STARGATE fans all over the world are eager for news about a new installment
in the science fiction franchise – a TV show, a movie, a mini-series ...
something to indicate that Stargate isn’t dead.
For more than two years now we’ve been covering one long-gestating project:
Brad Wright co-created Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe,
and since early 2019 he has been working on a new project.
This fourth live-action series would continue the existing television canon,
rather than rebooting the concept with a hard reset.
Last week this story took a bit of an odd turn.
Former SG-1 and Atlantis co-star Amanda Tapping told fans on a livestream Q&A that Wright
had spoken with her about appearing on his new show.
But after news outlets started reporting these comments – in some cases without much context,
and with potentially misleading titles – Tapping took to Twitter to try and correct the record.
She said, simply: “There is no new series that I know of.”
So ... what on earth is going on here?
Is an SG-1 reunion in the works, or not?
Is MGM ever going to announce anything new for Stargate?
We’re going to sort it all out right here.
This is what we know as of May of 2021.
Let’s start at the beginning.
The Stargate franchise was silent (at least on the live-action front) for seven years,
after SGU went off the air in May of 2011.
Then came the modestly budgeted 2018 Web series Stargate Origins.
Brad Wright and other creatives behind the TV universe were not involved with that project.
MGM was initially planning to keep the small-scale Stargate going with more "Origins" stories.
But then 2018 turned into 2019, and MGM opted not to give the go-ahead for a second season.
The timing suggests that it’s because now they were in talks with Brad Wright for something bigger.
In January of 2019 he said publicly that he and MGM were working on creating
a new Stargate project of some kind.
After a few brief updates on social media through 2019 and into 2020, it became clear
that his efforts to get the show picked up by a broadcaster or a streaming partner
had suffered a significant delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic —
true of all TV and film production in 2020.
But at the end of last year fellow Stargate executive producer Joseph Mallozzi told fans
that the project was getting closer ... although it wasn’t quite to the finish line.
If developing, pitching, and signing a deal to get a series green-lit was a 7-chevron
dialing sequence, Mallozzi said that in his estimation five chevrons had been locked.
Where does that leave the project standing today, in the spring of 2021?
As far as we can tell from the outside, Brad Wright has a pitch and a script written for MGM ...
but no broadcaster or streaming home has signed on the dotted line yet.
MGM is not likely to make any announcements before this piece is in place.
That’s because a show traditionally would be funded in part by the broadcast deal.
Typically, MGM is not the sort of studio that will fully fund the production of a show itself
and then go sell it.
Instead it's the licensing fee that MGM charges to a cable channel or a streaming provider
that will provide the bulk of the show's production budget.
That was the case with Syfy Channel when Stargate was in production there from 2002 to 2010.
So it’s been radio silence.
The studio seems to be holding its cards close to the vest, so as not to promise a show
that never comes to be.
Things have been further complicated by the fact that MGM is reportedly entertaining offers for a sale.
Apple was said to be in talks to buy the entire studio in 2020.
Now the latest suitor is Amazon: Variety reports this month that the streaming giant may offer
around $9 billion to acquire the studio that owns the Stargate franchise.
It’s possible that a deal for a new show may be waiting out that sale.
If Amazon could be interested in putting a new Stargate series on Amazon Prime Video,
it’s obviously better for MGM’s interests not to ink a deal with a rival in the meantime.
It’s no surprise to hear now that, at some point over these past couple of years of development,
Brad Wright has floated the idea to his friends and colleagues from the SG-1 days.
That’s where we’re at right now — not actors who are being booked for filming,
but friends who have talked informally about what might come to pass.
Here’s where the news from Amanda Tapping comes into play.
In May of 2021 The Companion hosted a live Q&A session for members of the online magazine,
with Tapping answering fans’ questions.
The event was hosted by author and life-long Stargate fan Sam Maggs,
and focused on the topic “Uplifting Women in Film & TV.”
Here’s what Tapping said about being approached for a new Stargate project:
Sam Maggs: "I'm glad you brought up Stargate, because I think there has been a lot talk
and interest from fans about maybe a new Stargate series one day, hopefully ..."
Amanda Tapping: “Yeah, I've heard a lot of stuff about that too.
And I find it really ... yeah, I don't know.
I’ve talked to Brad Wright about it, and certainly MGM at one point was really interested.
I said to Brad, ‘What do you want me to do on the show?’
And he goes, ‘Well I want you to be in it and I want you to direct it.’
And I was like, ‘Perfect! Thank you!'”
