Emmerich and Devlin to reboot Stargate

[Narkalui]

OK. Let's start with an analogy.

Let's say that after Dune was published the publisher commissioned sequels written by other people which were poor in comparison. And then, finally, decided to write off the poorly conceived and written sequels and publish Herbert's own official sequels. Hooray.

Frankly, there are only a few Stargate TV series fans out there. Most Sci-Fi fans think the tv show was at best under par. But most Sci-Fi fans loved the film. And now the true authors of the story who were robbed of their right to tell their story are to be allowed to tell their story. Finally.

N.B. After Battlestar finished SGU was quite a good source of BSG Methadone and I found it miles better that SG1 and Atlantis. It wasn't all awful.

 

[thaddeus6th]

I... really?

I thought SG-1 was pretty damned popular.

I'm not against a reboot, but I really liked SG-1. Teal'c visiting a certain show (I shan't say which as I don't want to spoil it, and you'll know it if you saw it) was a great moment. I wish we had Teal'c PI as a proper programme.

Anyway, what are the reboot plans?

 

[chopper]

Let's say that after Dune was published the publisher commissioned sequels written by other people which were poor in comparison.

This really happened.

 

[Narkalui]

As far as I know they are basically going to remake the original film then make the sequels that Emmerich and Devlin always planned on making.

And yes I am well aware that Herbert's son continued the franchise after Frank's death and even created some canonical lore which contradicts his father's work. This is the reason I chose Herbert for my analogy.

As far as I was ever able to tell SG tv was just popular enough to keep it on telly, I did watch SG 1 now and again if nothing else was on but I didn't shed any tears if I missed an episode. Or five. I felt Atlantis was of lower quality than SG 1 and only watched 20 minutes of the pilot.

But the film was amazing!

 

[Dave]

Wow! So much to dispute here. I do hope you aren't just a Troll.

Frankly, there are only a few Stargate TV series fans out there.

Have you noticed the size of the Stargate Forum you just posted in? Okay, most of those members aren't active anymore, but then it isn't being made anymore either. At the time SG-1 was being made, at least Seasons 1 to 7, this was the biggest Stargate Forum on the Internet and not sure how many more fans it could have possibly got. The Gateworld forum is also still active, which is pretty good for an old show.

Most Sci-Fi fans think the tv show was at best under par.

Who? Where? I never took part in this survey. Personally, I think it degraded over time, but then so did the X-Files, Star Trek Voyager and many other shows. You are going to find it hard to make that many original stories for such a long time.

This really happened.

Yes it did, but unfortunately I don't think Frank Herbert is available to write sequels. Unless you have a team of Mediums with Ouija Boards.

As far as I was ever able to tell SG tv was just popular enough to keep it on telly,

10 years is a long time for a TV show to run. It is officially the longest running American TV show. Especially with the growth the number of TV channels and the Internet. Okay, it isn't I Love Lucy but I think your research might be flawed. Some shows don't get half a Season. And lets not talk about Firefly.

I did watch SG 1 now and again if nothing else was on but I didn't shed any tears if I missed an episode. Or five. I felt Atlantis was of lower quality than SG 1 and only watched 20 minutes of the pilot.

Again, that hardly qualifies you to make such statements if you didn't watch it. You completely missed out Stargate Universe too, and several SG-1 TV movies.

But the film was amazing!

On your main point, we are in agreement. The film is one of the best Science Fiction films made, both in the idea (which is really just Erich von Däniken) and execution. I would also have liked to see a sequel rather than the series, but the studio wanted a series. And as a reboot ignoring the series: this was talked about, about 5 years ago, but I thought they were no longer interested.

Anyway, what are the reboot plans?

Yes, please spill the beans. We would all like to know what you know.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Would definitely be interesting to see a reboot of Stargate, in any form.

 

[Narkalui]

OK. Dave, and any any other fans of the tv show: PROFUSE apologies for any offense to your intelligence and/or your taste. Firstly I do realise that fans of the tv show number in the millions worldwide. And that in terms of longevity it is second only to Dr Who. My point was merely that this fan base is a minority compared to fans of original film.

Dave, you are correct. I am NOT qualified to pass judgement but having finished watching series 2 of Universe yesterday and then reading the many flame attacks on the internet against this brilliantly written programme by SG 1 and Atlantis fans I felt I needed to stand up and speak.

It made me angry that Universe failed. I personally believe Universe failed because a considerable chunk of SG 1 and Atlantis fans didn't like it because it was too 'different' and new viewers didn't come to the show because it had 'Star gate' written on the title.

I'm just angry and annoyed that many fans of the first two series wouldn't keep Faith with Universe because it was (in my personal opinion) too much like Battlestar (if anyone believes that any of the Stargate series is better than BSG, then you are entitled to your opinion but I have no time for you) or maybe because it was too 'high brow'?

