J. Michael Straczynski Movies

Changeling screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski heads up the Forbidden Planet remake for Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures. The 1956 original followed a space expedition's trek to Altair-4, a remote planet where an Earth scientist has progressed his intellect far beyond that of normal human capability with the help of a long-lost race and his helping robot, Robby. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

V for Vendetta director James McTeigue re-teams with that film's producers Larry and Andy Wachowski for this action-packed tale of a skilled assassin who was trained by a mythical secret society, and patiently awaits the day he will avenge the death of his best friend. Swept off the streets as a young boy, Raizo (Korean pop star Rain) is transformed into an unstoppable killing machine by a secret society known as the Ozunu Clan. The Ozunu Clan is so proficient at keeping their existence a secret that most people think they are only a myth, but the moment Ozuno assassins kill Raizo's friend, their days in the shadows are numbered. In the aftermath of that killing, Raizo stages a daring escape, subsequently biding his time until the day he can take the entire Ozunu Clan down.

Later, in Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) discovers a money trail connecting multiple political murders to a mysterious network of elusive assassins from the Far East. While her superior Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles) orders Mika to back down and stop asking questions, she stealthily begins searching through classified agency files on a relentless mission to discover the truth about the murders. Singled out as a target as a direct result of her investigation, Mika is marked for death by lethal Ozunu assassin Takeshi (Rick Yune). Just as Mika is about to be silenced forever, Raizo saves her from certain death. But Raizo knows that Takeshi and the rest of the Ozuno Clan won't stop until he and Mika are both dead. Now, as Raizo and Mika are hunted through the winding streets of Europe, their only hope for survival is to trust one another and stay alive long enough to bring the Ozunu empire crumbling to the ground. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Original Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski returns to the cosmos for this direct-to-video sci-fi adventure that picks up several years after the popular television series left off to follow President John Sheridan, Captain Elizabeth Lochley, and Galen on a whole new series of exciting adventures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The Showtime cable series Jeremiah was set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, 15 years after a mysterious virus had killed off everyone past puberty. The only survivors of the holocaust were teenagers and twentysomethings, with the eponymous Jeremiah (Luke Perry) falling into the latter category. Following fragmentary clues left by his father, Jeremiah navigated the dismal, ravaged countryside in search of the "Valhalla Sector," an idyllic locale which may or may not have held the key to a brighter future. He was joined in his quest by the glib, supremely untrustowrthy Kurdy (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), and, on occasion, by other youthful remnants of the human race, both friendly and antagonistic. Co-executive produced by horror film specialist Joe Dante and Babylon 5 maven J. Michael Straczynski, the weekly, 60-minute Jeremiah was launched with a 100-minute pilot episode on March 30, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this feature-length follow-up to the long-running TV series Murder, She Wrote, homespun mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) leaves her Cabot Cove residence to attend a big-city writer's conference. As generally happens wherever Jessica shows up, a murder takes place; in this instance, the victim is a former KGB agent (Duncan Regehr) who was about to publish his tell-all memoirs. Teaming up with fellow author Warren Pierce (Richard Crenna), Jessica sets about to solve the murder -- much to the dismay of the local constabulary. Allegedly written as far back as 1998 (by Babylon 5 stalwart J. Michael Straczynski), Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For finally arrived on the CBS prime-time manifest on May 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

2267 A.D. The battle is won, the war may be lost. After fending off the fierce attack of Drakh combatants, Earth faces an unseen yet even greater foe - a microbial, biogenetic plague that will destroy all life on the planet in five years if a cure isn't found. Crusade follows the race against time to find that cure - an urgent and hazardous quest that sends an Earthforce expedition across the reaches of space to explore technologies more advanced than Earth's. Leading this high-stakes archeological mission is a starship of the new Interstellar Alliance, the Excalibur, and its crew drawn from the Alliance's elite troubleshooting corps, the Rangers. With 7 billion lives at stake, action and courage against insurmountable odds must prevail in this Crusade.

Perhaps as a byproduct of all his scheming and conniving on earlier episodes, Londo Mollari collapses from a heart attack. As he lies unconscious, his guilt feelings run amok in a surrealistic dream world. Meanwhile, Lennier begins his training as a Ranger, partly out of a sense of obligation, and partly to assuage his dismay over the marriage of Delenn and President Sheridan. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari" first aired on January 28, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Babylon 5 braces for an enemy attack from a band of savage aliens. In the absence of officers, the station is left in the hands of two lowly crewmen, Mac (Raymond O'Connor) and Bo (Lawrence LeJohn). In keeping with the episode's title, the subsequent events are seen from the viewpoint of these two "emergency" staffers. J. Michael Straczynski collaborated on the storyline with Harlan Ellison, which may be why the character of Mac and Bo sound and act so much like the two writers! "A View From the Gallery" first aired on February 11, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bester (Walter Koenig) doggedly pursues a murderous telepath who killed a friend of his. He takes this opportunity to provide valuable on-the-job training to a pair of rookie Psi Cops. Since the focus is on Bester, virtually none of the Babylon 5 regulars appear, with the exceptions of Jeff Conaway (Zack) and Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklyn). Best moment: the Psi Corps training film, a marvelous piece of ersatz propaganda. First broadcast on April 15, 1998, "The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father. . ." was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unbeknownst to President Sheridan, Delenn sends Lennier on mission to the Centauri border. The purpose: to determine where the cargo-vessel attacks are coming from. And Vir reacts strangely upon receiving a political promotion. Keep an eye out for a brief spoof of the McDonald's restaurant chain (Hint: look for the Golden Headbones). Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Meditations on the Abyss" first aired on May 27, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lennier uncovers irrefutable evidence of a Centauri connection with the mysterious attacks on the Alliance cargo ships. A boycott is levied against the Centauri, resulting in a disastrous reprisal. Originally telecast on June 10, 1998. "And All My Dreams Torn Asunder" was written by series producer J. Michael Straczynski, who regarded it as one of the best Babylon 5 episodes of all. By any standards, it is certainly among the most portentious of the series' fifth-season installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First telecast October 28, 1998, "The Fall of Centauri Prime" was the payoff for the earlier Babylon 5 cliffhanger "Movements of Fire and Shadow" --- and also the opening volley in the series' final four-episode story arc. As the Alliance and Centauri Prime wage war upon one another, Londo discovers that the hostilities were instigated by the Drakh, who have killed the Centauri regent and taken control of his homeworld. Forcing Londo to go along with their plans, the Drakh effectively seal the fate of the Centauri populace. Wayne Alexander appears as the Drakh leader. "The Fall of Centauri Prime" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The weekly Babylon 5 series still had three episodes to go when TNT presented the two-hour "spinoff" movie Babylon 5: The River of Souls. Departing a bit from the established fifth-season chronology, the film finds Garibaldi returning to B5 after an 18-month tenure as CEO of Edgars Enterprise. The purpose of Garibaldi's arrival is a conference with archeologist Dr. Robert Bryson (Ian McShane), who claims to be on the verge of discovering the secret of eternal life. Alas, the immortality-granting alien artifact discovered by Bryson actually belongs to the Soul Hunters, who will stop at nothing to retrieve the sacred relic. In a lighter but no less significant development, the owners of a virtual-reality brothel bring legal action against Zack. Martin Sheen costars as the chief Soul Hunter. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, and subsequently novelized by Yvonne Navarro, Babylon 5: River of Souls was first broadcast on November 8, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide