''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a
military science fiction media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
based on the
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
directed by
Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer
Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin (born August 27, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor of film and television. He is best known for his collaborations with director Roland Emmerich, and for his work on the The Librarian (franchise), ''Li ...
. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien
wormhole
A wormhole (Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a hypothetical structure connecting disparate points in spacetime, and is based on a special Solutions of the Einstein field equations, solution of the Einstein field equations.
A wormhole can be visualize ...
(specifically an
Einstein–Rosen bridge) device (the
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
) that enables nearly
instantaneous travel across the cosmos. The franchise began with the film ''
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
'', released on October 28, 1994, by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
and
Carolco
Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that existed from 1976 to 1995, founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco h ...
, which grossed
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
197million worldwide.
In 1997,
Brad Wright and
Jonathan Glassner created a television series titled ''
Stargate SG-1'' as a sequel to the film. This show was joined by ''
Stargate Atlantis'' in 2004, ''
Stargate Universe'' in 2009, and a prequel web series, ''
Stargate Origins
''Stargate Origins'' (abbreviated as ''SGO'') is an American science fiction adventure web miniseries created and written by Mark Ilvedson and Justin Michael Terry, part of the ''Stargate'' franchise. It premiered with the first three episodes o ...
'', in 2018. Also consistent with the same story are a variety of
books
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ar ...
, video games and
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
, as well as the
direct-to-DVD movies ''
Stargate: Children of the Gods'', ''
Stargate: The Ark of Truth'', and ''
Stargate: Continuum'', which concluded the first television show after 10 seasons.
In 2011, ''Stargate Universe'', the last ''Stargate'' program on television ended its run. Brad Wright announced that there were no more plans to continue the same story in further productions.
In 2016, comic publisher American Mythology acquired the rights to publish new ''Stargate Atlantis'' stories set within the established franchise canon. This was expanded in 2017 to include new ''Stargate Universe'' comics as well, resolving the cliffhanger that ended the show. The predominant story arc thus ran for more than 15 years, including 18 seasons (364 episodes) of programming, and 22 comic book issues as of January 2020. However, a variety of other media either ignore this main continuity or reset it, while maintaining essential elements that define the franchise (mainly, the inclusion of a Stargate device). These include the 2002 animated series ''
Stargate Infinity''.
In 2017, the franchise was briefly revived with the announcement of a new prequel web series, ''
Stargate Origins
''Stargate Origins'' (abbreviated as ''SGO'') is an American science fiction adventure web miniseries created and written by Mark Ilvedson and Justin Michael Terry, part of the ''Stargate'' franchise. It premiered with the first three episodes o ...
''.
Episodes premiered on a central "fan hub" for the franchise called Stargate Command, with a single season of ten 10-minute episodes.
Premise
The ''Stargate'' franchise is built around the in-universe titular device of the
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
, a ring-shaped device built by an ancient intergalactic race of beings that allows almost instantaneous travel across vast distances via wormholes that can be "dialed" between any two Stargates on the network. The shows themselves are typically set contemporaneous to when they were made, featuring real-world or "realistic" technologies in an otherwise science-fiction setting. Most incarnations of the franchise follow a similar structure, following the exploits of the lead expeditionary team of the show's setting on various one-off or season-arc continuing episodes, with major differences being the principle setting and main villains faced.
Franchise releases
Due to multiple developers working separately and independently on the franchise over the years, the various ''Stargate'' productions are not entirely consistent with each other; and while no set of works forms an official
canon, the largest
following exists for the three live-action series.
Media releases
Films
Television
Documentaries and specials
Game releases
* ''Stargate: Timekeepers'' is a live strategy video game in development since May 2021 for the PC from
Slitherine
Slitherine Software UK Limited is a British video game developer and publisher founded on 25 June 2000. It is responsible for the production of a range of over 200 strategy and war video games for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS2, PS3, PS4, Wii, DS, ...
and
CreativeForge Games
CreativeForge Games S.A. is a Polish video game developer based in Warsaw. Founded in 2011 by Jakub Rozenek and Łukasz Żarnowiecki, the company developed ''Ancient Space'', ''Hard West'', and ''Phantom Doctrine'', with ''Hard West 2'' and '' ...
.
