No matter how rich a franchise’s mythology might be and no matter how passionate its following is, new takes on beloved worlds aren’t always a surefire recipe for success. One of the more famous series that regularly struggles is Star Wars, with the last ten years seeing a revolving door of filmmakers join projects only to leave them before anything substantial can move forward. The same can be said for Star Trek, as acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has even revealed he tried to put his own spin on the series, only for the powers that be to reject the project.
All the way back in 2022, Amazon acquired MGM Studios and its vast catalog of exciting franchises. Part of this deal was they obtained the sci-fi series Stargate, which kicked off in 1994 with a movie starring Kurt Russell and James Spader. Last November, it was revealed that franchise veteran Martin Gero was developing a revival show for Prime Video, which could have ushered in an all-new generation of audiences. This week, though, reports claimed that Prime Video was scrapping the project entirely.
Another veteran of the Stargate franchise, Joseph Mallozzi, took to Twitter to voice his concerns with the cancellation of the project. Mallozzi, previously being a writer and producer of Stargate spin-offs Stargate: SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, brings considerable authority, and was attached to the new project as a producer. The producer confirmed reports of the cancellation and revealed:
“Creator Martin Gero developed a new Stargate series over two years, ultimately crafting a show that offered a fresh jumping-on point for new viewers while deeply respecting existing canon. It was a series that avoided the pitfalls of several modern remakes and reboots by fully embracing the core of its predecessors: action, adventure, exploration, wonder, heart, humor, and found family. And based on that creative vision, the new Stargate series was greenlit in November of 2025.”
He added, “As of today, officially, that original vision is no more. We’ll never get the opportunity to introduce you to that world and those characters — or reintroduce you to, and check in with, some familiar faces from the past.”
While the original movie earned a relatively underwhelming reception, there was clearly underlying potential to take the concept of otherworldly gates that could connect to portals across the universe, which is why the franchise earned so many TV spin-offs that ran for so many seasons. Mallozzi expressed sadness for both the creatives and the fandom in response to the decision:
“My heart breaks. For the incredibly talented writers who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. For Martin who maintained an unwavering positive outlook throughout despite the challenges, and who always strove to make a show that would honor the fans while welcoming a new audience. And for the long-suffering Stargate fandom who waited so long and came so close to getting a show they truly would have loved.”
The initial report of cancellation came from Variety, with the outlet claiming Prime Video believed Gero’s vision would have appealed more to established fans as opposed to newcomers. In a subsequent post, Mallozzi rebuked this idea, though it’s unclear if he was pushing back against Variety’s report or the actual perspective of the streamer, saying, “Nope. No. Sorry. Gonna have to push back on this. We were ever mindful of creating a show that would have broad appeal.”
Mallozzi also confirmed that, based on Prime Video owning the rights to everything he and Gero worked on, it’s unlikely any elements of the storyline will see the light of day at another streamer or in another medium. However, Prime Video is still reportedly invested in reviving Stargate with a different approach.
Stargate
- Release Date
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October 28, 1994
- Runtime
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121 minutes
