Well, jms was true to his word about an April announcement. This was posted on jms’ facebook page this morning. Whoo hoo!
J. Michael Straczynski Appropos of today: I know many have been waiting for the announcement of the Big News promised for April.
In terms of planning, I never really sat down and mapped it out this time. I knew I wanted to write it, and was open to whatever form that took.
On the one hand, there’s something to be said about going with new characters. On the other hand, why invent new characters? I haven’t finished using all of the old ones yet.
A film like this is something I think should be done only once, and with a damned good story, or I risk taking advantage of the fans. I have always applied a single rule, that if I can’t get better at something, then I shouldn’t be doing it, I fell short of that in Lost Tales, so I have mixed feelings about having this done right this time.
What it all comes down to is, yes there will be a B5 movie. Will it include new people? Yes. Will it include old people? Definitely. I’m doing this because I’d like to explore this Universe one last time and pull out all the stops (WB okayed a reasonable budget) to show off B5 to a new audience and to others who missed it along the way. The search is on now for a director and the hope is to get this in front of the camera late summer or fall of 2011.
There will be more to come about it. That’s the funny thing, you just keep doing what you’re doing and then one day you look back over your shoulder and it’s like, oh crap, I just got fooled, how the hell did that happen on April 1?
The following was just a joke, jms never really posted any of this. Happy April Fools Day
Thanks for the post. I wonder what his actual announcement will be. By the way, Locus Online and ComicMix have some good news stories for today.
Ugh! I hate April’s Fools Day even more so in the informaiton age.
I know!
Gary emailed that out this morning, and since it was the first thing I’d read while my synapses were still ramping up to speed, he got me.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh you got me! Boooooo!
I kinda figured this would be an April Fool’s Day joke before I even clicked on the link.
The problem is, Gary, is if this was jms’s real announcement, we’d all be happy! What you wrote describes exactly what we want – a movie with old & new characters. Sounds good to me!
Perhaps a better version might have been: B5 rebooted as a kids’ TV series, including a cute furry teddy-bear like alien that throws wisecracks at the command staff. Oh and a robot!
I meant to say /animated/ kids’ TV show.
Och!
As it was no where near April 1 when I read this it didnt even enter my mind that it could be one of Garys… little pranks.
Me thinks its time to engage the Thenta Makur.
Narn Bat Squad time.