To be or not to be… that is NOT the question. Stargate series or Stargate movie?
Now, that is the real question Shakespeare meant to ask.
We already knew that Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios and MGM, has a preference for that question. You could even say she answered it when she instructed the new head of MGM film, Courtenay Valenti, to begin working on the Stargate Movie early in March.
But just like the entire Stargate saga, it is not that simple.
Now the rumor is that Warner Bros. is hoping to get a deal with MGM and Amazon to make the movie and perhaps the entire franchise. Their recommendation is for the franchise to kick off with a movie and then move onto a series. Jennifer Salke has a big pot of money from Amazon to produce several straight-to-cinema movies a year. It seems like she has decided that some of that money should go on an SG1 Stargate movie. However, it seems there is another big studio that works closely with Amazon already, and they are pushing to get on the Stargate express.
Sony Pictures is currently working with Penguin in a Parka for Amazon to produce the God of War series. They have done several other projects with Amazon too, so there is a good working relationship. Penguin in Parka is the company hoping to do the development work for the new Stargate franchise. Does this relationship make more sense for Amazon since they already have a team working on a big project for them? Why not let them keep going?
Well, it seems logical to me, and apparently, Sony Pictures too, as they have been pushing to produce the new Stargate franchise with Mark Fergus and Penguin in a Parka. The twist? Their recommendation is to start the franchise with a series. The plot thickens.
So who will win this battle? My money is on Sony Pictures. They have a better relationship with Amazon, and I suspect they have the proposal that fans can get behind. I hear that Jennifer Salke is listening to voices within MGM that are arguing this project needs to be a series. So, this is not quite the done deal we thought it was.
But there is a danger. I have always been told that if we do not get an official announcement by May 1st, 2023, we may not get one this year, and the whole project may get pushed back to 2024. As of writing this, we still have no official word from Amazon and MGM, and the days are growing short. Let’s cross our fingers that something is about to happen.
And how cool would it be if Sony did win this race? Sony Pictures home in the USA is the old MGM studio at Culver City California. Stargate could return to its spiritual home at MGM’s old studio. Perhaps it’s fate?
Whatever happens, we will get the news to you as quickly as possible, but for now, keep everything crossed, and let’s BRING BACK STARGATE.
