Sci Fi Channel Greenlights ‘Stargate Universe’
Third Series in Franchise To Launch With Early Movie, Slot Into Summer Role
By Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 8/22/2008 6:04:00 AM
Sci Fi Channel said it’s ordered Stargate Universe, planned as a younger-skewing, more space action-oriented entry in the long-running series franchise than the just-canceled Stargate Atlantis.Also from Vancouver-based producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, Universe will debut as a two-hour movie early next year and then will slot in as a regular series in the summer, the channel and distributor MGM Domestic Television said.
The Stargate franchise -- which emerged from the 1994 movie starring Kurt Russell and James Spader -- launched with Stargate SG-1 on Showtime in 1997. SG-1 shifted to Sci Fi Channel and ended its run in 2007. Two Stargate SG-1 home DVDs were released this year. Stargate Atlantis launched in 2004 and will wrap a five-season run next January, followed by a new two-hour movie MGM will later sell as a home DVD, Sci Fi told Multichannel News on Wednesday.
Sci Fi also is losing space opera Battlestar Galactica after the current season and wants to keep that genre an important part of the network, Sci Fi Channel president Dave Howe said.
“The intention here is to make this one skew young and give it a contemporary vibe,” Howe told Multichannel News Friday.
He said the new series presents a chance to take some new creative turns with the franchise. “As a network, obviously we look at Battlestar Galactica, that’s set the standard in terms of tense character drama. Stargate does not have the intensity of a Battlestar Galactica. But it may well be somewhere in between. Brad and Robert are very eager to keep the action and adventure and the sense of humor [in Stargate Universe]. But I think there's an opportunity to maybe inject a bit more dramatic intensity into the series. But that's obviously a conversation for them as they start to script and move into development."
The plan is to start shooting early next year, so casting and scripting will start soon, Howe said.
As has been described, Stargate Universe involves the discovery of an ancient vessel -- reached by the space-travel portal called the stargate -- that was intended to explore different galaxies where stargates have been placed and see how civilizations there have progressed.
"What’s unique about this chapter is it’s going to be set entirely in space," Howe said. "They’re on a ship, the Destiny. That’s also an opportunity for us because as Battlestar Galactica reaches a conclusion it’s nice for us to have within the mix of programming a space opera that serves the audience that's really into in space operas."
Joseph Mallozzi, an Atlantis show runner (with writing partner Paul Mullie; they're scripting the planned Atlantis movie), posted an item on his blog today about plans for the movie and his feelings on the end of the Atlantis series after 100 episodes. Among other things, Mallozzi said Atlantis the series won't end on a cliffhanger.
About the movie, he said "Obviously, I can’t say much about it at this point but suffice it to say that it should include the entire cast in addition to a certain gaunt and pallid flowing-locked guest star. And, if it proves anywhere as successful as the first two SG-1 direct-to-video features, you can be assured that this will be the first in a long, long line of Stargate Atlantis movies." The guest star reference could be to Amanda Tapping, who played Samantha Carter on both prior Stargate series.
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