Stargate Universe to film in February

The new third live-action series in the Stargate franchise is gearing up to begin production.

Stargate Universe will begin principle photography on February 4, 2009, according to a new report at My Entertainment World. The show will film at The Bridge Studios and on location in and around Vancouver, British Columbia.

That’s all the details so far — just the start date for filming. MGM and the SCI FI Channel have not yet announced the title of the pilot, who will direct it, and of course the cast of Stargate Universe remains unknown. Series co-creators Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper are writing the 2-hour premiere episode.

This fall, casting will take place for the series and the pilot episode, and the massive set for the Ancient vessel Destiny will be constructed at Bridge Studios. So far Universe is well ahead of Stargate Atlantis in its pre-production time table; for Atlantis, crew personnel were hurriedly building the main set well into the winter — at the same time that the pilot, “Rising,” was still being written.

Note that the purple chevron shown above is a bit of anticipatory guesswork on our part. Design details, including the look of the Stargate on the Destiny and the galaxies to which the ship will travel, are not yet known.

Stargate Universe is expected to premiere next summer on the SCI FI Channel in the United States. Learn more about the show in GateWorld’s exclusive new Universe Launch Center!

(Thanks to Deus for the tip)