Babylon 5: The Lost Tales
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Babylon 5: The Lost Tales[1] | |
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Directed by | J. Michael Straczynski |
Written by | J. Michael Straczynski |
Produced by | Sara (Samm) Barnes |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Karl Herrmann |
Edited by | Stein Myhrstad |
Music by | Warner Home Video |
Release date |
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Running time | 72 minutes (two 36 minute episodes) |
Countries | US, Canada |
Budget | US$2,000,000[2] |
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales was intended to be an
Production
The project consists of one direct-to-DVD production containing two stories.[3] On July 13, 2008, Straczynski announced he had no plans to further develop the series.[4] Each story is built around a single established character.[5] The production uses cast members from the original television show.[5] The show is shot in high-definition video with digital HD cameras.[6] The visual effects are handled by Atmosphere Visual Effects, who previously worked on other science fiction shows such as the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Atlantis.[7] The music is composed by Christopher Franke, who also did the music for the original Babylon 5 series.[6]
The show was shot in
Concept
Straczynski is a fan of
Straczynski has stated that
While the show was envisioned as an anthology, Straczynski stated that he would like to have thematic links in episodes on each disk:
Ideally, I'd like to rotate through the whole cast, preferably in a thematic fashion. One episode would concern itself with issues of command, and thus feature
Virand someone else; and we'd mix it up a bit.
In addition to having connections on the thematic level, the first two episodes for Voices in the Dark have stronger connections in the form of intersecting key plot and thematic points, and are intended to overlap and complement each other while telling separate but simultaneous stories.[15]
Voices in the Dark
Voices in the Dark is the title of the first Lost Tales DVD that was published.[9] On July 24, 2006, Straczynski stated they were looking at a first DVD containing three half-hour episodes, with the project and its budgets greenlit.[16] This was later brought back to two stories, both lengthened to make up for the one lost story.[17] These would add up to around 75–90 minutes in total of story material. He also stated that there will be additional material, adding up to a two-hour DVD.[18] Straczynski wrote, produced, and directed them.[3] The DVD was released on July 31, 2007 in the US and on September 3, 2007 in the United Kingdom.[19]
Straczynski had started writing the first of the Lost Tales scripts by August 26, 2006. He stated that the exact nature of the stories is dependent on who exactly can be signed on, since original cast members are being used.
The initial production schedule given at Comic Con for the first DVD was to start shooting in September 2006, do post-production in the fourth quarter of 2006, and release them in the second quarter of 2007.[3] Due to certain members of crew and others not being available, this schedule got pushed back, first to October, and then to November. Production began on November 13, 2006.[9] The DVD had been fully delivered to the studio by 2007-04-15.[20]
Straczynski's role as director of this initial batch of two episodes comes after only having directed the Babylon 5 series finale "
While the look of Babylon 5 is rethought for Voices in the Dark, there are things in the feel of the show that are to be the same, like the silhouettes and designs.
Plot outline
Babylon 5 TV seasons and films 1993–2023 |
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In order of series chronology: |
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* The framing story is set in 2278. |
Voices in the Dark is set in 2271. It features two linked plotlines viewed separately one after the other but covering the same 72-hour timespan.
Voices in the Dark: Over Here
The first part called Voices in the Dark: Over Here features
Voices in the Dark: Over There
The second part, Voices in the Dark: Over There, follows ISA President
Cast
- Bruce Boxleitner as President John Sheridan
- Elizabeth Lochley
- Galen
- Alan Scarfe as Father Cassidy
- Bruce Ramsay as Simon Burke
- Teryl Rothery as ISN reporter Ms. Chambers
- Keegan Macintosh as Prince Vintari
- Craig Veroni as Guard
Extras
The Voices in the Dark DVD contains a certain number of extras, including behind-the-scenes pieces. There also was supposed to be "a number of original short pieces" to be shot in February 2007.
