Jeddy
Commander
- Joined
- 6 Jul 2007
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- 1,987
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- 35
Found this, thought u may all be interested.
i got this from a mates Stargate Fans forum.
think they got it from somewhere else.
To me, it sounds intriguing. but maybe not "stargate" enough
i got this from a mates Stargate Fans forum.
think they got it from somewhere else.
Stargate Universe Revealed!
Tuesday - October 30, 2007 | by Darren Sumner & David Read
[David to write intro]
The new series will deal with the Ancients and their original program of building and distributing Stargates from planet to planet. Just how was this feat accomplished? What did the Ancients plan to do with all those thousands of Stargates once they were out there? Read on and find out.
THE PREMISE
"It's got to be two things that are contradictory: It has to be very different from Stargate, but it also has to feel like a Stargate. And to do that what we wanted to do was literally live up to the name -- the reason it's called Stargate Universe -- is because this is one step further out into the universe aboard a ship that was launched by the Ancients to cross the universe in exploration millennia, millennia, millennia ago."
Did he say ... ship? Yes, and we're not talking about the kind between Sam and Jack. Stargate Universe looks to be a ship-based series, which will help set it apart from its two predecessors. But this isn't Stargate Daedalus -- like the city of Atlantis, the ship was built by the Ancients.
"They had planned to go there and to see what was out there, but they all ascended and no one ever went to it. When we find out it's still out there and can be reached by using the ninth chevron on a Stargate, and that's what the ninth chevron is for."
The ninth chevron, a mystery since the Stargate was first opened! In the Stargate SG-1 Season Two episode "The Fifth Race," we discovered that the normally unused eighth chevron is required for an extra distance calculation, allowing a gate (which can typically only connect to other gates in its own galaxy, using seven chevrons to dial an address) to dial a different galaxy.
The mysterious ninth chevron, Wright indicates, enables a Stargate to connect directly to the advanced Ancient exploration ship no matter where it is in the universe.
THE SHIP
So the Ancients only launched the ship -- and ended up ascending before they could take up the mission of exploration across the galaxies.
"That's what the Ancients did, because they knew with the faster-than-light travel that they had at the time ... They sent out two ships. They sent out one millions of years before it -- or certainly tens of thousands of years before it. The Ancients sent out a ship to seed Stargates, and this ship was to follow it up."
The first ship manufactured Stargates them and sets them down, apparently automatically.
"That's what the first ship did, and then this ship was the follow-up ship that was sent to explore the worlds where the Stargate had been placed."
The Ancients were not only seeders of life, but they were also explorers.
"Very much so," Wright said. "Very much so. They were looking for other beings such as themselves. And if you go backwards across the universe, you're going through time because you're going back in the history of the universe. Not that it's time travel, but you know what I'm saying. You're going to an older part of the universe.
"And that's going to present stories and themes such as solar systems, entire civilizations where entropy has increased in the system so much that energy, in any form, is incredibly valuable. And here comes this ship rich with energy from a younger part of the galaxy. And they're going to want it. They're going to think we're rich. In fact, that's not going to be the case."
THE TEAM
In SG-1 and Atlantis, the basic formula for characters seems to be a core team of four people and a base leader. The team is made up of men and women who each bring their unique skills to the mission; some are military, some are not. While some of that will no doubt carry over to the third series, expect Stargate Universe to take a slightly different approach.
"It doesn't quite work that way," Wright said of the team of four and a base leader. "There will be a team. It won't be, necessarily, a team of four -- and the base leader is going to be different. There is not going to be a base in the traditional sense."
It may be too early to know if any established characters will be crossing over from either SG-1 or Atlantis, as Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) was brought over after a handful of memorable guest appearances on SG-1. That decision happened late in the game, during the casting process.
And while Atlantis was cast largely with unknowns, Wright did say that he would love to cast an established, name actor in one of the new roles. "I would love to do that, but the casting process is always difficult," he said. "It's hard depending on when you're trying to do it. We had such a limited timeline for Atlantis because they picked us up so late in the day. We were writing in mid-November, we couldn't cast until January, and we had to shoot in mid-February. So that was kind of crazy."
