Babylon 5: In the Beginning

Babylon 5: In The Beginning
TNT promotional poster for Babylon 5: In The Beginning
Genre	Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi
Created by	J. Michael Straczynski
Written by	J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by	Michael Vejar
Starring	Bruce Boxleitner Mira Furlan Richard Biggs Andreas Katsulas Peter Jurasik Reiner Schöne Michael O'Hare
Theme music composer	Christopher Franke
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Executive producer(s)	Douglas Netter J. Michael Straczynski
Producer(s)	John Copeland Susan Norkin (associate producer)
Cinematography	John C. Flinn III
Editor(s)	Skip Robinson
Running time	94 minutes
Production company(s)	Babylonian Productions
Distributor	TNT
Release
Original network	TNT
Original release	January 4, 1998

Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998) is a science fiction television movie set in the Babylon 5 fictional universe. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Michael Vejar.

The film originally aired January 4, 1998 on the TNT cable network, a couple of weeks before season five of the series began. It focused mainly on characters part of the established Babylon 5 cast, but it did include the notable guest star Reiner Schöne (playing Minbari leader Dukhat).

In the Beginning tells the story of an important event in the history of the Babylon 5 universe. Ten years before the television series Babylon 5 is set, Earth becomes involved in a deadly conflict with the just-discovered Minbari race. This war nearly leads to the extermination of the human race, but it is mysteriously halted at the last moment by the Minbari leadership for reasons that would remain secret for over a decade. This near-destruction of the human race led to the Earth Alliance creating the Babylon space stations as a means of preventing further wars.

During the first four years of the Babylon 5 TV series, numerous hints about and glimpses of the Earth–Minbari War were offered. When the program moved to the TNT cable network for its fifth season, a set of television movies were ordered to promote it, and Straczynski chose to use the first of these to tell the story of the war he had so often alluded to in previous episodes.

The movie opens with a view of Centauri Prime in flames. A man is seen looking out of the window of the Royal Palace looking at the destruction. Two children, Luc and Lyssa, are seen playing in the royal throne room and looking out of the window watching numerous buildings go up in flames. Their governess finds them and tells them that it's the Emperor's window and that only he can look out of it. The Emperor hears them and tells them to come in front of him. It is then revealed that the Emperor is an aged Londo Mollari. Mollari allows Luc to be Emperor of the Centauri Republic for five minutes, during which time he may give any order he wishes. Luc asks for a story of great battles and heroes and villains. Lyssa wants to hear a true story. Mollari decides to give them both what they want and tell them the story of the Earth–Minbari War that happened 35 years ago while he was ambassador to Earth.