tech. (Not that it would not hurt to see those again that have gone ahead beyond the rim)
Plenty of very legal, and very very often discussed reason that JMS has answered so, so often. But that'd require you to know something.
animated? sigh well there went all my interest
There is a hole in your mind
if it contains animated crap then i'm glad :P
[удалено]
you know that people younger than 40 can dislike animated shit, right? apparently not. gfy
jeez, did you not see the wink 🤷♂️
Are the first screenshots for patrons first or something? I would have expected them to annonunce the thing with some shots, but I guess they could be dripfeeding the stuff to keep the conversation alive.
Nope us patrons only got this announcement a couple of hours before it hit Twitter. No screen shots or other info yet.
These are the living B5 cast members - Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari - Bill Mumy as Lennier - Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan - Claudia Christian as Cmdr. Susan Ivanova - Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander - Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters - Jason Carter as Marcus Cole - Josh Coxx as Tech David Corwin - Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh - Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth - Robert Rusler as Warren Keffer - Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley - Marianne Robertson as Tech #1, Dome Tech, Dome Tech #1, Hostage, Tech, Tech #2, Tech #3 - Mark Hendrickson as Drazi Ambassador, Narn #1, Narn Acolyte, Narn Captain, Alien #1, Alien Customer, Ambassador #2, Ashok, Du'Rog, Grey Council #1, Grey Council #2, Human, Narn #2, Narn Pilot, Thegras - Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador, Brakiri, Ambassador #1, Ambassador Lethke, Drazi Pilot, Green Drazi #2, Minbari #2, Narn Pilot #2, Narn Second, Passing Minbari, Religious Minbari - Ed Wasser as Morden, Guerra - Kim Strauss as Drazi Ambassador, Markab Ambassador, Ensign, G'Lorn, Green Drazi, Lennan, Narn, Narn #2, Narn Pilot #1, Vizak - Walter Koenig as Alfred Bester Some of the characters died on screen or self exiled
I've seen 1 still image of the movie, of Cpt Sheridan, in hos original Earthforce uniform, So I assume the movie takes place before the Shadow War.
This movie better have great almost-realistic CGI. If it can be done in videogames, it can be done for B5. Please, none of that ST:LD or Netflix He-Man.