It’s always a sad day when fans’ reboot hopes are crushed, especially when it’s for a show that has had rumors circulating for years that it might be making a reappearance. But, unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened when the creator of a beloved cult-classic sci-fi show came out and laid all rumors to rest with a decisive and resounding “no.”
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Babylon 5 was a genuine space opera, centering around the lives of those who work and live aboard the 5-mile-long space station known as Babylon 5. The show features heaps of personal drama that plays out juxtaposed against tense politics and the looming war between intergalactic enemies, the Centauri and the Narn. The show ended back in 1998, but rumors have floated around since then that there was a reboot of various sorts in the works.
It’s Disappointing News For Fans, But There Might Be Hope For The Future
The creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski, has spoken out, cutting through those rumors with facts: there is no planned reboot for the show, with or without his involvement. When asked to clarify that plans for a new show were moving forward without him, Straczynski said simply, “100% untrue. Strictly clickbait.” In another series of tweets, he went on to clarify and elaborate on his position when asked by a fan if there was any chance of a reboot. “The short answer is no, at least not in this form. The problem we ran into was threefold: first, it’s rare when network A picks up a show from another network unless it’s been a big hit or it has major talent attached to it. That wasn’t the case here it was just a script. Second, the well-documented paralysis that would grip Hollywood for the next several years was already starting to make itself known, and buying was slowing down across the board. Third, that the project came from the CW was a liability with streamers who felt that a show that could air on the CW wouldn’t work for them. But the studio believed in the project and felt it was important to try anyway.”
It’s disappointing news for fans, but Straczynski is just as disappointed as any, but he remains hopeful for Babylon 5’s future—whatever that might look like. “The TV business is slowly starting to pull itself out of the malaise that’s gripped it for the last five years, and there are a lot of deck chairs being moved around on a lot of boats, and you don’t want to sell something to an exec who gets replaced in a sale because the new order will kill –that project at once to put their own stamp on it. So there’s merit in waiting. That said, do I think that the B5 universe will continue in one fashion or another, sooner or later, maybe sooner? Yes, I do. And when that should happen, I will break the news to the fans honestly and straightforwardly, just as I have for the last 30 years.”
What would you like to see out of a Babylon 5 reboot? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
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