Maggs: "Great!
That's what I was going to ask.
Would you want to be on it?
Would you want to direct it?
But the answer is both, I suppose."
Tapping: "Yeah. Oh, absolutely."
Narrator: So it sounds like Brad has approached Amanda about the new project, and her potential
involvement both in front of and behind the camera ... IF the show ever comes to pass, that is.
And right now that's a big "IF." Online news outlets began reporting this,
with some headlines perhaps making more hay than they ought to.
Some seemed to imply that Amanda had basically announced a new show.
So she took to Twitter to clarify the context of her remarks.
She wrote: “To be clear, this is not confirmation of the series happening. At all.
This was simply a feeler to gauge interest.
To my knowledge, nothing is in the works at the moment.”
The next day her follow-up was a bit more pointed.
She tweeted: “Oh my god!
I hate that this is even a story.
Once again folks, there is no new series that I know of.
Yes, there was talk quite a while back, but it didn’t materialize.
On my AMA last Saturday it was brought up.
But I, in no way, said it was happening.
I’m sorry to disappoint.”
Now that we know the background of just how long Brad Wright’s project has been in development,
we can start to figure out where things stand with a new Stargate series today.
Tapping’s comments indicate that Wright talked to her about being a part of it ...
but that was a while ago, and nothing has come of it.
For her part there have been no formal negotiations, no contracts, no deals –
because the pitch just hasn’t made it that far yet.
That doesn’t mean that there won’t be a fourth Stargate series, mind you ...
just that it isn’t happening right now.
In her remarks on Twitter, Tapping doesn’t appear to recognize that in fact
Wright’s pitch is still an active possibility.
Wright has continued to indicate to fans that even though it still hasn’t gotten a green light,
the project isn’t dead yet.
He explained the COVID delay during his own livestream with The Companion last November.
And when his podcast launched this past March, Wright told actor Michael Shanks directly
that he’s recently written dialogue for his character, Dr. Daniel Jackson.
That sounds like a producer who hasn’t given up hope, and whose pitch for a new Stargate
project has some involvement for Daniel Jackson, Samantha Carter,
and maybe other members of SG-1 as well.
Now, two and a half years is a long time for a series to be in development.
Honestly, the studio just needs to get this done.
We don’t know where the hold-up is.
But it’s probably not MGM.
Our guess is that a streamer or broadcaster simply needs to step up and sign the deal.
But again, a possible sale of the company in 2021 could be a major factor here.
(I for one welcome our new streaming overlords.)
Let’s hope that someone like Amazon is interested in stepping up and making Stargate its own
franchise — along with its global fan base of millions of loyal viewers.
An SG-1 reunion sounds like music to our ears.
If we do get to see Samantha Carter on screen again, hopefully by now she has risen
to the rank of a General in the Air Force.
Both Dr. Jackson and General Carter would almost certainly play supporting roles
on a new show, on a recurring basis or perhaps as guest stars
to introduce a new team and a new setting.
That’s how SG-1 team members were used to kick off both of its prior spin-offs —
2004’s Stargate Atlantis,
and 2009’s Stargate Universe.
Amanda Tapping said during the livestream that she’d like to see a new team take center stage
— and also that she wants that promotion.
Amanda Tapping: “You know, I think it’s time for a new generation.
I’d love to have a part in it, for sure. I’d love to see what Carter is up to now —
you know, ‘Supersonic General Carter!’ [Laughter]
I remember when I became ‘Full Bird’ Colonel. And I was like, ‘Oh, man, this is great!’
But now I want to be like Brigadier General or something really super cool.”
Sam Maggs: “Never good enough for Carter!”
Amanda Tapping: “I want more!
I want more.
I want World Domination Carter.”
[Laughter]
Narrator: Even if they’re only putting in the odd guest appearance we’d love to see
an SG-1 reunion of some kind ... IF there is ever a new Stargate series.
And every day that goes by without an announcement from the studio,
that IF feels like it keeps getting bigger.
Be sure to visit TheCompanion.app to watch the full conversation with Amanda Tapping.
It runs for 90 minutes, and is available as an exclusive for Companion subscribers.
She also teased an upcoming conversation on mental health for The Companion, as well as
a forthcoming visit to Brad Wright’s podcast “Conversations in Sci-Fi.”
You can bet we’ll be listening.
So what do you think of all this mess?
Is there ever going to be a fourth live-action Stargate series?
Leave your thoughts in the comments, and tell us what you want to see from a new show —
and which favorite characters you’d like to revisit.
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