Planned Stargate Film Remake to Be Abandoned: Too Much Pressure?
The sci-fi action adventure film "Stargate" opened in 1994 and became a commercial success around the world, spawning a TV series in the US. After more than two decades, the long-awaited trilogy remake won't be happening after all, and according to its creators, it's because of the way the film industry is made.
After the success of the "Stargate" film, Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich sold the rights of the franchise to MGM so that the two of them could work on "Independence Day", another sci-fi action film about aliens. It was intended to be part of a trilogy, but the sequels never panned out because of studio policies and creative conflicts, according to an interview in Variety.
In Comic Con 2006, Devlin announced that there was a huge possibility that "Stargate" sequels will be made by the new MGM management. "...I think it will be very exciting to actually get to go do parts two and three." According to Devlin, the script was going well for a few months, "but now it's not looking so good." In an EmpireOnline report, he talked about how the decision to abandon the "Stargate" remake came from the current film industry, where more emphasis is placed on getting more profit from franchises.
Devlin further explained that if the remake is bad, fans will reject it, and that the production shouldn't continue if the remake will fail to meet fan expectations. "Stargate" was originally produced without the backing of a major studio, so the creators had more freedom and less pressure from film producers. Now that the "Stargate" venture has been abandoned, Devlin will focus on his other films "Countdown" and "Bad Samaritan".
"Stargate" is originally about an Egyptologist and linguist Daniel Jackson who solves an ancient puzzle that leads into another world. Together with a military group led by Col. Jack O'Neil, Jackson dives into a world that looks like ancient Egypt, with an alien god Ra who takes over human bodies to prolong his own life. It became a global hit, and fans had been looking forward to a film series only to be disappointed that the planned remaked has been abandoned.
