Stargate possibly being revived

[McAvoy]

Is MGM about to revive Stargate SG-1?

Stargate fans are abuzz after a cryptic announcement this weekend that MGM is reviving the original series, Stargate SG-1, in “a new format.” Just what is going on … and is SG-1 back on the small screen more than we can hope for?

The news came not from MGM or any of the series principals but from an independent Los Angeles producer, Darren Thomas, who may be affiliated with Andorra based Ordino Studios, according to a Google search. (Andorra is a small European country near France and Spain.) Thomas reportedly told the audience gathered at the official Stargate convention in Vancouver, B.C. that MGM is collaborating on an SG-1 app for smart phones and tablets (which would be in keeping with Ordino’s areas of expertise).

But there’s more.

Here is the news as summarized on the Stargate SG-1 Facebook page:


Wow, what a day! Tonight the Stargate Convention in Vancouver, is buzzing with excitement about an earlier announcement made by independent producer, Darren Thomas. Fans were treated to previously unreleased news about MGM’s collaboration on a new SG-1 App designed for smart phones and tablets. The scoop from Thomas is that MGM is reviving SG-1 albeit in a new format — music to the ears of many fans around the world. Thomas didn’t want to divulge more, but he did say that “plans are underway and I wish I could tell you more. The good news is that we will be unveiling something big at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego.” But in the meantime stay tuned for more information right here on the SG-1 official MGM page.

(San Diego Comic-Con will take place in mid-July.)

Based on what other studios have done with their popular science fiction and fantasy franchises, possibilities for future SG-1-related productions run the gambit from online or print comics, to animated projects, to interactive social media applications. (The original television series ran on Showtime, and then Syfy Channel, from 1997 to 2007.)

GateWorld has learned that a press release from MGM and the Andorra studio is imminent (in fact, we were expecting to have it in hand by the time of the convention announcement), though we don’t yet know what it will contain. There is no confirmation that Ordino is involved, but the studio’s Web site does offer some tantalizing clues.

More likely than a live-action project is that producers will take another stab at a Stargate SG-1 video game, perhaps designed with mobile devices in mind (perhaps including social media elements), rather than gaming consoles.

Ordino describes itself as “the newest production studio to offer apps, gaming, animation and spatial experiences.” According to their Web site the studio’s Games Division is hiring:


… developers and artists to be a part of one of the newest hottest gaming labels in Europe. The first project involves an exciting Unity game for a major entertainment franchise. The game will be developed as a First Person 3D Sci-Fi Action Adventure and will include support for all mobile platforms. The game will include a mind-bending story and eye-popping graphics; it will be a plot-twisting, action-packed adventure experience.

“Some of our first projects include building first person mobile games for an established franchise owned by a major U.S. film studio,” the site also says.

A live-action revival for Stargate SG-1 in any form seems unlikely. While it is simple enough to arrange for former SG-1 cast members like Richard Dean Anderson (“Jack O’Neill”), Christopher Judge (“Teal’c”), or Claudia Black (“Vala Mal Doran”) to contribute voice work, reuniting the cast on screen is a tall order. Michael Shanks (“Daniel Jackson”) is currently working on his new series Saving Hope (filming in Toronto), for example. And, while awaiting word on another season of Sanctuary, Amanda Tapping (“Samantha Carter”) is directing for the new series Primeval: New World.

PC games based on SG-1 were previously attempted by Perception Pty and Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, under the titles Stargate SG-1: The Alliance, Stargate Worlds, and Stargate: Resistance. Only Resistance saw the light of day, but as an online-only project went offline in 2011 after one year on the market.

Until we know more, we’d advise caution on the speculation — and keep it locked on GateWorld for the very latest!

[Tsukiyumi]

In other words, nothing relevant is going to happen. Even though I'm a huge Stargate fan, I frankly don't give a shit unless they go back to the DVD movie idea, mostly to wrap up unresolved plots from Atlantis and SGU. Or revive the shows.

An iPhone app? Great.

[Deepcrush]

Yeah, I'd like to see SGU come back. I don't know what they can do to save how they dumped SGA.

[Jim]

I would not mind the first episode of a new SG1 to reveal that the SGU series was just a dream by one of the characters and that it never actually happened.

[Deepcrush]

SGU could have been amazing... if they hadn't have started S1 like it was the series halfway point.

[McAvoy]

Yes the last half of season 2 was excellent. Especially the whole Novus arc.

[Deepcrush]

If they had made a season that showed the crew slowly coming apart over the first year and having to deal with all the troubles they now faced it would have been fine. But instead all we got was this group of Air Force boys and girls, a leader with a daddy complex. The civis were handled pretty well, the Marines weren't bad, but not really good either. The sets and scripts were enjoyable.

[Jim]

SGU could have been amazing... if they hadn't have started S1 like it was the series halfway point.

SGU would have been amazing if they had stopped trying to make is a dr4ama show that happened to take place in space. The new BSG has set scifi tv back to worse than the campy 70's style.

[Deepcrush]

I don't see how, I enjoyed both SGU and nBSG. SGU just lacked a plot drive needed to explain who was there and why.