Contents: Overview - Backplot - Questions - Analysis - Notes - JMS

Overview

The Ranger fleet attempts to restore order to the civilizations devastated by the Shadow War. Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar.

Production number: ???
Original air date: January 2, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

• Official site

• Production start date: May 14

• The SciFi Channel's press release:

  Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski is working on a two-hour telefilm called Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers that will premiere on SCI FI later this year. The film will take up the story of the legendary Ranger fleet as it attempts to restore order to hundreds of civilizations devastated by the Shadow War.

  This new chapter of the Babylon 5 story finds the mysterious Ranger force--a combination of humans and alien Minbari trained in space warfare as well as the unique alien philosophy of the Rangers and just about every conceivable form of martial arts--faced with deadly challenges in its attempt to create peace out of the war's destruction.

  Babylon 5 cast members may appear in the movie, which will also serve as the pilot for a potential SCI FI Channel series. Douglas Netter is executive producing the series along with Straczynski.

• The air date was announced on July 10, 2001 at a press conference. SCI FI announced that they'll wait to see how well the movie does before deciding on a series.

jms speaks

• Well, that's at least ONE weight off my chest....

  To those who've heard the news already, and those just now finding out...the SciFi Channel today announced that we have a new Babylon 5 TV movie going into production that will also serve as a pilot for a likely new series.

  The movie (and the series) is under the heading of BABYLON 5: THE LEGEND OF THE RANGERS. The specific title for the 2-hour movie's story is "To Live and Die in Starlight."

  There isn't much I can tell you about the story because we're kinda keeping the details under wraps as much as possible for the time being. What little I can say....

  It's set in the B5 universe just under 3 years after the events of "Objects at Rest." At this point there's one major character from the B5 universe in the script (a fan favorite). Where B5 was a heavy drama with some adventure/action elements, this one is a little more skewed toward adventure with underlying drama (which is about what you'd expect from the Anla-Shok).

  We've been sitting on this information for a while now...such that we're already well into pre-production. We'll be shooting this movie around mid-May, well in advance of any potential actor's strike (the script is done and so far everybody likes it a LOT).

  We've already got designs coming in on a new ship, and a new *kind* of ship...and we're going to be getting more into Minbari aesthetics, technologies and philosophy.

  It's got some great characters, and it's a lot of fun.

  I have other news to announce on other fronts...have since the end of the year, in fact...but I'm still sitting on the details awaiting another press release from another studio. What I *can* say is that I have a firm GO order to executive produce a new series (nominally SF) that will go into production after the potential SAG strike. When that's finally over, if the strike indeed happens, we pull the trigger and go into principal photography and it's an order for a full season's worth of episodes.

  I can't give you any details right now on the subject, title, studio or network. That will have to await the studio's release...so don't even ask.

  As far as doing both projects at the same time is concerned...it's actually quite common, as testified to by folks like John Wells and Aaron Sorkin and David Kelly and others. So there won't be any conflict.

Last update: July 19, 2001