* ''
Stargate SG-1: Unleashed'' is an adventure game featuring the original SG-1 team for Android and iOS developed by MGM and Arkalis Interactive.
* ''
Stargate: Resistance'' is an online, third-person shooter. It was released February 10, 2010. It has since been cancelled due to contracts with MGM. It is still downloadable, however.
* ''
Stargate Worlds'' was a Stargate-universe
massively multiplayer online role-playing game in development before its cancellation. The writers and producers of Stargate viewed Stargate Worlds as running side by side with the show in complete canon.
* ''
Stargate SG-1: The Alliance'' was a computer game based on the Stargate universe, which was due to be released in late 2005, but was canceled.
* A
Stargate Trading Card game was released in May 2007. It is available in both Online and Print forms. Designed by Sony Online Entertainmentwho also run the Online version of the gameand published by Comic Images.
* A
Stargate Role-Playing Game (
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
) was produced by
Alderac Entertainment. It was considered canon by both the publishers, and the staff of MGM. However, when
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
bought
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
, they lost the license to produce Stargate RPG products and the RPG license is unassigned.
* Two video games based on the film were published by
Acclaim Entertainment: a 1995
eponymous side-scrolling platformer for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eur ...
(SNES) and
Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
, and a
Tetris-like
puzzle game for the
Sega Game Gear
The is an 8-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear pri ...
and
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
.
* There are three simulator-style
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
rides named ''
Stargate SG-3000
''Stargate'' games are inspired by the ''Stargate'' franchise, which started with the 1994 film, ''Stargate'' directed by Roland Emmerich.
The games in this article are not related to the 1981 arcade game ''Stargate'' by Williams Electronics.
G ...
'' located at
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom,
Six Flags Great America, and
Six Flags Marine World
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly known as Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA) is a 135-acre (55 ha) animal theme park located in Vallejo, California, off of Interstate 80 ...
.
* A
Stargate pinball game has been produced by
Gottlieb.
''Stargate'' franchise timeline
Theatrical films
''Stargate''
The titular 1994 film ''Stargate'', directed by
Roland Emmerich and co-written by Emmerich and
Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin (born August 27, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor of film and television. He is best known for his collaborations with director Roland Emmerich, and for his work on the The Librarian (franchise), ''Li ...
, focuses on the initial "re-discovery" of the Stargate on Earth and the first expedition off-world. The film sees a team led by Colonel Jack O'Neil (
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...
) and including Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (
James Spader
James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor. He has portrayed eccentric characters in films such as the drama ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' (1989) for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, the action scien ...
) venture through the Stargate to the planet of Abydos, finding a society of ancient Egyptian speaking humans ruled by a space-faring alien posing in the role of the ancient Egyptian sun god
Ra. The expedition eventually liberates the society from the control of the alien, killing it in the process, before the survivors (bar Daniel, who had ingrained himself with the locals) return to Earth.
Television
''SG-1''
In 1997,
Jonathan Glassner and
Brad Wright co-developed ''Stargate SG-1'', a television series intended to continue the story laid down by the original film. Although new actors were cast, several roles from the film were reprised, including the main characters Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill (which was re-spelled to include an extra "L"). The setting was transferred from a fictional military facility located in Creek Mountain, to
Stargate Command which was based in the
Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The show for the first eight seasons initially focused on efforts by Stargate Command to combat the Goa'uld, the race of beings to whom the alien calling itself Ra had belonged to, and their leaders known as the System Lords while liberating both the human populations they had enslaved throughout the galaxy as well as their enslaved armies of mutated humans known called the
Jaffa
Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...
. For the final two seasons the show moved to a new threat, the Ori, which were inspired by Arthurian legend.
The series debuted on
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
on July 27, 1997, and moved to the
Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...
after its fifth season. It starred
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is a retired American actor and producer. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead a ...
(as
O'Neill
The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...
) and
Michael Shanks (as
Jackson), alongside
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' and ...
,
Christopher Judge
Douglas Christopher Judge (born October 13, 1964) is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' and Kratos in the 2018 video game ''God of War'' and its ...
and
Don S. Davis
Donald Sinclair "Don" Davis (August 4, 1942 – June 29, 2008) was an American character actor best known for playing General Hammond in the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on t ...
respectively playing the new characters
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter, United States Air Force, USAF is a Character (arts), fictional character in the Canadian–American military science fiction ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by Amanda Tapping, she appears in all three shows in the franchise ...
