Could one of the most iconic sci-fi shows of all time be coming back? The creator of Stargate sure hopes so!
Stargate has always been unique in that it’s the rare case of a TV franchise that’s become more memorable than the movie that inspired it. Indeed, mention Stargate, and most people will automatically think of the TV show and its spinoffs rather than the 1994 film.
Sadly, the franchise has been pretty dormant since Stargate Universe ended its short run in 2014. There have been numerous talks of a reboot or sequel, but nothing concrete yet. However, longtime writer and executive producer Brad Wright addressed the state of the franchise during a recent stage appearance at FedCon 33 in Bonn, Germany:
"Yes, there probably will be another Stargate. No, I don’t know when. … These are smart people. They know that they don’t want to piss off the people that love the existing franchise that they just spent a ton of money on. And they learned the lesson from another show recently (that I won’t mention) that they should stick to what the fans already love a little bit. I don’t know — I have not had this conversation — but I’m pretty confident that they’re going to try to find a new audience while not alienating the old audience. … I think they would be crazy [to] alienate the existing fan base, and not to keep in mind that Stargate belongs in the here-and-now."
It’s a good sign for fans even if there are problems with a Stargate revival.
What’s holding up a Stargate revival?
The big stumbling block to a Stargate revival is that the property is owned by MGM, which Amazon acquired in a huge 2022 sale. That means Stargate is now under the same umbrella as James Bond, Rocky, Robocop and more. While that should help a franchise like Stargate, it also makes matters tricky, because there's a big bureacracy to navigate. Wright clarified that this was a major hurdle to a reboot of the franchise:
"I do know that part of the reason there’s been a holdup is that MGM was for sale for a significant amount of time before it was actually purchased Just before the pandemic MGM did ask me to write a new pilot script for Stargate, which made me very excited, because NBC Universal asked for it. And so I did — and then the pandemic happened. And then the president of MGM got fired. And then Amazon bought MGM, and that was that for that project."
However, Wright remains hopeful for a genuine revival. “Amazon bought MGM in no small way because Stargate is one of their assets,” Wright said. “So I don’t know when — but I promise you they will do something. And because they’re taking their time, that just means that it’s going to be cool … I’m hoping! Because I’m going to be a fan — just like everybody else in this room — of the new show.”
A short Stargate history
Stargate began as a 1994 movie co-written and directed by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is a historian and linguist recruited into a secret government project investigating a massive “ring” found in 1928 Giza. He figures out it’s an alien device that creates a portal to a world on the other side of the galaxy.
With a group of soldiers led by troubled Colonel Jack O’Neill (Kurt Russell), Jackson finds a world where an alien modeling itself on the Egyptian god Ra commands a small tribe. It’s a huge sci-fi action adventure ending with O’Neill returning home as Jackson stays on this world.
In 1997, Wright helped Showtime produce a sequel TV show called Stargate SG-1. Richard Dean Anderson now played O’Neill with Michael Shanks as Jackson. The series expanded on the film’s storyline, revealing there were numerous Stargates connecting to other worlds. Many were controlled by the Goa’uld, a ruthless alien race possessing human bodies who use Earthlings kidnapped throughout history as slaves.
The show became a hit thanks to the great characters like Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge). It moved to the Sci-Fi Channel in 2002, finally ending after 10 seasons in 2007 with a couple of direct-to-video movies.
The show also inspired two spinoffs: Stargate: Atlantis, which ran for five seasons (and featured a then-unknown Jason Momoa), and Stargate: Universe, which was canceled after just two seasons. There have also been a few web series, but nothing like a full revival.
The franchise has so much potential for a new take for our times. It can be a sequel with Anderson, Tapping and others returning to their roles. It could also be time for a full reboot with a new take on the mythology. Either way, it’d be wonderful to see this sci-fi adventure return with its variety of alien worlds and cultures, and hopefully Amazon lets fans take another trip through the Stargate soon.
Stargate SG-1 is streaming on Prime Video.
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