Anyway. I am most certainly NOT a troll. I hate trolls. And if I have allowed my anger and frustration to lead me to post anything offensive to fans of a set of stories which they find moving and wonderful then please accept my apologies.

 

[Narkalui]

Oh yeah, the reboot! Sorry for being a technophobe but I don't know how to post a link. If you Google 'Stargate reboot' you will know what I know: ie it's happening, WB and MGM, 3 films, original story by Von Daniken and Devlin which they conceived twenty years ago. Plot points? Dunno!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Oh yeah, the reboot! Sorry for being a technophobe but I don't know how to post a link. If you Google 'Stargate reboot' you will know what I know: ie it's happening, WB and MGM, 3 films, original story by Von Daniken and Devlin which they conceived twenty years ago. Plot points? Dunno!

Cheers! If you copy the link from the URL bar of your browser, and paste it into the post box, it should come up as a link automatically - like this for news on the reboot:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Stargate-Reboot-Based-Original-Trilogy-Plans-Franchise-43679.html

I would personally love to see a new legion of fans re-discover Stargate, and our massive section of discussions with it.

 

[chopper]

loved the movie too - always thought it was an excellent portal fantasy. not sure it needs remaking/rebooting. in the same vein, i'd rather see the original B5 back on TV rather than reboots.

 

[Dave]

If I had really thought you were trolling I would never have answered you. I would also really like to see the originally planned story. I was aware that it had been an independent film conceived as a trilogy but I thought the moment for that had long passed.

On the fans: I haven't read any SGU hate-mail but some people here didn't like it because it was different and darker. I liked it for that reason. There were certainly a lot of obsessive SG-1 "shipper" fans; their only interest seeming to be for a relationship to develop between Jack and Sam. There was also a very vocal minority who were very loud about keeping Atlantis going. We had them spamming here. I think you will find that Chronicles members are a more open and diverse group than that. And as Thaddeus6th mentioned, Teal'c was a great character, never in the original film. I think the jury is still out on Rodney McKay though.

In talking about fans, you need to consider that since the TV franchise went on so long, there will be people who have never seen the original film, just as there are Star Trek: Voyager fans who have never seen the original series. I've heard that a typical 11 years-old has never even seen The Matrix either. Which is probably why they now feel the need to reboot the film rather than continue from it. I also don't think it needs a reboot but I can understand that to make the two sequels they feel they need to have the same actors throughout and an original film that the audience has actually watched.

There isn't much "news" in those reports though. Warner Brothers and MGM have earmarked the money, but nothing about scriptwriters or what it will be about. Emmerich is currently working on Stonewall and is then doing an Independence Day sequel. Even if he started work immediately following those we must be looking at at least 4 or 5 years for a release date. It does appear to be happening though.

 

[Highlander II]

re: SGU - I, personally, didn't like it because the writers spent a lot of time making me not care about any of the characters. I watched something like 6 or 8 episodes and I couldn't even tell you a single characters name. SGU was more 'soap opera'-y than the other two.

And I don't know that there are more fans of the movie than there are of the TV shows, especially since there is a bit of crossover. Some folks like both.

One of the draws of SG-1 was that it didn't try to take itself too seriously. There were serious moments, but they made a point to make fun of themselves and toss in inside jokes. SGU - aside from being written/run by a jerk with an annoying ego - took itself too seriously. Then, said jerk didn't exactly endear himself to long-time SG fans by holding movies for the other 2 shows 'hostage' unless fans turned up to throw praise on his new baby 'SGU'.

A reboot of the original movie? Why not. They're rebooting everything else, might as well toss this onto the fire too.

 

[BAYLOR]

I don't see the point of them doing this.

 

[Michael Colton]

There are so many original scriptwriters out there with great ideas, there are so many short stories and novels that have never been adapted, why must everything be rebooted a thousand times? I don't understand. The franchise was very successful with SG-1 and Atlantis. Why bring it all back when there are so many other stories to tell?

 

[Dave]

The point in them doing this is that there is an original story to tell; a different story to the TV series that never got to be told before. I agree with you about Hollywood's lack of originality, but in this case that is not in question. The only negative is rebooting the original film in order to make the two sequels, but I can understand why they feel it necessary to have to do that.

 

[Narkalui]

I've just realised something awful. Really, really awful. I'm a hypocrite. The worst kind at that. I've just been reading how for ten years right up until his death this autumn, Glen Larson was conspiring to lay a giant turd on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. How dare he? I mean: it's a million times better than anything that plagiarist could ever do and he was clearly just jealous of its depth and scope.

I'm truly terrible.

To all fans of SG 1 and Atlantis: I am SO sorry!