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“Stargate” was a surprisingly important sci-fi movie, all things considered. While the 1994 production from director Rolan Emmerich failed to get a sequel, it did serve as a launching pad for a surprisingly enduring franchise. MGM later decided to bring the concept to the small screen in 1997 with “Stargate SG-1,” a show that ran for 10 seasons and more than 200 episodes. While that undoubtedly resulted in a payday for the property’s creators, Emmerich’s “Stargate” movie co-writer, Dean Devlin, wasn’t too pleased with the show (at least, not at first).
In a 2019 retrospective with Variety, Devlin reflected on the “Stargate” film’s legacy for its 25th anniversary. The piece revealed that MGM didn’t want Emmerich or Devlin involved in the spinoff TV series, which was a source of tension. The studio “basically took it from us,” Devlin said at the time. “They said we hadn’t done TV and they wanted to bring TV guys in.” The writer, whose credits also include “Independence Day” and 1998’s “Godzilla,” further revealed that he refused to watch the series as he was angry about the way it went down:
“So, for many years, I was really angry about the series and wouldn’t watch it. The irony is that after many years of being upset about it, I finally made my peace with it.”
Instead, MGM tapped Brad Wright (“The Outer Limits”) and Jonathan Glassner (“Odyssey 5”) to develop “SG-1” for the small screen. That proved to be a good decision, as the franchise thrived on television, with further spin-off shows such as “Stargate: Atlantis” and “Stargate Universe” also making it to air (along with a string of direct-to-home-media movies).
Dean Devlin eventually made his peace with Stargate SG-1
For what it’s worth, TV was a little different in the ’90s. The lines between television and movies have blurred a bit more in the 21st century’s golden age of television, which has coincided with the streaming era. More filmmakers have gravitated towards TV now, with networks and streamers welcoming them with open arms. In the late ’90s, however? It was a different story. Those dividing lines were far more clear. Right or wrong, MGM saw Devlin and Emmerich as movie guys, so they didn’t get to participate in “SG-1.”
It’s easy to see how that would be frustrating, especially since Devlin and Emmerich intended for “Stargate” to kick off a trilogy. That didn’t happen, and instead their baby was ripped away from them by the studio. Whether or not the show would have been better off in their hands is tough to say. “SG-1” enjoyed a very long run with a loyal audience. It’s difficult to argue against how things worked out.
Even for Devlin, though, things came around. He even became good friends with Glassner. “He and I are doing a TV series together called ‘The Outpost,'” Devlin explained in the same 2019 interview. “The Outpost” would go on to run for four seasons on The CW before the network was bought by Nexstar and changed dramatically. Ultimately, Devlin moved past his anger and there seems to be no hard feelings anymore.
“Stargate SG-1” is streaming on Prime Video. You can also buy the movie on Blu-ray/DVD via Amazon.
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