At long last, The CW is headed to the final frontier… er, wait, that’s another series, huh? Alright, alright… but The CW is bulking up their space content by reviving cult-classic 90s series Babylon 5. Oh, and for those of you already a bit skeptical hearing about the iconic space-opera’s resurrection, we have even better news: they’re doing so with original series creator J. Michael Straczynski.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The CW, Warner Bros., and the Hugo award-winning Straczynski are teaming up for a “from-the-ground-up reboot” of the original show. While no cast members or timeline has been attached to the project as of yet, we do already have a lengthy description of the new Babylon 5‘s plot that is sure to delight former fans:
“The new take revolves around John Sheridan (originally played by Bruce Boxleitner), an Earthforce officer with a mysterious background, who is assigned to Babylon 5, a five-mile-long space station in neutral space, a port of call for travelers, smugglers, corporate explorers and alien diplomats at a time of uneasy peace and the constant threat of war. His arrival triggers a destiny beyond anything he could have imagined, as an exploratory Earth company accidentally triggers a conflict with a civilization a million years ahead of us, putting Sheridan and the rest of the B5 crew in the line of fire as the last, best hope for the survival of the human race.”
While The CW and Straczynski might seem an odd pairing to tackle this ambitious project, its also worth noting The CW has continuously been pushing to expand their channel and acquire new IPs. In addition, Straczynski does have some experience writing shows for a younger demographic, most notably Netflix’s Sense8, meaning this could very well be a match made in heaven.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, if the project does go forward “it would provide another key franchise revival for The CW and Warners at a time when well-known IP has become increasingly important as networks and streamers alike look to break through a cluttered landscape,” making this a pretty big opportunity for all parties involved. Here’s hoping we hear even more about the reboot early on next year.