,
Teal'c
Teal'c of Chulak is a fictional character in the 1997 military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1''. Portrayed by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified hu ...
and
George Hammond. The cast remained fairly regular for most of ''SG-1s run, but experienced some changes.
Michael Shanks left the show at the end of Season5 and was replaced by
Corin Nemec as
Jonas Quinn
Jonas Quinn is a fictional character in the 1997 Canadian-American television series ''Stargate SG-1'', a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Corin Nemec, Jonas ...
. Shanks returned at the beginning of Season7 and Nemec was written out. At the end of Season7
Davis
Davis may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Davis (Antarctica)
* Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago)
* Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land
Canada
* Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community
* Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...
left the show and Anderson filled the gap he left in the story. Season9 saw the departure of
Anderson, but added new regulars
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was a ...
and
Ben Browder. After a debut episode in Season 8, followed by appearances in eight episodes of Season 9,
Claudia Black's popular reception earned her a position in the regular cast in Season 10.
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
put an average of $1,400,000 into each episode of the show, and regarded it as one of its most important franchises.
''SG-1'' was taken off air in 2007; however, two
direct-to-DVD movies entitled ''
The Ark of Truth
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
and
Stargate Continuum
''Stargate: Continuum'' is a 2008 American military science fiction film directed by Martin Wood and written by Brad Wright. It is the second sequel to the television series ''Stargate SG-1'', following '' The Ark of Truth'' (2008). The film sta ...
'' were made to tie up loose ends.
''The Ark of Truth, Continuum & Children of the Gods''
''
Stargate: The Ark of Truth'' is a direct-to-DVD movie written and directed by
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the ''Stargate'' franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe''. He also co-created both ''Star ...
. The film is the conclusion of ''
Stargate SG-1''
's Ori
Ori or ORI may refer to:
People
* Ori (Hebrew), a Hebrew given name, and a list of Israeli people with the name
* Ori Kowarsky (born 1970), Canadian filmmaker and lawyer
* Ōri Umesaka (1900–1965), Japanese photographer
* Amos Ori (born 1956), ...
arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of ''
Stargate Atlantis''. ''The Ark of Truth'' was released as a
Region1 DVD release on March 11, 2008.
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
has broadcast the film on March 24, 2008, to be followed by the
Region2 DVD release on April 28, 2008, with the
Region4 DVD release on April 9, 2008.
''
Stargate: Continuum'' is a direct-to-DVD movie written by
Brad Wright and directed by
Martin Wood. Some scenes for this movie were already shot at the end of March 2007, but the original start date was set for May 22 at Vancouver's Bridge Studios. The production budget was $7million. The movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on July 29, 2008. The Region4 DVD was released on August 6, 2008 with the Region2 DVD released on August 18, 2008;
followed by possible TV broadcasts. The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to ''Stargate SG-1'', after ''Stargate: The Ark of Truth''.
''
Stargate: Children of the Gods'' is a direct-to-DVD movie written by
Jonathan Glassner and
Brad Wright and directed by
Mario Azzopardi
Mario Philip Azzopardi (born 19 November 1950) is a Canadian-Maltese television director, television and film director and writer.
Early life and emigration
Azzopardi was born in Siggiewi, Malta, and was educated at St Aloysius' College (Malta), S ...
.
The ''
Stargate SG-1'' pilot episode was re-cut as a third ''Stargate SG-1'' direct-to-
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
special and released on July 21, 2009 by
MGM Home Entertainment in
16:9 widescreen format. A few months before its release, executive producer Brad Wright announced it would be enhanced with brand new visual effects and scenes not previously included in the television version. The beginning was to be slightly altered, a new scene added, and the nudity scene taken out to make this episode suitable for children, with the final movie roughly seven minutes shorter than the original episode.
''Atlantis''
''Stargate Atlantis'' was a spin-off television series from ''Stargate SG-1''. A new feature film was originally intended to transition the two series after the sixth season of ''SG-1''. Later, ''SG-1'' was renewed for a seventh season, and the feature film was then planned to transition that season. Finally, when ''SG-1'' was renewed for an eighth season, the intended film instead became the two-part
season finale
A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try to ...
episode "
Lost City
A lost city is an urban settlement that fell into terminal decline and became extensively or completely uninhabited, with the consequence that the site's former significance was no longer known to the wider world. The locations of many lost citi ...
