After three successful television series spanning 14 years and 17 produced seasons, MGM is taking Stargate back to its roots.
The studio announced today that it will produce a new Stargate feature film trilogy, along with partner Warner Bros. (which will handle distribution duties). Heading up the films will be original writer-producer Dean Devlin and director Roland Emmerich, who brought the concept to life with 1994’s Stargate.
Devlin will produce the new films, with Emmerich on board to direct at least the first. Presumably they will also share writing duties.
Based on past comments from the two it seems likely that the new films will signal a “reboot” or continuation of the original, rather than a remake. It will probably pick up a suitable number of years after Stargate, and may or may not include any characters or actors from the 1994 film. (The two will also likely avoid the entirety of the television series’ continuity.)
The two have talked about wanting to revisit Stargate for years, suggesting at one point that their story could co-exist with the TV continuity. (Neither were involved when MGM called upon Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner to adapt the premise into a television series, which premiered on Showtime in 1997.) After Stargate ended its TV run in 2011 and MGM went bankrupt (bringing a major turnover in its roster of executives), Devlin and Emmerich went to the studio and pitched a new trilogy.
MGM head Gary Barber called Emmerich and Devlin “world-class creators of the original Stargate,” and said they will “bring their reinvigorated vision of this wildly popular property to audiences of multiple generations.”
Devlin and Emmerich originally intended Stargate — which starred Kurt Russell and James Spader — to be a trilogy, but gave up the rights when they signed up with MGM to distribute the film in the U.S.
It’s not the only hit from the past that the duo are going back to. After years of speculation FOX announced last year that a sequel to 1996’s Independence Day is also in production. That will be released on July 1, 2016 — meaning the first new Stargate movie is likely to come after.
Stargate has been called MGM’s most important property after James Bond, with Stargate SG-1 helping to launch its television division and earning billions of dollars in worldwide broadcasting.
Watch this space for more as it develops!
(Via Deadline. Thanks to Steve, Tom, Adam, and Michael for the head’s up!)
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I've been worried this would happen for a long time. Ever since they started talking about doing it. Emmerich and Devlin had their chances with the franchise, but they sold it off instead. Now they're getting the rights back... and assuredly permanently ensuring (that's a mouthful) that the television franchise will never be concluded. :(
As much as I like anything Stargate and as much as I liked the movie I just hope this does not put and end to any possible SG-1 or Atlantis movies. I really can't wait for the movie trilogy to start because I believe in Emmerich and Devlin and with the technology at their disposal I know they will make one hell of a movie. Think about it they made a great movie back in 1994 just imagine what they can do now. Good luck guys. I do want to say again I also want to see a third SG-1 movie and the first Atlantis movie especially SGA.
WOW. I certainly wasn't expect to be hit with this news today. As a fan of the franchise I'm obviously excited. I would like to point however that I am still angry about SGU's cancellation and would be much more enthusiastic about it's continuation. There probably is $0 to made doing that however. Quite ballsy to announce a whole trilogy. Well, time to start checking GW more frequently!
i find this news very depressing. i was hoping and wanting a continuation of the tv mythology and history, with the tv characters and actors. or at least another series with some of the original sg1/atlantis characters making guest appearances.
to me, the tv franchise is THE stargate, so the movies will be an alternate reality. and one i'm not interested in visiting. i didn't care for the original movie (found it boring), and the only reason i even gave the series a chance was b/c it was on before or after another show i liked back then. but i watched 'children of the gods' and really liked it, and really, really liked the characters. by the 3rd episode, sam carter became my favorite character. by the 4th episode, i became a sam/jack shipper.
the emmerich/devlin version of stargate will have nothing that i love.
~at least mgm could have given the tv franchise fans something along with this...
Yeah, Emerich has always said he didn't agree with teh direction the TV series took. So our stories are done. The reboot won't have carter, Te'alc, Bratac, the SGC, Atlantis, the Gou'ald, or anything we recognize except for the Gate, Jack and Daniel.
No more of the tories we like, just a reboot of the movie and the continuation Emreich always had in mind.
>Thumbs down<
obviously the best news for this franchise. the fact that it had a reboot and a bunch of tv shows before it solidifies its existence. It doesnt matter how well the movie turns out to be. Im just glad Emmerich finally got the disaster movie genre out of his system before picking up this movie. Hes turning to being a good director again.
this can only be good news - whether they include or don't include anything from sg1,sga or sgu - any new, especially special 3 films to be made - is better than where we've been
Stargate is coming back from the dead? Hooray! The rest of you seem to be down on the idea for some reason, but I am super excited. I can't wait to see the ol' Gate on the big screen again, and I sure hope it leads to a new television series! This is such great news. Stargate is back!
I was expecting and afraid that this will happened. Emmerich and Devlin cannot ignore 17 seasons of SG1/SGA/SGU, 2 movies, 50 Books and 12 audio books. It too much material that MGM and fans invested in. Didn't MGM learn it lesson with SGU and how much back lush fandom can created when we as fans are not satisfied with direction our show is going?
Thank you for the best possible news ive heard in three LONG years!! The likely 3-5 year wait on the next new sg will be interminable, but well worth it at the end!