"Battlestar Galactica" may be making the jump to the big screen, but not in the way you'd expect.
HitFix reports that "X-Men" and "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer may just be producing and possibly directing a new "Battlestar Galactica" feature film.
However, like the upcoming "Buffy" reboot, the film will NOT be based on the recent Sci-Fi Channel series that ran from 2004 to 2009 but rather a reworking of the original concept from the original late 70's TV series.
Nearly a decade ago now, Singer and producer Tom DeSanto came close to reviving the property with a 'sequel' to the classic show that would've kicked off with a $14 million backdoor pilot. Development was well underway when 9/11 happened and the network got cold feet which ultimately scrapped the project.
Two years later Ron Moore and David Eick came up with their own 'reimagining' of the concept which became the critically acclaimed but often ratings challenged cable series that served as the network's cornerstone show for the past few years.
Now comes this news that Universal still sees money in the property and plans a new cinematic interpretation, one that may not draw the critical raves of the recent show but could certainly open the franchise to a much larger audience more demanding of space battles and less of bleak meditations about faith and humanity.
The hiring of Singer, a solid action director with a noted passion for the material, is also a good PR move as ardent fans of the recent show might be more receptive to the property with a director many in that community consider one of their own.
The news comes nearly half a year after word that original show creator Glen Larson had signed a deal with Universal to develop a "Galactica" film that was not tied to any previous version. This would have to be the same project.
It's still early stages however, more as it develops. For more about this, head to HitFix.
Really? I mean, as much as I hated how the series ultimately developed, I think it pretty much fully explored the concept of "straggler survivors of humanity flee Cylons in search of Earth, led by the last great Battlestar". Do they really need to do Caprica some asteroid base getting bombed to bits again? Do they really need every battle to have all of humanity at stake, again?
I mean, okay, space war against robots - awesome! This could be fun. But christ, can we get a new different take on it, now? Maybe more of a "cold war gone hot" sort of thing, I dunno?
I would have thought that it's time for Battlestar Galactica to go into retirement, but I guess that's why I don't work in movie studios. Well, that, and I don't do nearly enough blow.
"There is no "taboo" on using nuclear weapons." -Julhelm
What is Project Zohar? "On a serious note (well not really) I did sometimes jump in and rate nBSG episodes a '5' before the episode even aired or I saw it."- RogueIce explaining that episode ratings on SDN tv show threads are bunk
ray245 wrote:I really hopes they would want to do a continuation of the old series and give it a proper resolution.
The article makes it pretty clear the producers' intentions is to do a full-fledged (third) reboot of the property.
I agree with U; maybe in 15 years they can do another reinterpretation, but with a final TV movie coming soon and the Caprica spin-off next year, it's just way, way too early.
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Spanky The Dolphin wrote:
I agree with U; maybe in 15 years they can do another reinterpretation, but with a final TV movie coming soon and the Caprica spin-off next year, it's just way, way too early.
They don't care about the nBSG TV-version, since it's niche stuff for scifi geeks in the eyes of the Hollywood studio bosses. They want to to do a big "summer movie" for a wider audience. There has not been a big budget space opera movie released for several years, so they probably think that it's time to try make some money with that genre again, especially since the fantasy and superhero movie genres seem to be slowly winding down.
Crazedwraith wrote:No big budget space opera in the last several years? Does Star Trek some how not count?
Well, actually I forgot about it, probably since I still haven't seen it. But ST alone doesn't change the argument; after the SW Prequels there has been a lot more superhero movies and even fantasy (thanks to HP) than space opera.
Marcus Aurelius wrote:especially since the fantasy and superhero movie genres seem to be slowly winding down.
While the fantasy movie genre has definitely cooled over in the last several years, by the number of projects currently in production and being planned, the superhero/comic book movie genre seems to still have some pretty strong momentum.
Star Trek could be seen as the start of a new modern trend of space opera though, if that genre were to open up again.
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"And besides, who cares if a monster destroys Australia?"