", and the setting of ''Stargate Atlantis'' was moved to the
Pegasus galaxy. This allowed the two shows to exist side-by-side within the same
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
, and later the two shows even become interconnected. ''Atlantis'' was developed by most of the same people and in the same studios as ''SG-1''.
The series follows the adventures of the "Atlantis expedition", an international combination of military forces and civilian scientists who travel to the
Pegasus Galaxy in search of the Lost City of
Atlantis, built by the ancient race of beings who had built the Stargates. Throughout the five year run the show mostly focused on the expedition fighting an alien species known as the Wraith, who are required to periodically feed on humans to survive and for thousands of years terrorised the humans of the galaxy, all while preventing their new foes from reaching the Milky Way.
''Atlantis'' debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel on July 16, 2004, starring
Joe Flanigan and
Torri Higginson in the lead roles, with
Rainbow Sun Francks,
David Hewlett, and
Rachel Luttrell alongside. Hewlett and Higginson's characters had previously appeared in ''SG-1'' (though Higginson inherited the role from actress
Jessica Steen). In ''Atlantis second season,
Paul McGillion and
Jason Momoa (replacing Francks) were added as regulars. At the end of the third season, Higginson and McGillion were removed as regulars, both serving recurring roles in the 4th season. Season4 brought in Amanda Tapping, reprising her role as Samantha Carter from SG-1, and
Jewel Staite in a recurring role. Tapping left the show for Season5 to concentrate on ''
Sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
'', and was replaced by
Robert Picardo, who reprised his role as
Richard Woolsey
Richard P. Woolsey is a fictional character in the '' Stargate'' television franchise about military teams exploring the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by actor Robert Picardo, Woolsey made hi ...
from both ''SG-1'' and ''Atlantis''. However, in late summer 2008 it was announced that SciFi would not renew ''Atlantis''. The final episode aired on January 9, 2009.
''Universe''
''
Stargate Universe'' is the third live-action ''Stargate'' series, and premiered on October 2, 2009. The series was pitched to the
Sci Fi Channel in the fall of 2007, just before the writer's strikewhich put a hold on the project. "The pitch was received very well," according to Stargate Atlantis co-creator Brad Wright. Sci Fi Channel ordered ''Universe'' after announcing the cancellation of ''Stargate Atlantis''. Syfy announced on December 16, 2010, that they would not pick the show up for a third season. The final episode aired May 9, 2011.
The shows focuses on an expedition being stranded several billion light years from Earth on board an Ancient ship called ''Destiny,'' which has been traveling through the universe uncrewed for millions of years. The show follows the crew as they struggle to survive on board ''Destiny'' with no apparent way home. The show was intended to have a darker tone than its predecessors and delve more into the humanity of the characters and their relationships with each other.
''Stargate Origins''
![Stargate Origins 2018 logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Stargate_Origins_2018_logo.svg)
In July 2017, a web series called ''
Stargate Origins
''Stargate Origins'' (abbreviated as ''SGO'') is an American science fiction adventure web miniseries created and written by Mark Ilvedson and Justin Michael Terry, part of the ''Stargate'' franchise. It premiered with the first three episodes o ...
'' was announced at a San Diego Comic Con Panel celebrating the franchise's 20th anniversary. It focuses on the character of Catherine Langford and is a prequel both to the television continuity and to the original feature film. The shooting began in August 2017 and series premiered online at the Stargate Command website on February 15, 2018.
The cast includes
Ellie Gall as the young
Catherine Langford
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the ...
,
Connor Trinneer
Connor Wyatt Trinneer (born March 19, 1969) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Charles "Trip" Tucker III on ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', Michael on the series ''Stargate Atlantis'', and Professor ...
as Catherine's father, Professor Paul Langford,
Aylam Orian as Dr. Wilhelm Brücke, a high-ranking Nazi officer,
Philip Alexander
Philip Alexander is an actor best known for playing James Beal in '' Stargate Origins''. He also acted in the TV series ''S.W.A.T.
In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault tea ...
as Captain James Beal, British officer stationed in Egypt,
and Shvan Aladdin as Wasif, a native Egyptian and a lieutenant in the British army.
