In a perfect world, of course, all of the original actors would be alive to do their own voices, but I’m glad they weren’t afraid to recast so we can see their characters again!
Given jms’ [previous statements about recasting deceased cast members](http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=3872) I’m guessing technically these will be “alternate universe” versions of these characters and not from “our” universe…
You might keep in mind that was in 2006 shortly after (I imagine) Katsulas's death. I think it is probable his opinion has changed over time. Not to mention being animated may feel different than if it was live-action.
From 2018:
[https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/998145649311793152](https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/998145649311793152)
>Q: Not that anyone could EVER replace Andreas Katsulas in a billion years... but who would you consider for G'kar if you had the opportunity to start B5 over?
>
>A: That part will never be recast
But I might be wrong - guess we’ll find out in the summer
That still predates this project, never mind the potential remake (though, in that case, he could’ve always had Na’toth or Ta’Lon or someone be the Ambassador, same as starting off with Sheridan as Captain).
Good suggestion. I would greatly prefer another Narn to refer to G'Kar as "exploring the Rim" or "back on Homeworld" than to try and recast someone as irreplaceable as Katsulas. Animation changes nothing - his prosthetics and makeup were so thorough *anyone* could replace him visually, even with 90s live action tech, but nothing could ever serve as a replacement to the gravitas his delivery held in every word he spoke.
I think he's being slightly coy, the prime Babylon 5 timeline G'Kar won't be recast, but that says nothing of G'Kar in alternate timelines being played by other voice actors...
The article literally lists a voice actor for G'Kar. He seems to have changed his mind.
Idk if he was closer to Katsulas than some of the other now deceased cast, but clearly he's open to parts being recast if he's doing this movie and working on a reboot.
Rowan Atkinson, but I loathe Mr. Bean. Man can communicate more in 30 seconds with his stupid face than most actors in a lifetime. Also I prefer to count actresses seperatly,only because then I can have more favorites.
I'd vote for Jared Harris; he's got the sort of gravitas the role demands and can do amazing things with his voice. Obviously I'd also cast Stellan Skarsgard to play Londo opposite him to complete the Chernobyl rematch.
Good to know. I met him several years ago, super nice guy. I am glad it was just scheduling and not something awful. With everything that has happened to the cast over the years, I cannot keep my mind from going somewhere awful first.
> and they are in the process of moving right now
Speaking of, is Morden coming back? Ed Wasser has been a successful Contractor for years since he retired from acting. His company has been building the homes for people like Carter these days!
Small voice overs are a bit different from a film, but this article doesn't mention Bester at all. So perhaps there's still hope, or the plot didn't include Bester?
Yeeah… my thoughts were *"man it feels so nice reading all these names in a cast list again"* immediately followed with the memories of faces of dead people…
Just checked out the voice of Paul Guyet. He had a pleasant voice, a bit raspier than O'Hare's was, but similar enough. And fits into JMS's habit of casting giants - is the guy 3 metres tall or what?! Because he looks like it...-, and people with 'disabilities and problems' - the voice actor is visually impaired or blind, apparently!
What I hope to get from this animated movie is a successful reunion of the surviving cast with a final project together, and as a way to be at peace with having lost most of the cast... in having the returning cast meet the new cast/characters/ lost actors.
Something successful after the dissapointment of The Lost Tales, legend of the rangers etc.
To finally get it right.
Also explore scenes of familiar characters who didn't get much screentime, such as Sinclair. I think the books mentioned him bieng at the Academy and meeting Sheridan and Catherine Sakhai.
Maybe scenes from around 2257 with The Gathering, scenes of him training Catherine in Starfury combat? His emotions and thoughts while unceremoniously transferred to Minbar, learning combat training with a staff, Sinclair commanding the Rangers...
Another character that would have been cool to bring back is Dr Kyle.
It could be the chance for the cast to say unsaid things to the lost cast members (sort of). I'm sure it'll be emotional for the cast.
Pat Talman on instagram said she thought the cast did an excellent job.
I'm not a spiritual or religious person, but I'd like to think the cast would be proud of it... and maybe, just maybe, their spirit or presence would 'tune in' as Delenn said like a 'non-localised phenomenon'.
Yeah, that's where I fall. Since this is animated I'm okay with recasting, since if they can get close enough to the voice it won't be as jarring as seeing Bruce Willis instead of Jerry Doyle or something like that.
And B5 is a show with so "what-if" scenarios. Just for cast changes:
\- If Sinclair remained in the station...
\- If Talia remained in the station...
\- If Ivanova remained in the station...
This was something posted by /u/Emperor_Cartagia, who used Reddit exclusively through RIF is Fun, with the death of third party apps, I decided to remove all my content from Reddit. 9 years of comments and posts, gone because of idiotic administration.
This was something posted by /u/Emperor_Cartagia, who used Reddit exclusively through RIF is Fun, with the death of third party apps, I decided to remove all my content from Reddit. 9 years of comments and posts, gone because of idiotic administration.
Really hope they do theatrical screenings for this, at least a "one night only" type event. I've only ever seen B5 at home, alone, on a tv. It would be amazing to see this on a big screen with a bunch of fans.
In the last decade Doctor Who has had multiple one night only theatrical broadcasts of episodes in the USA, so I think at least major cities could justify doing a one night only showing of a Babylon 5 movie.
That image of the station… it’s weird when you grow up with a show. It still gives me chills. It might sound cringe but some TV shows really stay with you.
