IGN has gotten word that Universal is working on possibly turning the TV show Battlestar Galactica into a major motion picture. The interesting twist here, is that they want to make a movie based on the 1978 TV series for which the current show on SCI FI is based. Universal’s plan is for Glen A. Larson, who created the original show, to write and produce the new movie version.
The foundation of both shows is that civilization was decimated by the machine race known as the Cylons and the survivors’ fight to find a new home called Earth while led by Commander Adama. The big difference is the high amounts of sex, politics, and pure human emotion that the current show delivers, which bring a certain realism to this fictional future; while the 1978 show has that hardcore ’70s cheese factor we’ve seen many times before.
Naturally, there are many fans of the old show who hate all the thinking that goes into the Ronald D. Moore version, so they’re all about this announcement. Personally, I think it’s the worst idea ever picked out of a hat on “Brainstorm Tuesdays.”
In all honesty, while the current show is about to end, it is still here, and it will always be there to watch over and over again long after the finale. There’s also the new prequel show called Caprica, which is on the way and already tying in to the current show’s mythology. Because of these facts, Universal can go right ahead and make their Battlestar Galactica and attempt to do something brilliant with it. But… if they do ultimately decide to make it, the real question becomes: how stupid an idea is this really?
For a studio to seriously ponder trying to create a movie based on a property that has already been taken and ingeniously constructed into one of the best shows ever created — well, that’s just absurd to think about. I can’t wrap my head around it. Add the fact that the current show is still running and as popular as ever, hell, you may just incite a fanboy riot, Universal.
Curiously enough, I’m not so much of a fan of the show where this news angers me. I love the show very much and all, but I’m writing this not to yell and shake my funny hat, but out of sheer, solid confusion at the simple notion of it all.
If a movie could ever fail without even being started, this right here is it, folks. Sad.
WHAT?? NO! Boooo! Why on EARTH would they do that, with the acclaim the new series has? They can’t be serious…
Comment by Rabscuttle — February 21, 2009 @ 9:24 am
That idea is stupid!
BSG 80 was too cheesy
that can not work
It willl be a super failure
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Comment by bsgfan — February 22, 2009 @ 8:16 am
the old galactica is like a comedy show
those cylons are not very serious
Comment by bsgfan — February 22, 2009 @ 8:17 am
No one has EVER accused hollywood “suits” of being intelligent. This is by far the WORST idea I’ve ever heard of. Of course I’m doubting that it will seriously ever get past the talking phase.
If Glen Larson does this, it will be more out of spite for the rebooted series, as he has been quoted as not liking it for the ‘darker’ nature that RDM gave it.
Of course Mr. Larson created the idea of a holocaust survivor show in the first place, so I find his whineage hilarious. And…his ‘survivors’ upon escaping the big bads in the original miniseries….go to a CASINO PLANET and start partying. This is the guy Universal wants to make a movie with? LMAO x100. or cry. I’ll pick laughing. sigh.
Comment by cas — February 22, 2009 @ 8:22 am
Awesome! Finally! The new show sucks beyond words and should not have been called Battlestar Galactica. Ron Moore ruined BSG the same way he ruined Star Trek…he took it off track and bastardized it for his own ego. Moore is the one who cashed in on the good name of the classic. If he had to come up with his own idea (and his own name), it would not have been popular at all. Can’t wait to see Glen Larson return the hope and archetypal characters that made the original such a classic.
Comment by K2 — February 22, 2009 @ 1:51 pm
i’m one of those who can’t wait for a movie based on the one, only, and original Battlestar Galactica. I can’t stand moore’s series. it’s not BSG at all no matter what anyone says. you put another name to it and it could be just another series too filled with sex and very little storytelling. not to mention i’d still hate it which is a shame considering there is so little sci-fi on television these days. Glen A. Larson can’t get the script finished soon enough for me.
Comment by sandra mutter — February 23, 2009 @ 5:40 am
Could Moore’s series be improved upon – absolutely; is the reimagined BSG worse than the orignal – frak no! The original BSG was out of this world – when I was 6 years old – but come on, who would really pay theater prices in these times to go watch a updated version of the 1970s series? Good lord, there was more cheese in the original BSG than a Green Bay Packers’ home game. Simply stated, there’s more characterization and plot in a single episode of the new BSG than the entire series run of the original. The only good result out of this fiasco from Universal would be supplying Mystery Science Theater 3000 with plenty of cannon fodder.
Comment by burning_chrome — February 23, 2009 @ 9:09 am
While some people out there still think the Larson version was terrific and would love to shell out $12 or whatever to see him do it all again, I just can’t believe there are enough to convince Universal that this is a financially-viable idea. Then again, movie studios do a lot of stupid things. Coming on the heels of the acclaimed run of the RDM/Eick version (also done by Universal) makes this an even stranger business decision to contemplate.
I was a fan of the original when I was a kid, but re-watching it today is painful — not merely because of the many ridiculous aspects (the cowboy planet, the pig-men, the unicorn, etc.), but also because there was never any sense of drama, of civilization being nearly gone and needing to hang on by the fingernails and keep going. In Larson’s show, the Colonies are destroyed … and so everyone stops to party at the casino planet. Yeah. Hopefulness is one thing, but being oblivious is too much to swallow. The newer show — with character development, a coherent story, and a real sense of drama — is the better in nearly every way. That is, in my opinion.
Comment by Inter Alia — February 23, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
Thank you the Movie God
you said it all
LOL, and why not BSG : the musical ?
producers, come on…
The very idea of this project is insulting not to mention the timing of all this nonsense.
This “project” was obviously not coming from a BSG fan…
( and I hardly believe this is the result of a brainstorming session for that matter )
next !
Comment by cccg — February 24, 2009 @ 4:51 pm
look
first of all the new battlestar Galactica is the worst pice of crap i ever seen.Its like the stupid dumb ass never saw this show in his entire life. For the longest time i never watch that garbage that the stupid Si Fi channel came up with. You know they hate everything that has to do with sience fiction and secoundly they shoud of done this in the first place! I just got to say it’s about dam time they brought back the REAL BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and destroy the new one! WHICH should never been put on the air in the first place i mean how stupid cane you get when all the cast are cyclons i’m glade they never made it here!!
Comment by airwolfflannery — March 22, 2009 @ 3:26 am
I wouldn’t dismiss the idea, solely because a movie based on the original series could negate the entire BSG 1980 crap that was pretty terrible. All in all (cheese factor included) of all the Star Wars clones to crop up in the late 70’s BSG managed to develop an identity of it’s own. All the “good things” we like about the reimagining was not stuff you could have gotten away with in the early 80’s.
While I don’t necessarily believe that stripping drama, or character development for the sake of action is a trend that I personally want to see continue (ala the new dumbed down Star Trek franchise) I do believe one of the flaws of Moore’s galactica was that he was trying to do something different for the genre, but he didn’t realize that he was aping soap opera tropes to do it with. As a result he managed to make way too many characters we liked completely unlikeable A-holes, and you lost the idea that these were still refugees on the run.
Comment by Nelson James — January 9, 2011 @ 9:38 am