X-Men director Bryan Singer will reinvent an updated Battlestar Galactica television series for Studios USA, which inherited the rights to the 1970s cult SF show from Universal, Variety reported. Singer has made a deal with Studios USA to executive produce it with his X-Men partner Tom DeSanto, the trade paper reported.
Singer will also direct the pilot if it doesn't conflict with his plans to helm X-Men 2. The studio is finalizing deals with show runners and will shop the series to networks shortly, though USA said it might work out an arrangement to share the show with The SCI FI Channel, Variety reported. Studios USA and SCI FI are both owned by USA Networks, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
The original series, starring Lorne Greene, was created by Glen Larson and ran on ABC for two seasons starting in 1978. Singer's plans would appear to torpedo earlier efforts to revive Galactica by both Larson and original series star Richard Hatch (not the Survivor winner).
USA Television Production Group president David Kissinger told Variety that he received frequent e-mails from fans, but never considered reviving the series until Singer approached him. "I never dreamed a filmmaker of Bryan's stature would be enough of a hard-core fan that he saw this as a franchise that could be reinvented," Kissinger told the trade paper. "In the initial meeting, I was wary that he might be just another feature guy looking to slap his name on a TV project, but it was immediately clear this wasn't so. He's got a whole mythology and arc for the series already worked out."
<font color="orange">USA Television Production Group president David Kissinger told Variety that he received frequent e-mails from fans, but never considered reviving the series until Singer approached him.</font>
"never considered reviving"???
What planet has he been living since?
Somebody get me his email, his cell phone number, his home phone number, and his address.
I don't know if I should take this news seriously yet. I mean it would be great but then Bryan Singer hasn't added his comment to the article at least to confirm his decision to undertake this project after the X-Men 2 production.
I hope Singer is open enough to consider having inputs from Richard Hatch (Apollo, not the Survivor winner) and perhaps if they decided to go with a different cast perhaps put Richard Hatch as Commander Adama.
In any case, I want to see Colonial Vipers and Cylon Raiders fly once again.
I also want Cylons being more quick and cunning and un-Borglike. IOW, put some AI into them.
------------------ Anyhoo, just some random thoughts...
[This message has been edited by REG (edited 02-22-2001).]
The latest word is that Singer received a blessing from the show's co-creator, Glen L. Larson. In fact, Mr. Larson will be onboard as an advisor
Don't know if that is good news or bad news. Both Larson and BSG's Apollo star Richard Hatch were competing to revive the series. Larson's project was to bring BSG to the IMAX screen, while Hatch wanted to do a full-screen theatrical version. Suffice to say that before this announcement they were rivals (at least with the show's other co-creator whose name I can't recall at the moment siding with Larson).