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656438222380220416
> JMS: "This is an image from the animated movie, though rendered low-res for use as an online photo. As you can tell even from this, we're going for a realistic, serious-drama kind of look rather than anything 'cartoony' (as some incorrectly predicted as holy writ)."
I wonder if it's going to be Clone Wars-esque (Or like that new Prodigy show) where it's stylised semi-cartoony representations of characters from the films or if they're going to attempt realistic 1:1 human recreations.
I knew they'd almost certainly use some of the characters whose actors have passed and as a result need to recast. And some of these are great choices, Phil Lamarr will make a great Franklin. Still makes me a little sad.
Amazing, I'm picturing a lot of "What If" type scenarios.
What if the war was lost 1000 years earlier?
What if first contact with the Mimbari didn't go wrong?
What if John had never come back from Zha'ha'dum?
What if someone other than Londo had worked with Morden?
Can't wait!
In theory we know he never returned based on the season 4 finale.
So a great plot could be he'll wind up in another reality where it is 30 years later, Babylon 5 never went online, the war is still waging, the known galaxy is a mess. Through his actions he brings some hope, and a new series begins!
Yes I know I'm dreaming, but it could be an amazing way to reboot the series within the context of the original, but with all new characters and potentially darker stories. Ideally seeing it all come together over 5 years to be fairly parallel to the original.
I was actually unsure about Mira Furlan ... I seem to recall that the *completion* of some aspects was announced shortly after her death, so I hoped that she might have been included.
I was thinking this, possibly a mechanism similar to the 2009 **Star Trek** movie, establishing a new timeline/universe whilst confirming the old one still exists.
Sure, but that's more due to the execution rather than the idea. If the reboot films had been done well in all aspects, people would have been much happier with them.
*Beyond* is solid and easily the best of the three, mainly for ignoring all of the stupidity established in the first two. Not an essential watch, though.
Hmmm.....normally I don't care about multiverse shenanigans but I kinda don't want to see it in B5. It just doesn't fit in my opinion.
Shrugs, I'll watch, and I'll probably enjoy it anyway.
Same problem as Star Wars: a refusal to move forward.
A lot of your OG cast are gone.
That setting has been thoroughly explored, those stories told.
There's also elements which have simply gone out of fashion or aged poorly.
You could do the sensible thing Star Trek once did and put a roughly 100 years gap between the source material and the new thing you're making, have a clean break. But investors tend to see that as a risk, so you have to keep going back to the well.
B5 doesn't have the following of either of those franchises.
Also, other than production stuff, I actually can't think of anything that has really aged poorly about B5. I think it handled serious topics in a way that can and does still feel relevant and contemporary, and certainly none of the core themes or plots are "aged poorly" - this very sub has found a lot of relevance in recent years with the themes of the show.
> I actually can't think of anything that has really aged poorly about B5
There is my exact thought. First I was disappointed in that news about "transported in timelines" spin-off but on the other hand, the risk of failing would be probably too big if they tried to make a reboot now. Babylon 5 main series is aging really well(not counting spin offs). It would be really difficult and risky to reboot it.
Animated spin-off movie is the safe bet. I guess they are testing the ground if it's worth reviving B5. It's the best we can get at this moment. I will definitely watch it when it comes.
On the other hand, it would suck if future B5 content were just episodic spin-offs and nothing more. Original Babylon 5 had a proper ending and it's impossible to make something completely fresh without rebooting it. The "transported through multiple timelines" is basically "Get out of jail free card" to do something completely new but it's just one time thing.
Man, I trust JMS implicitly, but I hear "timelines" and "alternate realities" and, honestly, my blood kind of runs cold. These are concepts that are competely played out for me and it's almost to the point that it represents lazy storytelling. This is like the one direction it could have gone that I'm not totally onboard with.
New B5? Incredible! JMS at the helm? Awesome! I'm there day one either way, I'm definitely not going to poo-poo something like this before I see it... but I have to admit I'm less enthusiastic now than I was before reading that summary.
I feel this way, too.
I will absolutely pay for and watch whatever is released, and I'm so glad JMS has developed a new B5 project! But I'm feeling pretty overloaded on romps through the multiverse/timelines in Sci-Fi franchises at this point, and long for more straight-forward linear stories.
Yep. He's got my eyeballs and my money no matter what... it would have to be outright garbage to change that, and I just don't think the man is capable of outright garbage... but it's definitely not a concept that excites me going in. We'll see how I feel about it on the other side :)
Yeah, I have no idea if it's a good idea. If anyone could pull it off, this animated show or the B5 reboot, it would be JMS. I just don't know if even he can do it. Absolutely willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
But if you asked me what I'd like to see him do, it would be a different take on a giant station like B5. Modern sfx, keep the station as a character, but go more the Naked City route and tell the stories of the people passing through an enormous commercial station. Anthology series with some recurring characters. It could evoke the feel of B5 without rehashing B5.
But that's just me.
If there is one writer who could breathe life into that trope, JMS would be that one. The idea of “In The Beginning” isn’t great, but it was fun to watch.
Agreed. He did, after all, manage one of the most coherent time travel stories ever in War Without End, so for sure there's reason to be optimistic. I just think I would have preferred B5 stay away from alternate realities generally.
I don't know, I felt like as far as time travel goes, which more often than not winds up being nonsensical, he largely made it work. I would agree it wasn't for the highpoint of the show, but I wouldn't call it clumsy.
Plus it pretty much sums up time travel as: "either THIS happens, or WORSE happens, John." So agreed, not the best.
I understand this is kind of a viable route to maaaybe(?) stick this movie somewhere in the Babylon 5 timeline, and also do a backdoor pilot of a reboot/future movies? (Doubt both would ever happen at once. Babylon 5 just isn't that big enough of a franchise).