''Infinity''
''
Stargate Infinity'' is an American
animated science fiction television series created by Eric Lewald and Michael Maliani as a spin-off from its
sister show, ''
Stargate SG-1''. The
story arc in ''Infinity'' is set 30 years into the future and follows
Gus Bonner
''Stargate Infinity'' (often abbreviated as ''SGI'' or just ''Infinity'') ( French: ''Stargate: Le Dessin Animé'') is a 2002-2003 animated science fiction television series co-produced by Les Studios Tex S.A.R.L. and DIC Entertainment Corporation ...
and his team. Bonner's team was created after he was framed for a crime he did not commit. He escaped from
Stargate Command (SGC) after the hostile alien race Tlak'kahn attacked the SGC to find the chrysalis. Together with his team he escapes through the
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
with the chrysalis. From that point forward they go from planet to planet until they find the evidence to clear their names while learning about the unique cultures in the
galaxy
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
, so that they can one day return to
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. The story arc was never resolved because of low viewership ratings and the show was cancelled in 2003.
''Stargate Infinity'' premiered in September 2002 as part of
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as Leisure Concepts, Inc. and later known as 4Licensing Corporation) was an American licensing company. The company was previously also a film and television production company that produced English- dub ...
's
FOX BOX Saturday morning line-up on
FOX
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
and went off the air in June 2003. Due to its lack of popularity the show is almost completely unrecognized. The series was cancelled before any of its
story arcs could be resolved. The show was of
low budget
A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced or ...
, which was constantly noted by the media.
[ DIC Entertainment released a 4-episode DVD on October 7, 2003 in Region1. MGM Home Entertainment released a five disc season ]box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
on August 13, 2007 in Region2. Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
, a company known for releasing cult animated series, acquired the rights to the show and released the entire series to DVD on May 13, 2008 in Region1. , there is yet to come a release of ''Stargate Infinity'' package in Region4, namely Oceania and Latin America.
The writers and producers of ''Stargate SG-1'', '' Stargate Atlantis'' and '' Stargate Universe'' and the main canon of the ''Stargate'' franchise were not involved with ''Infinity'', and neither MGM, the production teams nor the fans of ''Stargate'' consider ''Infinity'' to be an official part of the ''Stargate'' universe. According to ''Stargate SG-1'' co-creator Brad Wright, the animated series should not be considered official ''Stargate'' canon. Commenting on it, he stated, "I don't have a problem with it. I'm just not involved."
Reception
''Stargate'' took in $16.7million on its opening weekend and $196.6million overall, and received mixed reactions from critics; while it was panned by some critics such as Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
, several positive reviews counterbalanced this leading to a score of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
. Although the film was originally intended as the first of a trilogy, Emmerich and Devlin ultimately moved on to produce ''Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
'', and it was not until 2006 that Devlin showed renewed interest in developing sequels. In the intervening time, copyright-holder MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
succeeded the film with the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' without the input of Emmerich and Devlin.
'' Stargate SG-1'' has won the Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
for ''Best Syndicated Television Series'' on numerous occasions, and its cast has won similar awards for acting. More recently, it received acclaim for its visual effects, which increased in quality and realism as the show gained a larger budget. On August 21, 2006, the Sci Fi Channel announced that it would not be renewing ''Stargate SG-1'' for an eleventh season after a series of poor performances in the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
. Many fans were enraged at the news, even creating websites in reaction to exhibit their commitment to the series. Spokesmen for the production have said all options for the continuation of ''SG-1'' are being considered, including complete digital broadcasting. Executive producer Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the ''Stargate'' franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe''. He also co-created both ''Star ...
told the fansite GateWorld exclusively that he was working to continue ''SG-1''. Currently, no network or company has ordered new episodes of ''SG-1'', so the show is on hold until a new buyer can be found. However, SciFi has attempted to block other networks from taking up the show, citing its original exclusive contract with MGM. ''Atlantis'' proved to be as successful as ''SG-1'', with Nielsen ratings and viewership. The ''Stargate'' franchise in 2009 won a Constellation Award in the category of Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television in 2008.
