As part of r/scifi’s 30 Days of Stargate extravaganza, Brad Wright – co-creator of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, and creator of Travelers – took on hundreds of questions from fans in an AMA on Wednesday, December 7th, 2022. We’re sharing the highlights right here so you don't have to dig through the replies.
Amazon’s New Stargate: Brad is Rooting for Them
It was inevitable that there'd be numerous questions on Stargate’s future following the acquisition of parent studio MGM by Amazon earlier this year, with rumors swirling about a total reboot, a partial reboot, and a script for a canonical fourth series by Brad. u/LaChanz/ asked, “Well, can we expect any more Stargate?”
“I am sure MGM and Amazon will do something with the franchise. I am less sure if I will have anything to do with it. A few years ago now, MGM reached out to me and asked me to develop a pilot script for a new series, but so much has changed since then, including all of the players. Amazon is probably deciding what to do with Stargate as a tent-pole franchise and that may take some time. I wish them well.”
u/ShitJustGotRealAgain/ asked, “What does it feel like to have the SG universe out of your hands?”
“I’ve already experienced what you're talking about to a degree. Rob [C. Cooper] took over from me as showrunner later in SG-1 and made different choices, just as Paul [Mullie] and Joe [Mallozzi] did with Atlantis. But just because it's not what you would have done, doesn't mean it's not good.”
u/R6Major2/ spoke for the fandom, asking, “Is there any new hope of an in-canon Stargate with Amazon? I have watched all three series more times than I can remember because it's all soooo damn good. Don’t the rewatch numbers tell them anything?”
“I don’t know. I'm sure ’re considering it, but I suspect they're also considering starting afresh, without any of the “baggage” of previous iterations. I can see both points of view. My own take was a continuation of the existing universe, but over a decade later, with brand new elements and an entirely new enemy. I tried to do both old and new. I have no idea what Amazon will do, but those decisions will take place at the highest level. I suspect they'll bring in an A-list writer or writers. (I am not on that list.)”
u/iBREC asked what the state of play was with Brad’s new Stargate script.
“I doubt it’s because my script wasn't ambitious enough because it was huge! But it wasn’t a reinvention of the franchise and that may be what they're looking for. I don’t know. I've not spoken to anyone at Amazon. I’m not keeping secrets. I see rumors on Twitter and Youtube and it makes me laugh. I don’t think Amazon has decided anything yet.”
u/Orionsbelt coaxed out another teaser on Brad’s new Stargate script, asking, “Did you as time went on think about a storyline where the gate's existence was revealed to the general public on earth?”
“That was going to be part of the plot for the next SG-1 DVD movie.
“It was also going to be revealed in the first season of the series I wrote a pilot for, though not intentionally.
“It seems wrong at this point for SGC to be keeping all that advanced tech secret at this point.”
Brad’s Got Other Sci-Fi Projects on the Go
Whilst it might not be entirely good news on the Stargate front, it's certainly heartening to hear that Brad Wright is keeping busy. u/beachtrader/ asked, “What new concepts do you have for a new show that we might like to hear?”
“Well, without telling you my series in development, I will say they run the gambit from space-based drama to more Earth-bound thriller with a sci-fi twist.”
A similar question from Companion regular (Hi!) u/spacerace51 received a slightly different response: “Are you working on any exciting projects at the minute?”
“Well, I think all my projects are exciting, of course, but the trick is convincing buyers of the same thing. I'm trying. I've developed five or six series since Travelers that have not found a home (including my take on a new Stargate) but that's the nature of the business. I'm at the point in my career where I only want to make stuff I created, so unless I come up with something...”
Brad Drops a Ton of Stargate Trivia
Our very own u/lkao leads the charge, asking, “In ‘Window of Opportunity’, we get a montage of funny time loops like golfing, pottery-making, cycling, resigning, and kissing Carter...were there any other time loop scenarios that didn't make the episode?”
“Not that I can think of. In fact, some of what we did came out of the fact that the episode was going to be short. We spitballed a few ideas to Peter [DeLuise, director] and he shot them. We ordered the golf clubs the day before!”
u/Pukato asked, “Do you dream about the shows you (co-)created, especially Stargate?”
“Yes! But mostly it's about the behind-the-camera stuff. Writers room, meetings, etc. I have dreamed many times of pitching [co-showrunner] Rob Cooper an idea, waking up in the morning to find it makes no sense at all. I guess when you spend a decade and a half on a show it sticks in your subconscious.”
u/jcknn asked, “Can you recall any of the wildest fan mail you ever received?”
“I did get a lot of hate mail when Daniel ascended. My face with a target around it was the creepiest.”
u/shogi_x asked, “Were there any minor characters in Stargate that you wanted to do more with but never found an opportunity to pull them back in?”
“I liked the recruits from ‘Proving Ground’.”
u/lafitte_1812 asked, “Out of universe, was there any practical reason why y'all chose the P90 as the primary weapon of the SG teams to replace the MP5?”
“A P90 ejects casings downward, which made it safer for our actors.
“Also, I think they're cool.”
u/Enderkool asked, “How many seasons did you expect Atlantis to go on for when it first began airing?”
“We were hoping to do a series of DVD movies after Season 5.”
In similar territory, u/nowhere_man_1992/ asked, “Do you have any regrets about how the shows ended? Did the stories wrap up well in your opinion?”
“We intended to make a series of DVD movies. We spent a fortune keeping the Atlantis set up, but the bottom fell out of the DVD market and MGM told us to stand down. Too bad, too. I really enjoyed making Continuum and they worked well alongside the TV shows. I actually like how SGU ended, although I know I'm in the minority. It's hopeful, it's mysterious, and it left the door open. Also, Joel's music cue for the ending is glorious and moving.”
We Have Unfinished Business with Travelers
u/averinix asked, “Any hope, even a smidgeon, of reviving Travelers?”
“I think Travelers is going to be thought of as a cult hit eventually, but I don't think we ever reached the numbers that would make Netflix want to revisit. Carrie [Mudd, producer] and I did try, and Eric [McCormack, who plays Grant MacLaren] was all aboard to continue. But never say never. I love the world and the stakes and would love to make a version 2 someday.”
u/Novel-Structure-2359 leapt in with a juicy follow-up: “Could you give us a few of the plots you would have liked to explore if it had come back”
“Mac went back to 2001. He passed a letter to a brilliant scientist to stop Helios and in the process, stopped her from creating the singularity engine that might also have ended humanity. I think he would have visited Carly and introduced her to the FBI, stopped Trevor from dying in that fight, and got Phillip off of heroin. He would also have befriended David and Marcy. Then...?”
This article was first published on December 12th, 2022, on the original Companion website.
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