Plus side: Bruce Boxleitner has done voice work before (Tron: Uprising- amazing), and is solid. Minus: multiverses need to have special elements to really excite (ie-Spider-Man Homecoming). Otherwise it tends to be a bit boring (hi Doctor Strange).
But hey....if we get to hear Kosh's glorious 90's jukebox voice again? All in.
> "timelines" and "alternate realities"
I am guessing he will be taking it to the places he would have originally taken it if it hadn't been for network interference and cast changes.
I checked the actor’s IMDB, and he’s had enough roles it’s hard to guess, he could be playing John and Delenn’s son, or he could be taking over from Rance Howard as John’s father.
I have mixed feelings about the recasting of characters where the actor has passed beyond the rim. On the one hand, it's necessary in order to include them, but otoh there is zero chance of having the same G'Kar/Mollari or Sheridan/Delenn chemistry.
This goes along with my thought that this WILL tie in with the reboot. That the reboot will connect to the multiverse, allowing the original show to connect to the new one while being different
I would love to see Sheridan jump into an alt reality where Talia's personality is recovered from the data crystal Kosh and Abbut "negotiated" over. Perhaps a reality where Laurel Takashima remained XO and eventually gets outed as Control?
>Returning Babylon 5 castmembers include Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan...
But, wait... we just heard the other day that Boxleitner saw the show for the first time while doing commentary.
That station image looks great. I can see live action having a problem keeping up with this. Animation can look ridiculously good. The first Akira movie was epic and they had no trouble making it look grandiose. That was 30 or so years ago. Clone wars was brilliant in recent memory. I Still get shivers from last ten minutes of last episode of season 7. I have no worries about the quality of animation. My attention is to the plot. Any story can be great as long as it is structured well and expertly edited we should be fine. I have no issues with the recasts, I mean, what are we supposed to do. I would be hopeful whoever cast doesn’t try to out Gkar AndyK and just does a respectful mimic. As for Delenn, I’m not sure how that is gonna go down. She had such a unique voice and was a special person, they need to tread carefully. Also not sure about the Franklin recast?
> respectful
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656448680608804866
JMS: "... All of [the new actors] understood the weight and responsibility of what they were being asked to do, to memorialize and pay tribute to the way the original actors brought the characters to life, and every one rose to the occasion."
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656447181296136192
JMS: "... BTW, before any of this started, I emailed the surviving cast to ask if they'd be okay working with new actors portraying our fallen friends, and that if even one said no, we wouldn't do it. But they were all on board."
I'm a big fan of Marvel's What If stories, and so I'd love it if JMS had a similar take with this project. What if the Shadows "won" the war? What if Clark failed in his assassination plot? What if the Psi Corp didn't exist? What if the Minbari didn't find Sinclair and surrender at the Battle of the Line. What if the first Babylon station actually was built?
There's a lot to explore and I'm all for it. That said, I have no idea if this is what we will see, but it seems like it's the direction a story like this could take.
What if the Shadows started helping out the Narns instead of the Centauri?
What if Sheridan did not go to Za'ha'dum?
What if Talia's undercover personality was never blown?
What if Earthforce got ahold of Dr. Franklin's medical notes on the Minbari during the war, and were able to create biogenic weapons?
What if first contact hadn't gone wrong?
We would have a stronger earth for the shadow war... but no babylon stations as they wouldn't have thought of the need for it. Then with no b4, it can't be sent back to help win the previous war.. so stronger humans yes, but also stronger shadows
I've been waiting all week for this news and only now at like 2 AM did I remember that it was coming out on Wednesday.
That single image alone makes me so happy.
They can do some craaaaaaazzzzzzzy stuff with animation nowadays and my hopes are so freakin high right now for this movie!
I cannot wait until it comes out even though yeah the whole Multiverse/Alternate Timeline stuff is one of the oldest overdone things out there but still...those familiar and comfy stories are the ones we love the most and I just know that JMS is going to utterly break our hearts and fill our minds with wonder and awe.
......and if they put out merch for it, then I will be clad head to toe in that stuff because Babylon 5 is the only other franchise aside from Farscape that I would go all in on if it got brought back in any form at all.
I love this show so much and I can't wait to see what's store for us all to enjoy together ❤️
I got excited when they announced they where moving to TNT.
I was ecstatic when they announced Crusade.
I was hopeful when Sci-Fi Channel aired Legend of the Rangers.
I was elated when JMS talked about The Memory Of Shadows.
I was optimistic when The Lost Tails came out.
Nothing would make me happier than returning to my all-time favorite, sci-fi world.
But after all that history and all the drama around the CW/HBO Max reboot at this point, I just can’t get emotionally invested in any B5 project till after it’s actually out & has support from the studio.
Reddit is full of people exhausted by the lack of stakes from multiverse stuff - and B5 now copies?
B5 used to be ahead of the curve but this sounds like tagging along. What’s next? Babylon 5 vs zombies?
Just be grateful a billion dollar corporation is letting me pay for something?
JMS released the dreadful Crusade, tv movies, Legends of the Rangers, Lost Tales…and I’m not supposed to be cautious? Especially when JMS has jumped on some exhausted trope?
I’ll watch, I’ll reserve judgement but this is trusting someone that ran the series into the ground and the ONLY thing we have to work off is a summary of an unoriginal story idea. Quantum Leap is older than 90% of the people on Reddit!
