New Stargate Series Prepped By Original Creator May Be In Trouble

Stargate co-creator Brad Wright shared an update about the potential Stargate series, saying there was little chance it was going to get made after the MGM sale.

By Charlene Badasie | Published

A few years ago, MGM Studios asked Stargate SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright to write a pilot for a new series that would follow a new special ops team within the existing story. But now, the writer has given fans a devastating update on the reboot. Responding to fan questions on social media, he said the revival is likely destined to gather dust now that MGM has changed hands. “Timing couldn’t have been much worse,” he explained. “All the players have changed in the interim.”

However, Wright also voiced his confidence that Amazon will make another Stargate. But he’s not directly involved with that decision-making process. “It may just take some time for them to decide what they want to do,” he said in another tweet. “But they own it. Not me.”

Although the studio’s previous plans have been scrapped, the sci-fi series is very popular. So it stands to reason they will want to leverage the IP at some point.

Brad Wright was brought on to develop a new Stargate project in early 2019. A year later, he had a pilot script for a fourth live-action television series. But just before he could pitch the project to broadcast networks or streaming partners, the global pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt.

During that time, Wright worked on refining his script. But in early 2021 MGM announced that it was selling the entire studio and all its assets to Amazon.

After Amazon completed its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM, Stargate fans still hoped that the studio would see the script as a potential hit, especially since it was developed by one of the franchise’s original creators.

But those hopes were dashed when, during a live stream with The Companion to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, Wright said his pilot would probably never see the light of day. For now, MGM hasn’t released any information about its plans for the brand, GateWorld reports.

Created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, Stargate SG-1 is based on the 1994 movie Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The story begins a year after the events of the film when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device can access a network of such devices on a multitude of planets and in space.

To keep the planet safe, the government puts together an elite special operations air force team called SG-1 who explore the galaxy and defend it against alien threats like the Goa’uld, the Replicators, and the Ori. During its run, the Stargate SG-1 also drew inspiration from Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythology, as well as the legend of King Arthur for story ideas.

The series was a ratings success over the years and was very popular with viewers around the world. Stargate SG-1 was honored with several awards and nominations during its ten seasons, with various spin-offs continuing the franchise. This included the animated Stargate Infinity series and the live-action Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, and Stargate Origins. Two direct-to-video movies, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, were released in 2008.

Stargate SG-1 is also the only series to have the full support and endorsement of the United States Armed Forces, especially the United States Air Force.