THE ENEMY
Exploring multiple galaxies and parts of the universe where even the Ancients have never been means running into civilizations they never met, let alone seeded themselves (as is the case in the Milky Way and Pegasus Galaxies). The show's premise clearly sets up some good potential for interesting new enemies.
So, what's it going to be? Snakes that take over your body and impersonate gods? Space vampires that suck the life out of you with their hands?
"This is part of the pitch, so I'm not 100 percent sure this is going to be how it pans out: Robert and I have been talking about not having a 'Goa'uld' or a 'Wraith.' Certainly not up front. Enemies is exactly how we want to pursue it, as opposed to defining this bad alien force that defines the entire galaxy, [which is] what the Goa'uld and the Wraith were."
HERE'S THE PITCH
"We're pitching to SCI FI," Wright said. "Robert and I are actually going down this Friday to talk to SCI FI about Universe. ... That's all I can tell you. They may not buy it."
Wright and Cooper intended to write the show's pilot script last summer, after finishing principal photography on the SG-1 movies Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum. "That didn't happen because we didn't want to do it in a vacuum, and it was something we might have done," Wright said. "We considered doing it. But to be frank, I felt rushed into Atlantis. And that's always the case, I'm sure. But I thought, 'If we don't have to, why are we? Why don't we do this properly? Why don't we take the time to do this properly?"
What if SCI FI doesn't buy? While it would be next to impossible to get the show picked up by a major broadcast network, or to make enough money through a syndication deal, there are other cable networks in the U.S. where Universe might be a good fit. SpikeTV has been ramping up its production of original series in recent years. G4 is a new player, grabbing rerun rights to genre favorites like Star Trek and LOST. FX is a network that does well in key demographics. And then there are premium cable channels such as Showtime, where Stargate SG-1 began a decade ago.
But, of course, SCI FI Channel is the most likely and most logical home for a third Stargate television series. The network's current strategy is to air original programming year-round -- but more than one of its new shows in the last year failed to be renewed (notably The Dresden Files and Painkiller Jane). So the need for new shows with a high chance of success is high. Stargate Universe could be paired with Atlantis (as Atlantis was paired with SG-1), or it could air during a different time of year.
One thing that Wright is clear on: Don't expect Stargate Universe to debut online.
"The online thing kind of went by the wayside just in terms of business between MGM and Apple," he said. "I don't mind saying this out loud: We live in a world where I'm trying to put in visual effects and sequences that look fabulous on widescreen HD images, and I did not want to launch a series that would appear on a three-inch wide screen. Yes, it's a perfectly valid medium for a lot of television. Not for me. And certainly not for a show like Stargate."
WHAT IS NEXT?
While the script for the show has yet to be written, Stargate Universe is definitely moving forward. The pitch to SCI FI Channel could result in a green light, or at least a script request. Should the cable network pass on the show, MGM could certainly pursue other outlets.
The script may, in turn, lead to a partial or full-season pick-up. As sets are built and the production wheels begin to turn, we expect to see breakdowns for each of the show's main characters.
Stargate's principal photography at The Bridge Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia typically runs from March to October. It is still early enough that, should SCI FI jump at the chance to green light the show, it is not too late to begin filming in March for a premiere sometime in 2008. That would create an enormous time crunch, however, similar to the rush to get Atlantis going in late 2003.
If Stargate Universe misses that window, expect either an order of less than 20 episodes or a 2009 premiere.
There you have it. The working premise for Stargate Universe has been revealed, and we wish Brad Wright and Robert Cooper all the best in selling the new show and entering the next phase. With the mother series Stargate SG-1 over, it is a critical time for determining how far the Stargate franchise will reach beyond it.
Keep in mind that this concept is in an early stage of development, and some change is inevitable -- especially once a network is on board. GateWorld looks forward to keeping you up-to-date on the development of the new series, and to exploring brand new galaxies in Stargate Universe
To me, it sounds intriguing. but maybe not "stargate" enough
), this could be the fresh new approach the keeps the TV series version of Stargate going 
i would have ratehred that than a third addition, just yet anyway.