In 1994 filmmaking tandem Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich introduced the world to their contemporary sci-fi action flick "Stargate" which related the story of the US military using an excavated ancient galactic portal to travel across the stars. This simple movie laid the foundation for a multimedia franchise in itself, starting with the 1997-2007 TV series "Stargate: SG-1." With two more series, to direct-to-DVD movies, an animated show and plenty of other media under its belt, "Stargate" has constructed a thoughtfully flesh-out fictional universe and history.
Now franchise holder MGM is ready to bring the franchise back into the mainstream by going back earlier in its history, in the form of a digital-only series called "Stargate Origins."
Point of origin
MGM announced at the San Diego Comic Con that they will soon launch their very own online streaming service to throw their own hat into the lucrative market. In a nod to fans, they have named the streaming platform "Stargate Command," and it is here that they will launch a new 10-episode series set in their prize sci-fi universe. "Stargate Origins" will follow the character of Catherine Langford, who was the daughter of the archaeologist who found the Stargate in Giza in 1923 and later became a civilian consultant on the US Air Force's Stargate Command at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
While the most primary appearance of Langford in the original film and "SG-1" was as an elderly researcher, "Stargate Origins" will take place during the prime of her life, decades in the past. When she discovers a threat to Earth that will engulf it in darkness, Catherine opens the Stargate to search for a means to save the world.
The new series will be directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan and written by Mark Ilvedson and Justin Michael Terry for the MGM Digital Group. No casting has been announced but production is supposed to begin in August.
Long-awaited comeback
For the better part of the nineties and the 2000s, "Stargate" was the go-to franchise for reality-grounded military science fiction, usually depicting Earth forces confronting powerful alien threats with conventional weapons and reverse-engineered extraterrestrial equipment.
"SG-1" also popularized the notion of a production company working in close tandem with US military assistance and technical expertise. Several extras in the TV series were cameos of actual serving Air Force personnel, and two USAF Generals appeared in episodes as themselves.
MGM's "Stargate Command" streaming service will host "Stargate Origins" when production is complete. The platform is said to have both free and paid elements for perusal. More information on the new series, and its online carrier, will be released by MGM in the following days.
