﻿Fans who have been waiting for a morsel of information regarding Brad Wright’s fourth
in-canon Stargate series can rejoice at this small but exciting tease at what
could soon be Stargate’s next iteration … that is, if Amazon gives the green light.
Joseph Mallozzi – who was a long-time writer and producer on Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe
– has shared the title page of Brad Wright’s Stargate pilot on social media, with the caption
“a little light reading ahead of the weekend.” An empty box currently obscures the second word
of the show’s title, and Mallozzi confirmed on twitter that the box is
not just a placeholder... but is indeed covering up part of the show's title.
For anyone who wants to wager a guess as to what might be the show’s title,
John S on Twitter noted that “with the font and size of the box, it would be 7 letters.”
Another fan noted “Stargate: Legacy” would be one possibility that fits the space.
Even David Hewlett, who played Dr. Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis, also joined in on the fun.
He scribbled in “McKay” over the blank text box, saying, “I fixed the cover page for you
@bradtravelers… it’s okay, consider it a gift.” In any case, let the guessing games begin!
As exciting as this is, it’s important to remember two things. First, the show does not yet have the
green light, and there is no guarantee that Amazon will ultimately choose to go with
Wright’s pitch for a new series. And secondly, if Amazon does pick up this series, it may be
awhile until it reaches our television screens. When a fan asked how long the process could take,
Mallozzi responded: “Depends on Amazon. If they green light the show, say, next week,
Brad could get a writers’ room up and running by May. Some scripts written for top of summer,
head into production in the back half of this year, start dropping new #Stargate
episodes summer of 2023. Give or take.” In a corresponding blog post Mallozzi added
optimistically: “Are we about to lock that elusive sixth chevron? Maybe. You know what would really,
really help? Letting Amazon know you’re looking forward to Brad Wright’s new Stargate series.”
Mallozzi’s “sixth chevron” comment hearkens back to one of his Reddit comments from 2020,
where he fielded a question about the status of Brad Wright’s potential new Stargate series.
“Someone asked me how many chevrons have been locked. I told them five,” Mallozzi said.
Mallozzi later added on Twitter that he believes locking the sixth chevron is inevitable,
although he notes that locking the seventh chevron is ultimately the tricky one."
He also followed up his initial post about Brad’s pilot a few days later
with a short review of the script, saying… “The verdict? Fantastic. A perfect series for
first-time viewers who know nothing about #Stargate, but also a richly rewarding
experience for longtime fans. Action, adventure, friendship, humor, cool sci-fi,
terrific characters, a compelling story - and one helluva an antagonist.”
Brad Wright first announced that he was “talking with MGM” about Stargate
during an appearance at 2018’s Gatecon fan convention. Then in early 2019 he reiterated
on the “Nerks of the Hub” fan podcast that he was actively working with the studio on a new show.
Wright later revealed that his new Stargate pitch would see the Stargate program disclosed
to the public, and would take place in the present day. He also confirmed it would include
appearances from legacy cast members of SG-1 and Atlantis – all while
introducing new characters and pushing the franchise forward in a new direction.
The potential fourth Stargate series has been on the slow train in part because of the COVID-19
pandemic. “I wrote a pilot for [MGM] and the timing could not have been worse in terms of
delivery, because the pandemic hit pretty much as I was typing the end.” Wright told Bleeding
Cool. The future of his proposed fourth series suddenly became very uncertain, as studios around
the world tightened their purses, and struggled to restart film and television productions safely.
Then, in May of 2021, Amazon announced that it was buying up Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and all of
its assets — including the Stargate franchise. That created a further degree of uncertainty
for Brad Wright’s fourth series, as the changing of the guard could see a creative shift in the
studio’s strategy – or a lengthy acquisition process during which plans for the Stargate
franchise would remain in limbo. But now, less than a year later,
Amazon’s acquisition of MGM is complete, and the studio is free to press ahead
with a Stargate movie or series for their streaming service, Amazon Prime Video.
As recently as February Wright made it clear that he was unaware of Amazon or MGM’s intentions
regarding Stargate. But he seems eager to jump back into the captain’s chair of a new Stargate
series, should they give him the green light. With any luck – and a bit of lobbying from the
fans – we may yet see a new Stargate series grace our television screens within the next few years.
So, are you interested in seeing Brad Wright’s fourth Stargate series – or would you like
to see Amazon take Stargate in a different direction? Maybe you even have a guess about
the full show title that Brad has in mind? Let us know in the comment section below,
and subscribe to our YouTube channel for future updates on all things Stargate.