During the production of Voices in the Dark a series of behind-the-scenes
A mini-comic was included with the DVD when purchased at
Future installments
Straczynski initially stated that predicated on the success of Voices in the Dark a second installment could be released in early 2008 "at the earliest".[27] Peter Jurasik had stated that he was contacted by Straczynski to reprise his role as Londo Mollari for a set of alien-centric stories after the initial batch centered on humans. He stated that he said yes to him: "if you [Straczynski] wrote it, I'd do it".[28] The second installment was also set to include a story centered on the character Michael Garibaldi, initially planned for the first installment.[17] In September 2007, Straczynski stated that his preferences for a possible second disc were to definitely tell a Garibaldi-centric story, and probably a Londo-centric one.[29]
One of the big events in the Babylon 5 universe that The Lost Tales was set to explore eventually was the
Any future installments were on hold due to the
On July 13, 2008, Straczynski revealed that he had no plans to continue The Lost Tales. He said that although the studio was interested in another disc, they wanted to budget the next installment similarly to the first. Citing his disappointment with the first release due to the low budget, Straczynski said he did not want to dilute Babylon 5's legacy with further sub-par stories. He stated that he would only return to the Babylon 5 universe if Warner Bros. wanted to do a large-budgeted cinema release.[4]
Notes
- OCLC 124074396. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- ^ a b "Re: JMS at emerlad city comic con". 2008-05-11.
- ^ a b c Schroeder, Jan (2006-08-08). "JMSNews news page". JMSNews, The J. Michael Straczynski Message Archive. Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ a b J. Michael Straczynski (2008-07-13). "from jms: update". Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ a b J. Michael Straczynski (2006-07-24). "Re: JMS's Spotlight at SDCC". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ a b c J. Michael Straczynski (2006-10-03). "B5:TLT update from jms". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
- ^ "Atmosphere Visual Effects Joins Mission to Bring "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales" Direct to Video" (Press release). DMN Newswire. 2007-01-25. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
- ^ "Xbox LIVE Movie and TV Roster Grows as Multiple New Partners Bring Premium Content to the Online Games and Entertainment Network" (Press release). WebWire. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ a b c "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales To Begin Production November 13, 2006". Warner Home Video. 2006-11-13. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (December 20, 1996). "Re: An Open Letter to JMS". Usenet (Google Groups).
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (June 28, 1996). "Re: If you had one question to ask JMS, what would it be?". Usenet (Google Groups).
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (September 29, 1997). "Re: ATTN JMS: Question regarding a 6th season". Usenet (Google Groups).
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (2005-02-25). "from jms re: tmos". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
- ^ a b J. Michael Straczynski (2006-07-22). "Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski". San Diego Comic-Con 2006. JMSNews. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- ^ a b c J. Michael Straczynski (2006-12-01). "J. Michael Straczynski - B5:TLT Pre-Production". Babylon5scripts.com. Retrieved 2007-01-05.[dead link]
- ^ a b J. Michael Straczynski (2006-08-26). "update from jms". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ a b c d J. Michael Straczynski (2006-10-26). "Further B5:TLT update from jms". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (2006-07-26). "Re: So what is it 3*20 min? or is there more". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ "The sci-fi hit returns when warner home video releases Babylon5: The Lost Tales, an original made-for-video movie on July 31, 2007!" (Press release). TV Shows on DVD. 2007-04-24. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (2007-04-15). "update from jms 4/15/07". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (2006-08-22). "JMS: Why direct B5:TLT?". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
- ^ Renee Dunlop (2007-03-08). "Babylon 5: Lost Tales Part One Production Focus". CGsociety.org. Archived from the original on 25 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- San Diego Comic Con: IGN. Archived from the originalon 2007-10-19.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (2006-12-13). "Re: JMS: The time has come..." rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
- ^ P.J.Mungiole (2006-12-13). "NYCC: THE JMS PANEL". comiccon.com Pulse. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (2007-03-11). "Re: ATTN JMS Questions". rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated. JMSNews. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- ^ a b Warmoth, Brian (2007-02-23). "[NYCC] STRACZYNSKI ON STRACZYNSKI". wizarduniverse.com. Wizard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2007-02-26.
- ^ "Show #39". babylonpodcast.com (Podcast). 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2006-01-06.
- ^ "J. Michael Straczynski Wants Garibaldi and Londo in Next Babylon 5 The Lost Tales DVD". Starburst Magazine. trekweb.com. 2007-09-09. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16.
- ^ Tantimedh, Adi (2007-02-23). "NYCC, DAY 1: JMS SPOTLIGHT". Comic Book Resources.
- ^ "Re: JMS: Fugiting Tempus". 2007-12-08.
External links
- Official Babylon 5 Website contains TLT section, including trailer and behind the scenes diaries
- Babylon 5: The Lost Tales at IMDb
- B5:TLT Pre-Production - Babylon5scripts.com Contains personal set photos and update letters by J. Michael Straczynski
- "Voices in the Dark" at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5