I agree with Spanky. With the plethora of superhero movies released relatively recently, both mainstream and DTV, and the number of projects in the works (live-action GL, Avengers, JLA, Iron Man 2, the third Nolan Me movie) I'd say that the superhero subset of the Fantasy movie genre is still going strong.
And Crazedwraith sort of has a point-the reboot Star Trek movie WAS the only big SciFi movie in a long time (in fact, I don't remember a big SciFi movie since Episode VI other than Serenity).
'Next time I let Superman take charge, just hit me. Real hard.'
'You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues. Lots of issues.'
'No. No dating for the Batman. It might cut into your brooding time.'
'Tactically we have multiple objectives. So we need to split into teams.'-'Dibs on the Amazon!'
'Hey, we both have a Martian's phone number on our speed dial. I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt.'
'You know, for a guy with like 50 different kinds of vision, you sure are blind.'
Batman wrote:
And Crazedwraith sort of has a point-the reboot Star Trek movie WAS the only big SciFi movie in a long time (in fact, I don't remember a big SciFi movie since Episode VI other than Serenity).
Serenity is the only Sci-Fi movie released between 1983 and now?
And this is why you don't watch anything produced by Ronald D. Moore after he had his brain surgically removed and replaced with a bag of elephant semen.-Gramzamber, on why Caprica sucks
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:
I agree with U; maybe in 15 years they can do another reinterpretation, but with a final TV movie coming soon and the Caprica spin-off next year, it's just way, way too early.
They don't care about the nBSG TV-version, since it's niche stuff for scifi geeks in the eyes of the Hollywood studio bosses. They want to to do a big "summer movie" for a wider audience. There has not been a big budget space opera movie released for several years, so they probably think that it's time to try make some money with that genre again, especially since the fantasy and superhero movie genres seem to be slowly winding down.
What about James Cameron's Avatar?
Humans are such funny creatures. We are selfish about selflessness, yet we can love something so much that we can hate something.
Batman wrote:And Crazedwraith sort of has a point-the reboot Star Trek movie WAS the only big SciFi movie in a long time (in fact, I don't remember a big SciFi movie since Episode VI other than Serenity).
Were the Prequels that bad that the World's Greatest Detective is repressing it from his memory? Or has the Goddamn Batman just been breathing in space for too long?
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source) shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN! Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people - PeZook Shroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
I'd watch it. Singer's idea for a continuation still intrigues me I think he could translate his ideas well onto the big screen. i was a fan of superman returns
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Crazedwraith wrote:No big budget space opera in the last several years? Does Star Trek some how not count?
more like big-budget popped collars in space am i rite
More seriously, even if I didn't care for it, I do hope that its financial success will spur a new bunch of space opera movies.
"There is no "taboo" on using nuclear weapons." -Julhelm
What is Project Zohar? "On a serious note (well not really) I did sometimes jump in and rate nBSG episodes a '5' before the episode even aired or I saw it."- RogueIce explaining that episode ratings on SDN tv show threads are bunk
Batman wrote:And Crazedwraith sort of has a point-the reboot Star Trek movie WAS the only big SciFi movie in a long time (in fact, I don't remember a big SciFi movie since Episode VI other than Serenity).
Were the Prequels that bad that the World's Greatest Detective is repressing it from his memory? Or has the Goddamn Batman just been breathing in space for too long?
While the World's Greatest Detective has his problems with the prequel trilogy, in this particular case, he was merely having a brainfart. I meant Episode III of course.
hopefully they won't be wearing capes...
What was wrong with the capes? Especially as the only difference between the regular duty uniforms and the gala uniforms apparently WAS the cape.
'Next time I let Superman take charge, just hit me. Real hard.'
'You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues. Lots of issues.'
'No. No dating for the Batman. It might cut into your brooding time.'
'Tactically we have multiple objectives. So we need to split into teams.'-'Dibs on the Amazon!'
'Hey, we both have a Martian's phone number on our speed dial. I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt.'
'You know, for a guy with like 50 different kinds of vision, you sure are blind.'