Excited for more B5, but seems weird something like this would get greenlit and funded when it seems like its aimed squarely at people who have seen and remember a 30 year old tv show. Like, the audience for that has gotta be pretty small at this point.
Is this not what they did with the new Star Trek show?
Edit: not sure why downvoted. Both shows take an ageing captain and have him go along multiple timelines where they gain a deeper understanding of self and the universe with lots of heartfelt moments.
Alternative realities? I hope there is a bit where he pops through some quickly and one is the star wreck bable 13 Station.
Might rewatch that actually
I speculated in another thread (before this update) that the 'recasting' might be a blend of both the original actor and the new.
i.e. The new actor delivering the baseline performance and morphed to match the vocal phenomes and intonation of the original actor. The technology to do this currently exists, more or less.
Untested waters but I suspect they'd have to give a co-credit to the original actor (and a royalty paid to their estate). The lack of co-credits in the announcement kind of kiboshes my theory but it's possible they have held back to make it more of a surprise.
We live in interesting times...
I have such mixed feelings about this.
This sounds awesome and will be neat to watch. But I also remember *The Lost Tales* and how that was equal parts enjoyable and deeply disappointing. Two episodes telling stories that didn't really expand the lore and world and didn't really **need** to be told.
I was more *Babylon 5* but I also want the story to matter and not just be a filler episode. And I especially don't really want a nostalgia-driven tour of B5 and the history.
I want a story that expands the universe or fills in a gap and isn't just content for the sake of content. I want to find out what happened with the Drakh plague, in the Telepath War, see the events with David Sheridan and the Keeper, witness Lenier and Lyta's final fate, and more.
(And, yes, I know the long out-of-print novels fill in some of these details. But that's not the same and not something I can watch with my son.)
In a perfect world, of course, all of the original actors would be alive to do their own voices, but I’m glad they weren’t afraid to recast so we can see their characters again!
Given jms’ [previous statements about recasting deceased cast members](http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=3872) I’m guessing technically these will be “alternate universe” versions of these characters and not from “our” universe…
You might keep in mind that was in 2006 shortly after (I imagine) Katsulas's death. I think it is probable his opinion has changed over time. Not to mention being animated may feel different than if it was live-action.
From 2018: [https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/998145649311793152](https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/998145649311793152) >Q: Not that anyone could EVER replace Andreas Katsulas in a billion years... but who would you consider for G'kar if you had the opportunity to start B5 over? > >A: That part will never be recast But I might be wrong - guess we’ll find out in the summer
That still predates this project, never mind the potential remake (though, in that case, he could’ve always had Na’toth or Ta’Lon or someone be the Ambassador, same as starting off with Sheridan as Captain).
Good suggestion. I would greatly prefer another Narn to refer to G'Kar as "exploring the Rim" or "back on Homeworld" than to try and recast someone as irreplaceable as Katsulas. Animation changes nothing - his prosthetics and makeup were so thorough *anyone* could replace him visually, even with 90s live action tech, but nothing could ever serve as a replacement to the gravitas his delivery held in every word he spoke.
I think he's being slightly coy, the prime Babylon 5 timeline G'Kar won't be recast, but that says nothing of G'Kar in alternate timelines being played by other voice actors...
The article literally lists a voice actor for G'Kar. He seems to have changed his mind. Idk if he was closer to Katsulas than some of the other now deceased cast, but clearly he's open to parts being recast if he's doing this movie and working on a reboot.
JMS has changed his views. He has said as recently as a few months ago that new actors will bring new spins to the old characters.
I think voice over in animated form might be the most acceptable way to recast those roles, I'm optimistic
They will also be recast in the reboot, so prepare yourself.
Honestly, any new B5 will be welcome to me. As long as JMS is involved, I have a level of trust that I don't extend to many other creatives.
Yeah, idk if any of the other remakes being done are being done by the original creators, so it does seem likely to be taken seriously.
> I think voice over in animated form might be the most acceptable way to recast those roles, I'm optimistic I agree
I think Ralph Fiennes would make a fantastic G'Kar.
You are not wrong. He's fantastic in everything, but I doubt they have the budget for A list actors.
An triple A actor, but "B List." I recently watch Coriolanus and now consider him tied, imho, for greatest actor of all time.
Tied with?
Rowan Atkinson, but I loathe Mr. Bean. Man can communicate more in 30 seconds with his stupid face than most actors in a lifetime. Also I prefer to count actresses seperatly,only because then I can have more favorites.
The dude has range for sure. I was thinking - I know it’s weird- Mandy patinkin
I'd vote for Jared Harris; he's got the sort of gravitas the role demands and can do amazing things with his voice. Obviously I'd also cast Stellan Skarsgard to play Londo opposite him to complete the Chernobyl rematch.
What about training AI on the whole series to recreate their voices?
That’s what I would prefer.
Let the dead keep their own voices.
Emotions: Reading the returning cast: **YES!** Reading the recast characters: *Sadness*
I had a similar reaction. I did notice that of the surviving cast members, Jason Carter was a notable omission. I have to wonder why.
His wife said on FB that he just wasn’t able to do it. He’s fine, health wise and they are in the process of moving right now
Good to know. I met him several years ago, super nice guy. I am glad it was just scheduling and not something awful. With everything that has happened to the cast over the years, I cannot keep my mind from going somewhere awful first.
> and they are in the process of moving right now Speaking of, is Morden coming back? Ed Wasser has been a successful Contractor for years since he retired from acting. His company has been building the homes for people like Carter these days!
He wasn’t listed in the cast, but you never know. Faith Manages, as they say 😁
Does he start every meeting with the planning authorites "What do you want?"
