Stargate may never close completely. The Hollywood Reporter brings the news that the long-running science fiction franchise—which sprang from the 1994 Roland Emmerich film—is coming back online at Amazon MGM Studios. A new series called simply Stargate is in the works from showrunner Martin Gero, who steps back into the ring after working on Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. (He was also the creator of Blindspot and the showrunner of the recent Quantum Leap reboot.)
In a statement, Gero said, “Twenty years ago, my first real job in television was as a story editor on Stargate: Atlantis. I spent five years at the franchise working across all three series. Stargate taught me everything about making television — it’s written into my DNA.” He continued, “I’m beyond thrilled that Amazon MGM Studios has entrusted me with guiding this incredible franchise into its next phase. For those who’ve kept the gate active through conventions, rewatches, and unwavering faith — this one’s for you. And for those that are new to our world, I promise you’re in for something extraordinary.”
Stargate is a somewhat complicated franchise; as Wikipedia delicately puts it, “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.” Along with the original film and three series, there have been two direct-to-DVD films, an animated series, and a web series. Various other projects, like a Stargate: Extinction movie, have never quite happened.
The premise of the entire Stargate universe is that Stargates exist: ring-shaped doorways, built by ancient aliens, that allow instantaneous travel to anywhere in the universe (though there must also be another Stargate at one’s destination). The narrative possibilities are, if not endless, then certainly plentiful.
Amazon bought the storied MGM Studios in 2022 and has seemingly been sifting through the library of content ever since. Some projects, like James Bond, were inevitable. Stargate was among those being considered for development back in 2023, along with Robocop, Legally Blonde, Fame, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven, Pink Panther, and The Thomas Crown Affair. Many of these projects are moving forward: A RoboCop series is in development; Thomas Crown is being remade (again) into a feature film starring Michael B. Jordan and Adria Arjona, and a Legally Blonde prequel is also coming soon.
According to THR, the only detail on offer about the new Stargate series is that it will be a “bold new chapter” for the franchise. Along with Gero, there are quite a few experienced men aboard, including executive producers Joby Harold (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Tory Tunnell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), original Stargate screenwriter Dean Devlin, and Emmerich. Two other fellows from the previous Stargate series, Brad Wright (co-creator) and Joe Mallozzi (executive producer/writer), are consulting producers on the new one.
