Fans of Babylon 5, rejoice! A possible reboot of the classic science fiction series is alive, although stuck in limbo thanks to all the merger talk between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, according to creator J. Michael Stracyznski.
Stracyznski took to X (formerly Twitter) last week to confirm that Warner Bros., the studio behind Babylon 5, is still “waiting for the potential Warners/Paramount mini-merger to figure itself out, so WB is waiting until the dust settles before going to streamers.” Comicbook.com first found the tweet.
The “mini-merger” refers to the reported discussions that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Paramount CEO Bob Bakish had about a possible combination, which would’ve included a merger of their respective streaming services, Max and Paramount+. Chatter about a possible combination have cooled, even as Skydance Media, which produces films like the Mission Impossible franchise, and Allen Media Group both made their own offers for Paramount.
Stracyznski only referenced media reports about the merger talk, and doesn’t claim to have any inside knowledge of those talks. He later went back on X to deny the idea that the reboot had been outright canceled, saying the rumors were “patently false.” He also noted that after last year’s Hollywood strikes, the studios and networks are still figuring out things like budgets and genres they want to be in. He added he expects movement by “late March.”
It’s been an epic journey for Stracyznski to revive his passion project for modern audiences, with a Babylon 5 reboot slated to run on The CW before Nexstar’s acquisition of the network scuttled the plans, with the broadcast giant opting for more general audience fare like more sports programming. Now, it looks like more M&A drama has complicated things further.
An additional roadblock came in the form of last year’s Hollywood strikes, which put everything on hold for months as actors and writers tussled with the studios. In August, Bablyon 5 continued its story in animated form with the release of Babylon 5: The Road Home, suggesting some new life had returned to the franchise.
Babylon 5 centered on the eponymous space station that was the focal point of an epic battle between light and dark forces across the galaxy, and dealt with everything from alien diplomacy to Earthbound conspiracies. The core series spanned 110 episodes over five seasons and included several made-for-television films, and boasts a hardcore fanbase.