It’s been four months since we told you that Universal is still working on bringing Battlestar Galactica to the big screen as a “massive event franchise” to use their expression, and which my blackened and cynical old soul interpreted as their attempt to cash-in on Star Wars/Trek mania.
Perhaps I’m being uncharitable, but given both the original (as a child) and the reboot (as an adult) series are among my favourites that’s the last thing I’d like to see happen to the franchise. At the time no writer or director was attached to the project, but Deadline are now reporting that this has changed – and the people involved give me a flicker of hope.
Lisa Joy has been tapped to handle the writing duties – she’s the co-creator and executive producer of HBO’s upcoming Westworld TV series reboot (catch the first trailer here), and has previously worked on Pushing Daisies and Burn Notice.
Also circling the project, but not yet confirmed to be on board, is director Francis Lawrence. Lawrence, director of the last three Hunger Games movies, I Am Legend and Constantine, is set to direct Jennifer Lawrence again in the spy-thriller Red Sparrow and would only join the project once that is complete – should he sign on the dotted line.
There have been absolutely no hints as to how Universal see their potential movie franchise unfolding or in what direction they might go. My personal hope is that they choose to stick fairly closely to the main plot of the series – which is a ragtag bunch of human survivors fleeing their implacable robotic creations, and who’re significantly over-matched in any kind of direct conflict.
Ratchet up the action sequences for the big screen for sure, but also bring in the darker and more mature themes and overtones that made the rebooted series such a massive success. That’s what’ll differentiate this space-set franchise from the others. You’re never going to out-Star Wars Star Wars, or out-Trek Star Trek, so don’t try.
What do you think?
Last Updated: June 10, 2016
