Sam Esmail’s Battlestar Galactica reboot is “in great shape”

Battlestar Galactica is a classic sci-fi franchise that rises anew every few decades to entertain a new generation. The first version of Battlestar Galactica, about a war between humans and robots, aired back in the 1970s. A much-loved reboot came along in 2004, and had everyone asking who was a human and who was a Cylon imposter with a metal heart. Now, Sam Esmail is reviving the show again, this time for Peacock.

Sam Esmail is the guy behind the USA’s brainy thriller series Mr. Robot, the show that made a star out of Rami Malek. We’ve known he was working on a new version of Battlestar for years but have heard precious little about it. Now, while on the red carpet for his new Netflix movie Leave the World Behind, he finally gave people an update.

“Well, I can’t speak to the movie version, but for the TV series, we are working on it,” Esmail said. “And in fact, I just read a great outline and it’s in great shape. Because the strike is over now – at least the WGA strike is over – we’re back into developing it.”

Indeed, while the Hollywood writers strike is over, the actors strike continues. So Esmail and company can at least think up things for the actors to do, even if they don’t have any actors to speak of yet.

Peacock’s Battlestar Galactica will reboot the 2004 reboot of Battlestar Galactica

Esmail is developing this new version of Battlestar Galactica alongside The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes writer Michael Lesslie, who will serve as showrunner. Is the world ready for more killer robots 13 years after the Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica fizzled out? How many times can this story be told and retold? Only you can decide.

As for Leave the World Behind, it’s a dramatic thriller starring Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts and produced by none other than Barack and Michelle Obama. It’ll have a limited release in theaters on November 22 and drop on Netflix on December 8.

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