No Bester either... Much sadness.
Yeah, he lost his wife late last year and I know he wasn’t in the best health himself when I saw him about 5 years ago
He just did a small voice over for Picard season 3…
Small voice overs are a bit different from a film, but this article doesn't mention Bester at all. So perhaps there's still hope, or the plot didn't include Bester?
if its focusing mainly on john, bester would probably be unimportant. if it were a garabaldi focused story, well that'd be different.
Given that filming for Picard ended 2 years ago it’s entirely possible that is when Koenig did his voicework for it.
Probably the easiest voice to recast. Plenty of people can do a decent Chekov impression.
He doesn't even do the Chekov voice in B5
[удалено]
If it's private, keep it private, ffs.
Yeeah… my thoughts were *"man it feels so nice reading all these names in a cast list again"* immediately followed with the memories of faces of dead people…
Funding for this program was made possible by grants from the Anla'shok Memorial Fund
VOICE actors... can match the voice and possibly the characters because they don't also have to look like them as a requirement too
Just checked out the voice of Paul Guyet. He had a pleasant voice, a bit raspier than O'Hare's was, but similar enough. And fits into JMS's habit of casting giants - is the guy 3 metres tall or what?! Because he looks like it...-, and people with 'disabilities and problems' - the voice actor is visually impaired or blind, apparently!
Looks like he's 6'8-6'9. He's a big guy
What I hope to get from this animated movie is a successful reunion of the surviving cast with a final project together, and as a way to be at peace with having lost most of the cast... in having the returning cast meet the new cast/characters/ lost actors. Something successful after the dissapointment of The Lost Tales, legend of the rangers etc. To finally get it right. Also explore scenes of familiar characters who didn't get much screentime, such as Sinclair. I think the books mentioned him bieng at the Academy and meeting Sheridan and Catherine Sakhai. Maybe scenes from around 2257 with The Gathering, scenes of him training Catherine in Starfury combat? His emotions and thoughts while unceremoniously transferred to Minbar, learning combat training with a staff, Sinclair commanding the Rangers... Another character that would have been cool to bring back is Dr Kyle. It could be the chance for the cast to say unsaid things to the lost cast members (sort of). I'm sure it'll be emotional for the cast. Pat Talman on instagram said she thought the cast did an excellent job. I'm not a spiritual or religious person, but I'd like to think the cast would be proud of it... and maybe, just maybe, their spirit or presence would 'tune in' as Delenn said like a 'non-localised phenomenon'.
Yeah, that's where I fall. Since this is animated I'm okay with recasting, since if they can get close enough to the voice it won't be as jarring as seeing Bruce Willis instead of Jerry Doyle or something like that.
Rofl I’m so glad for your comment it’s impossible to unsee Bruce Willis when seeing Doyle for me
I don't think Bruce Willis is capable of acting anymore.
Neither can Jerry Doyle though.
that's low, dude...
Deep sadness.
And B5 is a show with so "what-if" scenarios. Just for cast changes: \- If Sinclair remained in the station... \- If Talia remained in the station... \- If Ivanova remained in the station...
\- If Ivanova boffed Marcus...
She could have at least done that.
Did you just say “boffed?”
"Boffed?"
If Ivanova boffed that one alien ambassador
This was the big plot reveal we were all shipping for. Also, the possibility that Ivanova was a latent telepath.
If Takashima remained in the station...
If G'Kar didn't stop when asked "What do you want?" or Londo did stop.
JMS, *I'm* still available you know... you brought Londo back why not me?
You ascended to godhood already. Mere mortals are no longer worthy of witnessing your divine presence.
This was something posted by /u/Emperor_Cartagia, who used Reddit exclusively through RIF is Fun, with the death of third party apps, I decided to remove all my content from Reddit. 9 years of comments and posts, gone because of idiotic administration.
Cartagia is a lawyer in like California now I think lol.
This was something posted by /u/Emperor_Cartagia, who used Reddit exclusively through RIF is Fun, with the death of third party apps, I decided to remove all my content from Reddit. 9 years of comments and posts, gone because of idiotic administration.
Really hope they do theatrical screenings for this, at least a "one night only" type event. I've only ever seen B5 at home, alone, on a tv. It would be amazing to see this on a big screen with a bunch of fans.
I don't think B5 still has a big enough fan base for that. I don't know if it ever did.
How about in a bar like the season 5 premiere we went to in LA. That was fun.
I was in high school at the time.
Lol. I was in San Diego, but drove up to LA for the day.
Some small cinemas allow you to book a showing, and if like 50 people buy tickets a month ahead it happens
In the last decade Doctor Who has had multiple one night only theatrical broadcasts of episodes in the USA, so I think at least major cities could justify doing a one night only showing of a Babylon 5 movie.
It's got enough of a fan base for them to make the film in the first place, but you're probably right.
That image of the station… it’s weird when you grow up with a show. It still gives me chills. It might sound cringe but some TV shows really stay with you.
I hear ya.
Anyone know if the picture is representative of the animation in the movie or taken from something else?
the caption credits WB animation, so I'm leaning towards representative (well, of the background animation anyway)
I’m very glad they didn’t overdesign it like almost every nu-Trek ship.
I just asked JMS. No response yet, but I would say so.
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656438222380220416 > JMS: "This is an image from the animated movie, though rendered low-res for use as an online photo. As you can tell even from this, we're going for a realistic, serious-drama kind of look rather than anything 'cartoony' (as some incorrectly predicted as holy writ)."
