Babylon 5 Creator Gives a Promising Update on the Reboot
The road home keeps going.
The last best hope for peace in the galaxy is now poised to be the next big sci-fi TV reboot. Twenty-six years after Babylon 5 aired its final episode, a reboot could be close to finally happening. In 2021, fans were stunned to learn that the CW was working with original B5 creator J. Michael Straczynski on a new version of his groundbreaking series. Much has happened in the world of TV since then, leading some fans to worry about the future of this “from-the-ground-up reboot.” And in 2023, the animated Babylon 5 movie — The Road Home — seemed to set up a backdoor pilot for an animated series set in a slightly different B5 timeline.
But the live-action B5 reboot is very much alive and well. Here’s the update from the creator of Babylon 5 himself.
Inverse recently had an in-depth conversation with Straczynski about his work managing the literary estate of legendary writer Harlan Ellison. Straczynski edited Greatest Hits, just released by Union Square & Co. to showcase the best speculative stories from Ellison’s explosive career. The interview also touched on Babylon 5, and when asked if and when the live-action reboot would still happen, Straczynski said this:
“It’s just been a matter of time and obstacles. We were going to go with the CW originally, then Warner got it back. Then, we were going to take it out to the market, but then the Discovery purchase happened and that put us on ice for a while. Then, okay, that got all cleared up. And then the strike hits. After that, right as they were literally prepared to send it out the door, the rumor about a merger between Warner and Paramount happened. So, finally, it went out to buyers about two weeks ago. We’re waiting on word from those who have been sent the pilot script. One has said no, but the rest are all still in process. There’s interest from the rest of them. So, we will see where it goes.”
This means a Babylon 5 reboot could end up almost anywhere. Straczynski couldn’t mention who’d passed on the project, but it seems like the CW won’t be where it happens. But considering the long-running fandom of Babylon 5 — and Straczynski’s reputation as a writer of comic books and TV shows like Sense8 — hopes are high that the little space station that could will return soon.
