The decision to end Stargate Atlantis and jump to the movie format was made mutually by the SCI FI Channel, MGM, and Stargate Productions in Vancouver, executive producer Brad Wright told GateWorld today. Rather than canceling the show because of under-performance, the Powers That Be decided to go out on top while Atlantis is still popular enough to support the release of DVD movies.

“Once we realized that with the prospect of another series going forward … and SG-1 movies going forward, this was the right way for the partnership between MGM and us and SCI FI to go forward,” Wright said in an exclusive interview. “If they weren’t in complete agreement on where to go next, if it wasn’t a joint decision, there wouldn’t be a movie deal already in place.”

“The show was doing well. But you don’t wait until the show isn’t doing well before you try to launch movies. If you are going to go do movies when the show has still got life left in it, that’s a good time!”

Assuming that the cable network will eventually pick up Stargate Universe as a television series, Wright said that the franchise will be stronger than ever with four “brand” legs to stand on: Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis in the movie format, Universe on television, and the upcoming video game Stargate Worlds reaching into yet another medium.

Stargate Worlds is just one of the ways the franchise will expand in the future.

“And that’s good for the franchise,” he said. “Riding one horse until it’s tired is not going to make it evolve into movies.

“And you know, SG-1 owes Atlantis a debt in that sense. It helped revive the franchise for SG-1. And I think that’s how it’s going to proceed between Atlantis, SG-1, and Universe. And the game! That’s going to help, too.”

But is it too soon for the third series? Could Stargate be teetering on the edge of brand exhaustion? Despite the naysayers, Wright believes that the Stargate franchise is stronger than it has ever been as it heads toward 2009.

“It will wear out when we stop making good shows that people want to see,” he said. “And as long as we are putting our hearts and our effort into making the upcoming series and upcoming movie as good as they can be — and as long as we still feel they’re vital — I think it’s going to keep going strong.”

Stargate Atlantis airs every Friday at 10 p.m. (9 Central) on the SCI FI Channel in the United States. Listen to GateWorld’s complete interview with Brad Wright now!