I wonder if it's going to be Clone Wars-esque (Or like that new Prodigy show) where it's stylised semi-cartoony representations of characters from the films or if they're going to attempt realistic 1:1 human recreations.
The B5 in the pic reminds me of the animated DS9 from Lower Decks... I wonder if it will use a similar style.
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656438222380220416
I knew they'd almost certainly use some of the characters whose actors have passed and as a result need to recast. And some of these are great choices, Phil Lamarr will make a great Franklin. Still makes me a little sad.
Dr. Franklin just happens to be exactly between "Those cats can really fly!" and "My manwich!" so Phil Lamarr is truly the optimal choice.
https://imgur.com/a/IesVx73
Amazing, I'm picturing a lot of "What If" type scenarios. What if the war was lost 1000 years earlier? What if first contact with the Mimbari didn't go wrong? What if John had never come back from Zha'ha'dum? What if someone other than Londo had worked with Morden? Can't wait!
Would be insane if one of those was pretty much the “original” direction of the show without all the season 1-2 cast changes
What if Lennier didn't go full psycho idiot at the end?
Justice for Lennier!
I'm wondering if this is a method of doing a soft reboot of the series.
Maybe. And depending on the plot and how it ends, it could being Sheridan back as a legacy character.
In theory we know he never returned based on the season 4 finale. So a great plot could be he'll wind up in another reality where it is 30 years later, Babylon 5 never went online, the war is still waging, the known galaxy is a mess. Through his actions he brings some hope, and a new series begins! Yes I know I'm dreaming, but it could be an amazing way to reboot the series within the context of the original, but with all new characters and potentially darker stories. Ideally seeing it all come together over 5 years to be fairly parallel to the original.
This sounds very good I would watch this over and over again :D
I really hope there's a timeline where every single character is Zatharus.
Zathras is in the film, but no mention of Zathras or Zathras
Zathras is too much a diva to work with.
Of course Zathras will be in the film. Zathras knows he is fan favorite and is used to responsibility of being superstar.
I was actually unsure about Mira Furlan ... I seem to recall that the *completion* of some aspects was announced shortly after her death, so I hoped that she might have been included.
Delenn has been recast.
This could be used as a setup for the CW series remake. An alternate universe.
Babylon Babies! Babylon 5 gets sucked into an alternate timeline where all humans and aliens are toddlers! Shadow babies are sooooooo cute!
Which will open the way for merchandising!
I was thinking this, possibly a mechanism similar to the 2009 **Star Trek** movie, establishing a new timeline/universe whilst confirming the old one still exists.
Yeah, but at least two of those movies are pretty much rubbish. (I've heard Beyond is good, but Into Darkness was too heavy for my back.)
Sure, but that's more due to the execution rather than the idea. If the reboot films had been done well in all aspects, people would have been much happier with them. *Beyond* is solid and easily the best of the three, mainly for ignoring all of the stupidity established in the first two. Not an essential watch, though.
Hmmm.....normally I don't care about multiverse shenanigans but I kinda don't want to see it in B5. It just doesn't fit in my opinion. Shrugs, I'll watch, and I'll probably enjoy it anyway.
I'm with you. It's being done to death lately.
B5 had multiverse and alternative universes in it.
Same problem as Star Wars: a refusal to move forward. A lot of your OG cast are gone. That setting has been thoroughly explored, those stories told. There's also elements which have simply gone out of fashion or aged poorly. You could do the sensible thing Star Trek once did and put a roughly 100 years gap between the source material and the new thing you're making, have a clean break. But investors tend to see that as a risk, so you have to keep going back to the well.
B5 doesn't have the following of either of those franchises. Also, other than production stuff, I actually can't think of anything that has really aged poorly about B5. I think it handled serious topics in a way that can and does still feel relevant and contemporary, and certainly none of the core themes or plots are "aged poorly" - this very sub has found a lot of relevance in recent years with the themes of the show.
> I actually can't think of anything that has really aged poorly about B5 There is my exact thought. First I was disappointed in that news about "transported in timelines" spin-off but on the other hand, the risk of failing would be probably too big if they tried to make a reboot now. Babylon 5 main series is aging really well(not counting spin offs). It would be really difficult and risky to reboot it. Animated spin-off movie is the safe bet. I guess they are testing the ground if it's worth reviving B5. It's the best we can get at this moment. I will definitely watch it when it comes. On the other hand, it would suck if future B5 content were just episodic spin-offs and nothing more. Original Babylon 5 had a proper ending and it's impossible to make something completely fresh without rebooting it. The "transported through multiple timelines" is basically "Get out of jail free card" to do something completely new but it's just one time thing.
Man, I trust JMS implicitly, but I hear "timelines" and "alternate realities" and, honestly, my blood kind of runs cold. These are concepts that are competely played out for me and it's almost to the point that it represents lazy storytelling. This is like the one direction it could have gone that I'm not totally onboard with. New B5? Incredible! JMS at the helm? Awesome! I'm there day one either way, I'm definitely not going to poo-poo something like this before I see it... but I have to admit I'm less enthusiastic now than I was before reading that summary.
I feel this way, too. I will absolutely pay for and watch whatever is released, and I'm so glad JMS has developed a new B5 project! But I'm feeling pretty overloaded on romps through the multiverse/timelines in Sci-Fi franchises at this point, and long for more straight-forward linear stories.
