When Blast interviewed Michael Shanks last month, we learned that the new, anticipated “Stargate SG-1” straight-to-DVD movie does not exist yet. That is, it’s not under production as of now. MGM is out of money and for sale, and they own all the rights to Stargate.
Nonetheless, we believe the movie will get made eventually. Stargate remains a popular and potentially profitable franchise.
If a new SG-1 movie is to be, the producers and writers have a high bar set for them. It would likely be the last we ever see of SG-1, and with the uncertainties raised by “Stargate Universe,” and the cancellation of “Atlantis,” this untitled DVD movie might be the last gasp of Stargate as its original fans know it.
Here is what we think the producers should do to make it a success — and a proper sendoff.
- Create a funeral ceremony for General Hammond. Actor Don S. Davis gave his last media interview to Blast in March 2008, a few months before his death. In the Stargate world, they named a new ship, under the command of Col. Carter, after their beloved General Hammond and acknowledged that he died of a heart attack in the first episode of “Universe.” But Stargate never did anything to remember or commemorate him and the amazing actor who played General George Hammond. The new movie should begin with or feature early on some sort of ceremony, and feature Bra’tac in some way.
- No time travel or alternate universes. The “SG-1” episode called “1969” was the only good time travel story the franchise ever created. Don’t get us started on “Stargate: Continuum.” The new movie should stick to the troubles of modern Earth and the SGC.
- No religious bad guys. There are ways we could go with a new movie that don’t involve more fake religions. The Lucian Alliance is obviously still a problem.
- No replicators.
- Fix the Asgard core. Obviously the Stargate world has only had the gifts of the Asgard for one episode and two movies, and they haven’t done much good with this power and knowledge yet.
- It’s time to disclose. It’s time to tell everyone about the Stargate. This would be the perfect arc to develop a movie. The people of Earth have been blind to the true nature of the universe for too long, and it’s time to open their eyes. We’re anxious to see how this would play out.
- Let there be a genuine human conflict. There are a lot of humans in the galaxy. Now that the Goa’uld are wiped out and the Ori are defeated, the humans of the galaxy are going to rebuild. Maybe some “United Nations” style coalition will develop among dozens or even hundreds of worlds. Stargate’s biggest strength was always in its ability to be a “human” drama.
- Make the movie at least two hours. This 1:40 crap has to go. If you’re going to make a movie, make a feature-length movie. Stargate fans would watch a 2-hour or 2:30 film — and we would watch it over, and over, and over again.
- Pax Tau’ri. The Tau’ri — Earth — has once again saved the galaxy. This should usher in a Golden Age of sorts. It’s even possible that the new movie could easily be set 10 years in the “future,” which isn’t too hard since SG-1 ended three years ago. Earth can change. We can open with some kind of montage with Hammond’s funeral, and a glance at the team’s victories over the years. Then the people of Earth are told about the Stargate. We spend a few minutes dwelling on that and setting the stage. There will be some panic. Some riots. Then people will calm down. (It’s kinda like when the Red Sox won the World Series in 04). Then we show “Pax Tau’ri,” the period of relative calm. Time goes by. Then we formally start the movie. Get it? It’s opening the door for a clean slate.
What do you think?
I would have put “NO REPLICATORS!” first thing. They are done to death and it would not surprise me in the least if they ran into them in Stargate Universe as the writers just can’t seem to let them go. AUs and time travel are a cop-out as that usually means no matter what happens, it never really happened, so no growth for the characters to speak of.
Good points.
While I don’t particularly want a replicator story or a time travel one either, it does make me laugh when people protest so vehemently against them. So many people bleat that they’re done to death, yet they’ve brought us some of the best episodes of the franchise. The replicators give us Reckoning, First Strike, and Be All My Sins Remember’d to name a few, and time travel gave us Window Of Opportunity and (what seems to be an SGU fan favourite already) Time. Not high on my list of what I want to see, but I’d much rather see those two themes than the Stargate program going public, with that can of worms open its a slippery slope to becoming a Star Trek clone.
Yeah, I like the idea of revealing the existence of the Stargate to the world finally. It would be interesting to see the reaction of religious zealots, and luddites, as well as geeks. It should also involve a technological revolution on Earth, which in itself will create turmoil. At this point the Stargate universe will have very little resemblance to our actual world, and be more like a Philip K. Dick near-future version.
1. Don Davis was a wonderful man, and that is reflected in the character he played, but I’m not sure the people who worked with him for ten years would want to relive his funeral.
2. Maybe.
3. The Lucian Alliance is as dull as the Ori.
4. I adore the replicators – as long as it’s the metal ones, not the people.
5. The Asgard core was a stupid idea. SG-1 had YEARS on a ship with a machine with a database full of Asgard (and other) technology and a machine that could build ANYTHING, and the solution they came up with didn’t use either of them. Ugh, please no revisits to this tiresome concept and the associated plotholes.
8. Yes, yes, yes, make it long! Really long! Directors cut long!
6, 7 and 9. You just used up half a movie and nothing happened. Yawn…
6,7,9 No I think you can do it in about 10-15 minutes
As Team America said: “we’re going to need a montage”.
Montage (with accompanying voiceover):
Sam: Wow, things sure are different since the Stargate went public.
Jack: Yes, Carter, but at first I thought the rioting would never stop!
Daniel: Hey, America made unilateral decisions that risked everyone on this planet.
Jack: Oh people never argue about that sort of thing for long…which is why the last ten years have been so peaceful.
Daniel: Apart from all the religious people whose faith we challenged…
Sam: …and all the people from other countries who wanted access to the new data which changes almost every scientific discipline.
Jack: Oh sure there’ve been a few whingers, and millions of people fighting to emigrate off-world, but other than that…pretty peaceful.
Daniel: The League of Planets is shaping up well.
Jack: That was easy, we just copied “Babylon 5”.
Teal’c: I enjoyed our Oprah show in which we showed clips of our team’s victories over the years.
Sam: Oh that was great. Not like General Hammond’s funeral…that was kinda depressing. But he was a great guy.
Teal’c: Indeed.
Jack: And we’ve had ten peaceful years during which everyone got on great.
Daniel: We did have a few personal consequences: being treated as heroes, then the backlash, and Sam’s addiction problem.
Jack: But other than that…real peaceful.
Sam: So, we’re reforming for one last mission. You think it’ll go smoothly?
Stargate:Origins . Make a three part movie, the arrival of Ra, the time of Ra and the Fall of Ra.
No english, all subtitles. No cornyness.
Bring an Ancient back, or even a whole ship of them, they are suppose to be the be all and end all lets see them in action as humans side by side with us, as they once where, there power, they can show us or lead us rather than being a myth all the time, introduce them to Earth and all it’s people they helped create.
Well that’s what I would do.
The guy who woote this article should be writing for SGU. These quick blurbs of ideas sound better than most of the stuff the show has aired.