I'm really not sure if "opening for wider audiences" etc. will make for a satisfying Galactica movie, but that's probably just angry nerd thoughts A "lighter" movie more based on oBSG than nBSG might be fun, I'm hoping they'll include enough eye-candy and do deliver on the space battles, because somehow more "space battles and less [...] bleak meditations about faith and humanity" sounds like it could make for a fun movie. Just hoping they really won't try to include something "deep" and "meaningful" that turns out to be boring bullshit.
charlemagne wrote:I'm really not sure if "opening for wider audiences" etc. will make for a satisfying Galactica movie, but that's probably just angry nerd thoughts A "lighter" movie more based on oBSG than nBSG might be fun, I'm hoping they'll include enough eye-candy and do deliver on the space battles, because somehow more "space battles and less [...] bleak meditations about faith and humanity" sounds like it could make for a fun movie. Just hoping they really won't try to include something "deep" and "meaningful" that turns out to be boring bullshit.
It would be nice if the movie is a mix of oBSG and nBSG.
Humans are such funny creatures. We are selfish about selflessness, yet we can love something so much that we can hate something.
ray245 wrote:It would be nice if the movie is a mix of oBSG and nBSG.
How would that look like? Grimdark plushy robots and dysfunctional, bitter kids* in the main cast? Oh, and alien casinos, of course.
* Uh well, I almost forgot they tried to pull that one on nBSG with that little sarcastic brat that kept following Starbuck around for a couple of the early episodes.
charlemagne wrote:I'm really not sure if "opening for wider audiences" etc. will make for a satisfying Galactica movie, but that's probably just angry nerd thoughts A "lighter" movie more based on oBSG than nBSG might be fun, I'm hoping they'll include enough eye-candy and do deliver on the space battles, because somehow more "space battles and less [...] bleak meditations about faith and humanity" sounds like it could make for a fun movie. Just hoping they really won't try to include something "deep" and "meaningful" that turns out to be boring bullshit.
I think there are quite enough SFX-oriented movies with no sense in the plot coming out every year. In fact I would rather take a failed attempt at providing some substance than a clear-cut effects movie with plot holes the size of Jupiter. I am simply sick and tired of gratuitous effects flicks.
Ignoring for the moment the fact that there AREN'T quite enough SFX-oriented SciFi movies with no sense in the plot coming out every year, how is a movie the plot of which makes no Valendamned sense superior to a movie the plot of which makes no Valendamned sense either but gives you lots of eye candy?
'Next time I let Superman take charge, just hit me. Real hard.'
'You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues. Lots of issues.'
'No. No dating for the Batman. It might cut into your brooding time.'
'Tactically we have multiple objectives. So we need to split into teams.'-'Dibs on the Amazon!'
'Hey, we both have a Martian's phone number on our speed dial. I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt.'
'You know, for a guy with like 50 different kinds of vision, you sure are blind.'
Batman wrote:Ignoring for the moment the fact that there AREN'T quite enough SFX-oriented SciFi movies with no sense in the plot coming out every year, how is a movie the plot of which makes no Valendamned sense superior to a movie the plot of which makes no Valendamned sense either but gives you lots of eye candy?
Since if they tried they might actually succeed occasionally (in making a good plot, that is). Most SFX movie projects start with the premise that plot doesn't really matter; the teens and effect junkies will come anyway.
In all seriousness, this sounds like desperate oBSG fans hoping for something to overshadow RDM's show, and seems almost too good to be true. Singer's attached again after eight years? It'd be cool if so. However, I'd be shocked if this gets off the ground in a prompt fashion.
-A.L.
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So.... I guess it's a re-reboot back to the Space Mormons from Planet Egypt.
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"
- PeZook
A "lighter" movie more based on oBSG than nBSG might be fun, I'm hoping they'll include enough eye-candy and do deliver on the space battles, because somehow more "space battles and less [...] bleak meditations about faith and humanity" sounds like it could make for a fun movie. Just hoping they really won't try to include something "deep" and "meaningful" that turns out to be boring bullshit.
