Summary
Peacock’s long-gestatingBattlestar Galacticareboot is no longer moving forward at the NBC-owned streaming service. A long-term passion project forMr. Robotcreator Sam Esmail, plans for a fresh reboot of the beloved sci-fi property were first announced as far back as 2019. Earlier this year,The Sinner’sDerek Simonds was announced as theBattlestar Galacticareboot’s new writer and showrunner, after Michael Lesslie (Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) departed the project in 2021.
PerVariety, however,thereboot is no longer in active development at Peacock, despite its announcement initially forming part of the streamer’s proposed slate of original programming before its 2020 launch. It is reported that, according to sources familiar with the situation, UCP, the responsible studio who originally signed a deal with Esmail’s Esmail Corp, will instead begin shopping the project to other prospective outlets.
Will The Battlestar Galactica Reboot Find A New Home?
Not All Hope Is Lost For The Property’s Latest Reimagining
Despite some initial hesitation surrounding the direction ofRonald D. Moore’s 2004Battlestar Galacticareboot, the revamped sci-fi property quickly gained both critical and popular acclaim for its gritty reimagining of the original 1970s show. Swapping out the pulp sci-fi sensibilities of the original for a more grounded approach heavily steeped in post-9/11 metaphors, Moore’s approach would quickly win over both new and established fans alike and ultimately come to be recognized asone of the best science fiction shows to emerge from the early 2000s.
However, when NBC first announced plans to reboot the property again for their new Peacock streaming service, reactions were mixed. Despite executive producer Esmail delivering his own critically acclaimed hit withMr. Robot, many feared that it would be unlikely for a new take on the property to succeed in the wake of Moore’s beloved version. Nonetheless,development on the new reboot would still manage to forge aheaddespite the setbacks of having its original showrunner depart the project and even the inevitable delays posed by 2023’s WGA strike.
Battlestar Galactica’s Ending Secretly Set Up The Perfect Reboot Series
Ronald D. Moore’s divisive Battlestar Galactica ending perfectly set up the next entry in the BSG canon, by revealing that we may face the same fate.
Now, with this latest blow, the property’s established fanbase may be quick to assume that the newBattlestar Galacticareboot will never come together. However, many popular shows have succeeded in finding new homes after being passed on by their original network or streamer, and some of Netflix and Prime Video’s biggest hits were once shows that were developed elsewhere before being picked up by the streaming giants. Moreover, givenBattlestar Galactica’sinstantly recognizable brand name, it is possible that Esmail and Simonds could still find themselves bringing audiences back to humanity’s war with the Cylons.
Battlestar Galactica
Cast
Battlestar Galactica is a science fiction television series that premiered in 2004. The plot follows the crew of the aging Battlestar Galactica as they protect a small fleet of human survivors from the renewed threat of the Cylons, in a quest to find the mythical 13th colony, Earth.
