All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again. The fan-favorite sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica is getting another reboot on NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service, Peacock, courtesy of Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.
The project was initially announced as part of NBCUniversal’s plans for Peacock, set to launch April 15 for Comcast subscribers and July 15 nationally. There’s been no indication if the new Battlestar Galactica series will be available at launch, however, and without a title or any announced cast at this point, it’s uncertain when it will premiere.
During a January 16 event announcing more details of the Peacock service, Esmail indicated that the series will address the modern political climate and the divisiveness of the current era.
According to Deadline, Esmail is a fan of the 2003 iteration of the show and reached out to that series’ creator, Ronald D. Moore, to get his blessing. Esmail has indicated the show won’t be a remake of Moore’s series, but is instead “a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar.”
Battlestar Galactica is just one of many shows that Esmail is producing for NBCUniversal. Esmail’s first big hit, Mr. Robot, enters its fourth and final season on USA Network on October 6. The second season of Homecoming, which Esmail and NBCU make for Amazon Prime, is currently in production. Esmail is also working on an adaptation of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and Angelyne, a limited series focused on the enigmatic Los Angeles icon.
Esmail’s take on Battlestar Galactica will be the third edition of the sci-fi franchise. The original Battlestar Galactica, which starred Richard Hatch, debuted on ABC in 1978 and was intended to capitalize on Star Wars‘ sudden fame. It lasted for a single season. Galactica 1980, a sequel series, only received 10 episodes.
Moore’s 2003 reboot (pictured above) fared a little better. The Sci-Fi Channel show launched with a three-hour miniseries and ran for four seasons, spawning a short-lived prequel series, Caprica, and some TV movies along the way. Unlike the original show, Moore’s Battlestar Galactica racked up numerous critical accolades and is considered one of the most thought-provoking and well-made science fiction series of all time, despite its controversial finale.
It’s not clear what Esmail’s new series means for the future of the long-gestating Battlestar Galactica feature film, which was set to be directed by the Hunger Games: Mockingjay helmer Francis Lawrence from a script by Jay Basu and Lisa Joy.
Battlestar Galactica is set hundreds of years in the future, in a world where a group of malevolent robots has wiped out the bulk of the human race, forcing the survivors to hunt for a new home.