The average viewership to ''Stargate SG-1'' and ''Atlantis'' was around ten million a week worldwide. According to ''Stargate SG-1'' and ''Atlantis'' co-creator Brad Wright, the show is popular in Great Britain, Germany, France and Australia, but with a steadily declining viewership in homeland Canada. About thirty million ''Stargate'' DVDs were sold worldwide by 2006.
The DVD release of '' Stargate: The Ark of Truth'' in the US earned MGM/Fox $1.59million in rentals in the first week after the release, and another $1.38million in rentals in the second week. In its third week it earned US$1.19million in rentals totaling $4.16million. The DVD has also earned $9million in sales.[ '' Stargate: Continuum'' would go on to gross over $8million United States dollars in the United States.][ The film sparked mostly positive reviews with movie critics.] A third '' Stargate SG-1'' movie was planned to follow ''Continuum'', but the third movie was put on hold with any other future Stargate movies; the film would have centered around the character of Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise ''Stargate'', primarily as one of the main characters of the television series ''Stargate SG-1''. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all th ...
.
In 2010 ''Stargate'' was estimated to have injected $1 billion in to the economy of British Columbia.
Literature
There are three series of novels based on the Stargate franchise, one based on the original ''Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
'' film and two based in the '' Stargate SG-1'' and '' Stargate Atlantis'' television shows. A series of books written by Bill McCay
Bill McCay (born April 6, 1951) is an American author and has written over seventy books in total, mostly media tie-ins.
Series Contributions
Raven League (With Alex Simmons)
McCay co-wrote two novels in the Raven League series with Alex Si ...
, published from 1995 to 1999, were unofficial sequels to the film. These were produced by consulting the original notes made by Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin (born August 27, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor of film and television. He is best known for his collaborations with director Roland Emmerich, and for his work on the The Librarian (franchise), ''Li ...
and Roland Emmerich, in an attempt to envision where the film "would have gone". Neither party has commented on whether McCay's interpretation was correct. Despite attempting to remain close to the original vision, the subsequent television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (which began under an entirely independent development) developed the story along different lines, making no attempt to reconcile the plot lines of the books. This marked the first major branching of the franchise.
From 1999 to 2001, ROC published four novels based in ''Stargate SG-1'' written by Ashley McConnell
Ashley McConnell is an American author. Her first novel, ''Unearthed'', was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers of America. In addition to horror, she has published numerous fantasy and media tie-in novels, including severa ...
. In 2004, UK-based Fandemonium Press
This is a list of currently or to be released ''Stargate'' literature.
Based on the movie
Based on the television series
Short fiction
The official ''Stargate Magazine'', produced by Titan Publishing, began publishing short stories writ ...
started a new series of licensed tie-in novels based on ''Stargate SG-1''. Due to the conflict with ROC's license, these books were available in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK, but not in the US. Fandemonium books became available in the US in 2006. The official ''Stargate Magazine'', produced by Titan Publishing, began publishing short stories written by Fandemonium authors in their 8th issue. The stories alternate between ''SG-1'' and ''Atlantis''.
A series of comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s, based on ''Stargate SG-1'' and ''Stargate Atlantis'', began to be published by Avatar Press in 2003. Five have been published to date, with stories by James Anthony and artwork by Jorge Correa. In February 2008, it was announced that Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'', the ...
would release officially licensed audiobooks featuring members of the cast reading new stories. The first two stories, available on CD and digital download, are ''Gift of the Gods
This is a list of ''Stargate'' audiobooks produced by Big Finish Productions. The series of audiobooks began in April 2008 and concluded in December 2012, with 18 instalments released in total. The audiobooks are based around characters and story ...
'' read by Michael Shanks and '' A Necessary Evil'' read by Torri Higginson.
Potential Future Expansion
''Stargate (1994)'' Continuity
After Bill McCay had written a series of five novels continuing the story the original creators had envisioned, and despite the success of the ''Stargate'' television series, in 2006, Dean Devlin
Dean Devlin (born August 27, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor of film and television. He is best known for his collaborations with director Roland Emmerich, and for his work on the The Librarian (franchise), ''Li ...
said: "He has struck a production deal with MGM and is developing the long-delayed sequel feature films that will pick up the story from the 1994 original." According to Devlin, two movie sequels would have picked up the story from the 1994 original, but not the mythology of the ''SG-1'' and ''Atlantis'' series, with the original stars Kurt Russell and James Spader. Devlin regretted giving MGM control over the franchise. The first film already tapped into Egyptian mythology; the second one would have moved into other mythologies; and the third would have then tied all the mythologies together. ''Stargate SG-1'' and ''Stargate Atlantis'' producer Brad Wright said in 2002 that "Devlin can wish to do a sequel to ''Stargate'' all he wants. MGM owns the rights, and I doubt very much that they'll ask him to do it. He knows better." These sequels would bypass the 12 years of mythology created by ''SG-1'' and ''Atlantis'' if they are ever produced.