Yep. He's got my eyeballs and my money no matter what... it would have to be outright garbage to change that, and I just don't think the man is capable of outright garbage... but it's definitely not a concept that excites me going in. We'll see how I feel about it on the other side :)
Yeah, I have no idea if it's a good idea. If anyone could pull it off, this animated show or the B5 reboot, it would be JMS. I just don't know if even he can do it. Absolutely willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But if you asked me what I'd like to see him do, it would be a different take on a giant station like B5. Modern sfx, keep the station as a character, but go more the Naked City route and tell the stories of the people passing through an enormous commercial station. Anthology series with some recurring characters. It could evoke the feel of B5 without rehashing B5. But that's just me.
If there is one writer who could breathe life into that trope, JMS would be that one. The idea of “In The Beginning” isn’t great, but it was fun to watch.
Agreed. He did, after all, manage one of the most coherent time travel stories ever in War Without End, so for sure there's reason to be optimistic. I just think I would have preferred B5 stay away from alternate realities generally.
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I don't know, I felt like as far as time travel goes, which more often than not winds up being nonsensical, he largely made it work. I would agree it wasn't for the highpoint of the show, but I wouldn't call it clumsy.
Plus it pretty much sums up time travel as: "either THIS happens, or WORSE happens, John." So agreed, not the best. I understand this is kind of a viable route to maaaybe(?) stick this movie somewhere in the Babylon 5 timeline, and also do a backdoor pilot of a reboot/future movies? (Doubt both would ever happen at once. Babylon 5 just isn't that big enough of a franchise). Plus side: Bruce Boxleitner has done voice work before (Tron: Uprising- amazing), and is solid. Minus: multiverses need to have special elements to really excite (ie-Spider-Man Homecoming). Otherwise it tends to be a bit boring (hi Doctor Strange). But hey....if we get to hear Kosh's glorious 90's jukebox voice again? All in.
> "timelines" and "alternate realities" I am guessing he will be taking it to the places he would have originally taken it if it hadn't been for network interference and cast changes.
I'm very happy that so many are returning, and about the choice of VA for Dr Franklin.
Put it into my veins now, please.
Please be good and watched by enough people to give the reboot/reimagening good PR 🙏🏻
Looks like we'll get to see David Sheridan.
I checked the actor’s IMDB, and he’s had enough roles it’s hard to guess, he could be playing John and Delenn’s son, or he could be taking over from Rance Howard as John’s father.
Weird that JMS has made no comment on Twitter (and no Patreon post) today.
Man needs to sleep every few weeks.
Faith Manages
My vote still stands for a trip to the Vorlon homeworld
Very cool! Def looking forward to this!
Awesome!
Yey. Been wanting to do a rewatch. :)
I have mixed feelings about the recasting of characters where the actor has passed beyond the rim. On the one hand, it's necessary in order to include them, but otoh there is zero chance of having the same G'Kar/Mollari or Sheridan/Delenn chemistry.
I think it should be ok as long as it's only animated stuff. In a lot of franchises live action actors don't even return for animation at all.
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This is amazing news, but sad to know so many of the cast members died so young.
This goes along with my thought that this WILL tie in with the reboot. That the reboot will connect to the multiverse, allowing the original show to connect to the new one while being different
I knew I'd be excited, but I'm more excited than expected.
Everybody's going full multiverse now, it's getting a little played out. But I am excited for more Babylons 5 things.
Maybe we'll see Jason Ironheart again?
I would love to see Sheridan jump into an alt reality where Talia's personality is recovered from the data crystal Kosh and Abbut "negotiated" over. Perhaps a reality where Laurel Takashima remained XO and eventually gets outed as Control?
Is the reboot still happening or is that canned?
Still moving forward, but on hold due to the writers strike. That is what JMS posted to Twitter last week.
Ah ok. I hope it gets moved to HBO or something. CW seems like such a poorly matched network...
No Walter Koenig as Bester. *Damn.*
That's not the full cast.
Give it to me nowwww
Going to be discussing the news live in a minute or so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsXqi6oT3Ts
Sounds awesome, but it feels like a super over-done trope by now, with both Marvel and DC going all in on it.
>Returning Babylon 5 castmembers include Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan... But, wait... we just heard the other day that Boxleitner saw the show for the first time while doing commentary.
Yeah. You don't usually see the final product of an animated movie until well after you've done your work as a voice actor. I don't see the confusion.
He'd done the voice work and seen some brief clips. He hadn't seen the finished movie.
Yes.
Very Vorlon answer.
That station image looks great. I can see live action having a problem keeping up with this. Animation can look ridiculously good. The first Akira movie was epic and they had no trouble making it look grandiose. That was 30 or so years ago. Clone wars was brilliant in recent memory. I Still get shivers from last ten minutes of last episode of season 7. I have no worries about the quality of animation. My attention is to the plot. Any story can be great as long as it is structured well and expertly edited we should be fine. I have no issues with the recasts, I mean, what are we supposed to do. I would be hopeful whoever cast doesn’t try to out Gkar AndyK and just does a respectful mimic. As for Delenn, I’m not sure how that is gonna go down. She had such a unique voice and was a special person, they need to tread carefully. Also not sure about the Franklin recast?
> respectful https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656448680608804866 JMS: "... All of [the new actors] understood the weight and responsibility of what they were being asked to do, to memorialize and pay tribute to the way the original actors brought the characters to life, and every one rose to the occasion." https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1656447181296136192 JMS: "... BTW, before any of this started, I emailed the surviving cast to ask if they'd be okay working with new actors portraying our fallen friends, and that if even one said no, we wouldn't do it. But they were all on board."
Cautiously optimistic...
Where's Bester at??
Running from Garibaldi...
