This edition of the Geek News Brief includes stories about a Babylon 5 reboot, a spinoff series of The Boys, and Netflix buying the Oxenfree game developers.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

Babylon 5 reboot in development at The CW from J. Michael Straczynski

A Babylon 5 reboot is in development at The CW with original series creator J. Michael Straczynski onboard to write and executive produce.

The new iteration of the sci-fi series is described as a “from-the-ground-up reboot.”

Straczynski commented about the approach they’re taking with the reboot, saying, “In the years since Babylon 5, I’ve done a ton of other TV shows and movies, adding an equal number of tools to my toolbox, all of which I can bring to bear on one singular question: If I were creating Babylon 5 today, for the first time, know what I now know as a writer, what would it look like? How would it use all the storytelling tools and technological resources available in 2021 that were not on hand then? How can it be used to reflect the world in which we live, and the questions we are asking and confronting every day?”

“So we will not be retelling the same story in the same way. There would be no fun and no surprises. Better to go the way of Westworld or Battlestar Galactica where you take the original elements that are evergreens and put them in a blender with a ton of new, challenging ideas, to create something fresh yet familiar.”

The Boys spinoff series ordered by Amazon

The Boys spinoff is moving forward at Amazon. The streamer has handed a series order for its college-set spinoff from Eric Kripke’s breakout superhero drama. As part of the pickup, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, who previously oversaw Marvel’s Agent Carter, have boarded the untitled series as showrunners.

In the works for more than a year, the untitled series is set at America’s only college exclusively for young-adult superheroes run by Vought International. It’s described as an irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive superheroes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. It’s part college show, part Hunger Games — with all the heart, satire, and raunch of The Boys.

Said Kripke of the show, “Much like Mork & Mindy spun off from Happy Days, which is an insane and true fact, our spinoff will exist in the Vought Cinematic Universe, yet have a tone and style all its own. It’s our take on a college show, with an ensemble of fascinating, complicated, and sometimes deadly Young Supes.”

Netflix buys Oxenfree developer Night School Studio

The team behind hit indie game Oxenfree is joining Netflix, marking the first time the streaming giant has acquired a game developer. Netflix didn’t share many details about what it plans for the Night School team, but at very least it sounds like the studio will continue work on Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, and that its previous games will be available through the streaming platform.

Night School Studio said of the acquisition, “Our explorations in narrative gameplay and Netflix’s track record of supporting diverse storytellers was such a natural pairing. It felt like both teams came to this conclusion instinctively.”

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Rob Logan

Rob is a movie buff, computer whiz, gamer, huge Batman fan, and above all... a geek. In addition to being the Founder and Host of The Geek Generation, he is also a photographer, graphic designer, certified clinical hypnotherapist, a former professional wrestler, and a current superhero.

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