On July 4, 2011, Dean Devlin spoke out again saying he had not given up on the idea of sequels to his 1994 feature film. He talked about the idea again in a new interview with Collider. Devlin actually wrote it as a trilogy of movies, but was never able to do parts two and three. His hope was, as the series started to wind down, that perhaps it would be time to actually get to do parts two and three:
However, Devlin told Empire Online in November 2016 that the plans to make a reboot of a potential new series were stalled.
''SG-1/Atlantis/Universe'' Continuity
In September 2018, it was reported that ''SG-1'', ''Atlantis'' and ''Universe'' showrunner Brad Wright had been approached by MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
about continuing the franchise. The following year, ''SG-1'' stars Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' and ...
and Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is a retired American actor and producer. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead a ...
further confirmed that they'd spoken to Wright and expressed their own interest in returning to the franchise in some capacity. In January 2019, Wright elaborated that his conversations with MGM pertained to continuing the television franchise in a way that fully acknowledged the "several hundred hours of show that's already out there" and not simply honouring it. In July 2020, ''SG-1'', ''Atlantis'' and ''Universe'' writer-producer Joseph Mallozzi teased Wright's project, commenting that "we've never been closer to a fourth Stargate series." This continued in September 2020, when it was reported that whilst not currently involved in writing, Mallozzi had spoken to Wright about the development, confirming it to be a fourth television series which would continue on from where ''SG-1'', ''Atlantis'' and ''Universe'' left off and include characters from those shows.
On November 21, 2020, Brad Wright confirmed that he was developing a television series of ''Stargate'' with MGM and that it would be a continuation, not a reboot. He also confirmed that whilst things were progressing, the industry shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic was slowing aspects of the development. In a series of podcasts in March and May 2021, Wright continued to offer small updates on the project, including that his script features the ''SG-1'' characters of Daniel Jackson, Cameron Mitchell, Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter, United States Air Force, USAF is a Character (arts), fictional character in the Canadian–American military science fiction ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by Amanda Tapping, she appears in all three shows in the franchise ...
and Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise ''Stargate'', primarily as one of the main characters of the television series ''Stargate SG-1''. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all th ...
, with the hope that Michael Shanks, Ben Browder and Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' and ...
all return in some capacity to their respective roles. Wright also expressed that if the series does go ahead, he would want Tapping to direct, with it being clarified by Tapping that the series was not in active production, but still being worked on by Wright.
In March 2022, Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
completed a purchase of MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
, its library, and assets, including ''Stargate''. Around that time, writer and producer on ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Atlantis'', and ''Universe'' Joseph Mallozzi teased Wright's pilot script for the new project on social media. However, in November 2022, Wright announced that his revival project was likely dead following Amazon's purchase.
New Continuity/Reboot
In December 2022, Amazon Studios and MGM were reported to be taking pitches on a reboot of the ''Stargate'' franchise. The creators of ''The Expanse
Expanse or The Expanse may refer to:
Media and entertainment
''The Expanse'' franchise
* ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey
* ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...
'', Mark Fergus
Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are screenwriters best known for their work on ''Children of Men'' (for which they were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay) and ''Iron Man''. Their other work includes '' First Snow'', which was ...
and Hawk Ostby
Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are screenwriters best known for their work on ''Children of Men'' (for which they were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay) and ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man''. Their other work includes ''Fir ...
, were on the short list of possible showrunners for the new ''Stargate''.
References
External links
*
*
* at Sci Fi Channel
''Stargate Talking Books'' Official Site
''Stargate'' Wiki
{{Stargate
Mass media franchises introduced in 1994
Ancient Egypt in fiction
Fiction about language
Mass media franchises
Television franchises
Fiction about wormholes
Fiction about intergalactic travel
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer franchises