08.14.09 By: Sci-Fi Squad Staff
By: Monika BartyzelThe revamped Battlestar Galactica series might have just wrapped up in March, but it's already getting a new big-screen re-telling. Sources told HitFix on Wednesday that Bryan Singer, the man behind the first few X-Men films and the love-it-or-hate-it Superman Returns, would produce and possibly direct Battlestar for the big screen. The news has since been confirmed by Universal, and Singer is definitely helming the space adventure.
So why am I commenting on speediness? THR says: "Insiders have said the feature is to be a complete reimagining and will stand separately." Reimagining a show that was super-popular and just ended this year is all sorts of ridiculous. Even if it's aiming to focus on the original show, that's still reimagining source material that was just reimagined to great success. That's more than enough "reimagination" for anyone.
There are a million reasons to be apprehensive about this. Movieline, for one, brings up the potential confusion that will be stirred up between the series and the film. But to me, there's one big thorn that they can't get rid of -- time. There's no time to move beyond BSG. It might be over, but there's still the lingering fan fervor (andCaprica to continue it). Even if the big-screen take completely different -- if Starbuck is once again a man, if the Cylons are change, if the entire world takes a new spin -- it's still Battlestar Galactica and will still be compared and contrasted.
If we were talking about some mediocre Joe Schmo series, that'd be one thing. But this is BSG. The show almost everyone raved about. It's award-winning and successful. Trying to compete with that, or benefit from it, in the same year is frakking ridiculous. Then adding Bryan Singer into the mix. Well, are any of you actually looking forward to this?
Filed under: News/Reactions
Tags: Battlestar Galactica, BattlestarGalactica, Bryan Singer, BryanSinger
Huemacat 8-14-2009
Actually, I am.
Bill Gat 8-14-2009
I am looking forward to this as well. Singer did very well in touching on being an outcast in both of the X-Men films, and that is one of the main story lines throughout the re-imagined series. Unfortunately, I haven't watched the original series, but from what I have read it was aimed at children.
I agree that since delving furthering and finding out that this will be a re-imagination of a series that ended earlier this year is pretty absurd, I have faith in Singer (who originally thought a re-imagining of BSG would be a hit back in 2000) and can't help but crave more BSG.
DanJackat 8-14-2009
I am looking forward to this. NuBSG sucked so bad and has a very small fan base as compared to most SciFi franchises. Frankly it is only really liked by critics and virgins living in their mother's basement fanboys.
Most people don't even know the new BSG even exists at all.
The Star Trek fan base severely dwarfs the BSG one, yet JJ Abrams managed to have great success with the new Star Trek which essentially ignored everything in Star Trek canon. Why not do the same with BSG?
Bring us new BSG Brian! Hopefully you can manage to do something with BSG that Ron Moore could not do: make it entertaining.
Johnat 8-15-2009
It probably will be two years or so before this even comes out, so perhaps at that point, the timing will seem better, though, personally, I really have no interest in seeing it.
I though the new BSG series was great, however, and any film taking on that world, created over several seasons of TV is probably going to look like a surface dive in comparison. BSG just doesn't have the same cultural pervasiveness as Star Trek, and ignoring the new BSG, probably even less.
IMO the reason Star Trek worked for me was that it stuck with some stuff we already knew about the Star Trek universe, so the movie didn't have to spend and hour 're-imagining', and could do something interesting instead.
I know it is a lot to ask, but...maybe it is time to take on some new material.
Sewer Kingat 8-23-2009
Personally I am against this entire project, Ofcourse being the angry pee-on I am my opinion doesn't matter but I'd still like to throw in my two cents.
In my humble opinion, Ron Moore and Sci-Fi's(SYFY now) re-imagining of BSG was an absolute master-piece on many levels. There has not been a Space Adventure/ Drama/ Character Study to come along that matches it since maybe TNG (Thats a big maybe). Often when a person comes along and tries to capitalize off a buzz around something, or something with a massive (or just cult) fanbase and tries to re-imagine it for some sort of tremendous production there has been a history of them failing miserably (For example, Tim Burton and his efforts at trying to re-imagine "Planet of the Apes" or "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", both sucked to a horrendous degree, and I'm assuming "Alice in Wonderland" will too.) There have been successes, I know that, none of which I can remember at the moment, because I am in a generally negative mood about this, BSG is maybe the only one I can think of. Speaking as a fan, from a huge fanbase, I feel this will just be a loogie in the face for us and for the entire team behind Sci-Fi's BSG.
If anything wait 10 years before coming back to this, don't capitalize off the buzz of something great so you can create something XBOX and PS3 video game compatible. Let this conception of a classic resonate, then take your turn.
PS- Not hating on Burton, Well kinda Nightmare before Christmas was tight...
james willisat 8-27-2009
I really enjoy both BSG shows. I am old enough to remember seeing the original when it was first broadcast. I resent people saying that the first show was aimed strictly at kids, cause it wasn't. I just hope that Singer trys to continue the original BSG and maybe finish it. BSG 1980 was an insult. New BSG was good but is now finished. In an interview with Ed Olmos he indicates the true sequel to New BSG is Blade Runner. Hey makes sense to me. I love that idea. Bring on another BSG but with more action. I had four years of the human experience and it was good. Now I want to see some butt kicking and Starbuck & Boomer back to Men. Bring it on. Bring back the original actors, and a new generation.
G. Howardat 9-03-2009
I am looking forward to this!