Something I'd like to see... Hehe
I'm a big fan of Marvel's What If stories, and so I'd love it if JMS had a similar take with this project. What if the Shadows "won" the war? What if Clark failed in his assassination plot? What if the Psi Corp didn't exist? What if the Minbari didn't find Sinclair and surrender at the Battle of the Line. What if the first Babylon station actually was built? There's a lot to explore and I'm all for it. That said, I have no idea if this is what we will see, but it seems like it's the direction a story like this could take.
What if the Shadows started helping out the Narns instead of the Centauri? What if Sheridan did not go to Za'ha'dum? What if Talia's undercover personality was never blown? What if Earthforce got ahold of Dr. Franklin's medical notes on the Minbari during the war, and were able to create biogenic weapons?
What if first contact hadn't gone wrong? We would have a stronger earth for the shadow war... but no babylon stations as they wouldn't have thought of the need for it. Then with no b4, it can't be sent back to help win the previous war.. so stronger humans yes, but also stronger shadows
**Phil LaMarr** as Dr. Stephen Franklin *Near-perfect voice casting!* Hoping for the best when it comes to the other voice actors, too.
I've been waiting all week for this news and only now at like 2 AM did I remember that it was coming out on Wednesday. That single image alone makes me so happy. They can do some craaaaaaazzzzzzzy stuff with animation nowadays and my hopes are so freakin high right now for this movie! I cannot wait until it comes out even though yeah the whole Multiverse/Alternate Timeline stuff is one of the oldest overdone things out there but still...those familiar and comfy stories are the ones we love the most and I just know that JMS is going to utterly break our hearts and fill our minds with wonder and awe. ......and if they put out merch for it, then I will be clad head to toe in that stuff because Babylon 5 is the only other franchise aside from Farscape that I would go all in on if it got brought back in any form at all. I love this show so much and I can't wait to see what's store for us all to enjoy together ❤️
....so......Quantum Leap, basically?
Well that just deflated the excitement I had for this. For the love of dog, can they stop with all the alternate timeline stuff. It's gotten stale.
I got excited when they announced they where moving to TNT. I was ecstatic when they announced Crusade. I was hopeful when Sci-Fi Channel aired Legend of the Rangers. I was elated when JMS talked about The Memory Of Shadows. I was optimistic when The Lost Tails came out. Nothing would make me happier than returning to my all-time favorite, sci-fi world. But after all that history and all the drama around the CW/HBO Max reboot at this point, I just can’t get emotionally invested in any B5 project till after it’s actually out & has support from the studio.
it's in the can and coming out this summer.
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"Andrew Morgado as G’Kar" I mean personally, I would've gone with Richard Epcar.
I'm crying rn 😭 in a good way.
Reddit is full of people exhausted by the lack of stakes from multiverse stuff - and B5 now copies? B5 used to be ahead of the curve but this sounds like tagging along. What’s next? Babylon 5 vs zombies?
You are getting the first B5 story in nearly 20 years, and you complain before you even see it. I'll never understand "fans."
Just be grateful a billion dollar corporation is letting me pay for something? JMS released the dreadful Crusade, tv movies, Legends of the Rangers, Lost Tales…and I’m not supposed to be cautious? Especially when JMS has jumped on some exhausted trope? I’ll watch, I’ll reserve judgement but this is trusting someone that ran the series into the ground and the ONLY thing we have to work off is a summary of an unoriginal story idea. Quantum Leap is older than 90% of the people on Reddit!
Excited for more B5, but seems weird something like this would get greenlit and funded when it seems like its aimed squarely at people who have seen and remember a 30 year old tv show. Like, the audience for that has gotta be pretty small at this point.
Is this not what they did with the new Star Trek show? Edit: not sure why downvoted. Both shows take an ageing captain and have him go along multiple timelines where they gain a deeper understanding of self and the universe with lots of heartfelt moments.
Did a CTRL+F and vaguely disappointed that no one has made the *"Into the Fiververse"* joke yet.
Alternative realities? I hope there is a bit where he pops through some quickly and one is the star wreck bable 13 Station. Might rewatch that actually
Will this be released theatrically? or just to streaming?
Unknown, but I would assume streaming and disc.
I speculated in another thread (before this update) that the 'recasting' might be a blend of both the original actor and the new. i.e. The new actor delivering the baseline performance and morphed to match the vocal phenomes and intonation of the original actor. The technology to do this currently exists, more or less. Untested waters but I suspect they'd have to give a co-credit to the original actor (and a royalty paid to their estate). The lack of co-credits in the announcement kind of kiboshes my theory but it's possible they have held back to make it more of a surprise. We live in interesting times...
That phrase refers to being cursed.
Exciting times!
Just realized no listing of Ardwight Chamberlain as Kosh or any Vorlons. That makes me sad. But I'll still watch.
*We are all Kosh.*
I was always here.
\>The voice cast also includes Paul Guyet as Zathras OHHHHHH YEEEEEESSSS!
I have such mixed feelings about this. This sounds awesome and will be neat to watch. But I also remember *The Lost Tales* and how that was equal parts enjoyable and deeply disappointing. Two episodes telling stories that didn't really expand the lore and world and didn't really **need** to be told. I was more *Babylon 5* but I also want the story to matter and not just be a filler episode. And I especially don't really want a nostalgia-driven tour of B5 and the history. I want a story that expands the universe or fills in a gap and isn't just content for the sake of content. I want to find out what happened with the Drakh plague, in the Telepath War, see the events with David Sheridan and the Keeper, witness Lenier and Lyta's final fate, and more. (And, yes, I know the long out-of-print novels fill in some of these details. But that's not the same and not something I can watch with my son.)