Doctor Who Club of Australia

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Robert Saint John over at the Gallifrey forum posted the following regarding the future of Babylon 5:
"Anyway, here's the news from J. Michael Straczynski (JMS):

"Every 6 months, I get together with WB to discuss what to do something with B5. The DVD sales have raised over 500 million in revenue. Now, I produced B5s 110 episodes at about 90 million dollars. Somehow, B5 is still 50 million in the red. Every time I mention that to WB they say We made a good deal, huh? Anyway, they asked if I wanted to do a feature film but I declined mainly because I can't yet picture structuring a B5 movie as long as [Andreas Katsulas] and [Richard Biggs] insist on staying dead. (haha! - Robert) Maybe in a year or two I'll be able to but right now I can't do something big and those two roles will NOT be recast.

So I thought about it, and I suggested a bunch of short films. Little mini-movies or an anthology show set in the Babylon 5 universe. I pick a character and develop an hour-long story around that character. Stories that I wanted to tell during the B5 series but never had the chance to develop. They said, Okay. I said I wanted complete creative control. Do not change my words that I write, and I want that in writing. They said, Okay. And I want to direct. They said, Okay."

This project was green lit less than two weeks ago. Its going to happen. Production starts in September in Vancouver, Canada. Post-production will occur from October to February with a release of the first three anthologies in the second quarter of 2007. It's called Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. It will be a direct DVD collection of 20 minutes stories set in the B5 universe that will feature the prominent characters.

These stories will expand on the characters that were previously established. The only character he mentioned would not be covered would be G'Kar since he believes no one should ever voice G'Kar except for Andreas Katsulas, who passed away earlier this year.

Warner Bros has greenlit the project and he says production starts this September, hoping for a DVD release in the second quarter of next year."

Dazzler · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:33 am Post subject:

I'm so excited about this news!!! It sounds really good, and I hope JMS can continue to make more stories set in the B5 universe for years to come because Babylon 5 is a really great sci-fi series. I would love to see more on the Crusade series too.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Got this from Phil Eyden at the Gallifrey forum:
"Latest updates for you from JMS. The B5:TLT release has been cut from three tales to two, but these two have been increased in length correspondingly. The third required much more extensive use of CGI and has been put back to a second release if the first sells very well. All the stops are being pulled out to make the CGI up-to-date as opposed to B5 style ten years ago."

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Finally news on who is going to be in it:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds39399.html

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Former SG-1 star Teryl Rothery gets a role in The Lost Tales:
http://www.gateworld.net/news/2006/11/teryl_rothery_cast_in_new_ibabyl.shtml

Also production on the Lost Tales has already begun and JMS in his website said there will be a Garibaldi story which would mean that Jerry Doyle will be reprising his character.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

The first Lost Tale, Voices In The Dark now has a release date (in the US) of July 31:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7211

Question now is when would it be coming to Australia?

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

The trailer for Voices In The Dark is now available:
http://babylon5.warnerbros.com/ then click on Main Menu and then Babylon 5: The Lost Tales above the screen.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

There is now a date on when The Lost Tales will be coming to Australia.

It will be on January 9 2008:
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/796070

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4144

Recently saw The Lost Tales.

Under the umbrella title Voices In the Dark it consists of two seperate stories one for Col. Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) and the other for President John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner).

The stories are not action packed which no doubt would be a disappointment to many B5 fans.

Instead they are thought provoking stories which I think was presented well.

Ultimately I find the two stories about what it is to be a living being as Lochley's tale was about faith and Sheridan's about choice.

It is quite good how the film says goodbye to the late actors who played G'Kar and Stephen Franklin, Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs respectively as well as the memorials on the two included in the special features.

The rest of the special features overall are quite fun with JMS revealing that he wanted to tell the stories with puppets! The most amusing of the special features is the last segment of the Fireside Chats which is about the director (guess who?) Quite funny what JMS had to say about this.