I saw Stargate in the theater when I was younger and didn’t quite get it. I thought the first part of the movie was interesting but a little boring. I loved some of the visual spectacle and action, but it didn’t click as a whole experience until years later. Even after that, I never held the movie in as high regard as some of my friends and couldn’t get into the show. A buddy loaned me the first two seasons back in college, and it just wasn’t happening. Even though I love Richard Dean Anderson, I sort of gave up on the IP, not wanting to insult my friends who liked it, but part of me figured: if it is so good, there would be movie sequels, right?
Stargate has a rich premise and has always felt so close to the heels of the giants in this genre. What if we dug up an interstellar gate, a wormhole to another distant planet, ruled by an alien resembling Ra whose origins may explain the mysteries of Earth’s Egyptian mythology? Can the team convince these inhabitants to rebel against their overlord and help them get home? There’s a lot of potential there, not just for a single movie. The gate was poised to take audiences on any number of adventures, which happened, just not on the big screen.
The movie had a rough start, with many questioning the scope, some of the actors, and the script. It was an independent film, unattached to any major studio, and financed through StudioCanal, a production company that spent a little over $50 million ($55 million total budget) on the project and was convinced they had backed a dud, especially with the genre appearing to be in a lull. Enter Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who was originally set to distribute the movie, swooping in to buy it from the French company for $5 million. It was quite the steal, especially considering that Stargate made nearly $200 million worldwide. Carolco Pictures and Dean Devlin’s Centropolis Film acted as producers and also had a stake in the picture, but Carolco sold their portion to help build money meant for Cutthroat Island (1995). Yikes.
The original script was quite rough according to several of the actors, but James Spader was so upset at the dialogue that he demanded rewrites and refused to leave his trailer until Kurt Russell burst in and began to yell at Spader about doing what he was being paid for. The first draft was retooled before shooting, and filming issues had to be addressed with clever problem-solving, like repainted props and objects used to stand in for extras who couldn’t take the heat, but the initial screenings were still not well-received. An additional day of shooting was quickly arranged to change the character of Ra, who was now more important in the story, an alien, and no longer involved in any of the original physical confrontations. The original cut of the movie was also shown in complete chronological order, but events were shifted around, and some parts were cut. The Director’s Cut has those moments restored and returns the scenes to their original order.
Overcoming all these issues, Stargate was a success, and fans were sure there would be more. Director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin were responsible for the story and said they always saw it as a trilogy. However, when they approached MGM, they discovered that plans had already been made without them, and a television project would eventually become Stargate SG-1 (1997). Devlin believed that both projects could move forward and that the sequel films and show didn’t need to align perfectly, but the studio disagreed and had chosen their path forward. After a couple of successful years of the series, it had been cemented that the show had taken the place of these proposed sequels, and in a way continued success on the multiple television series kept the films buried. As time went on, MGM simply wasn’t willing to risk the show’s hot streak.
According to Devlin, the second film would have been set twelve years later and brought back several of the original characters. The discovery of a new Stargate would see the team explore another alien culture with a fresh set of threats to their home, touching on the Mayans and their mysteries as they relate to Earth’s past. The third movie would have gone even further, bringing more mythologies together, tying in creatures like Yetis and the Loch Ness Monster. It sounds wild, but Devlin assures us that everything would have all made sense in the end.
These movies never happened, and sadly, it doesn’t look like they ever will now, at least not as originally conceived. Although MGM holds the majority of Stargate’s rights, there are some deeper issues with contracts and who can work with the characters. Then, Amazon purchased MGM, adding one more layer of red tape. Multiple attempts were made, but Devlin is convinced that the train has left the station, for his movies at least. He even went as far as to cut ties with the franchise, as a creative power, at least, as he is still a fan. There have been many rumors about a new set of Stargate films, even as recently as this year, but it has been very back-and-forth for this franchise when discussing reboots. For those who absolutely want more of the movie’s story, though, author Bill McCay used Emmerich’s notes to craft a five-novel series close to what the creators wanted to see happen.
Whether MGM was thinking solely of money or saw the writing on the wall about the longevity of Stargate films, the franchise thrived on the small screen. Stargate SG-1 ran 10 long seasons, Stargate Atlantis lasted 5, and Stargate Universe squeezed out 2 before the steam ran out (1997-2011). There was even a cartoon, Stargate Infinity (2002), which I rarely hear anyone mention, and a Stargate Origins (2018) web series I didn’t even know existed. Many fans said that they think the shows expanded on the lore better, far surpassing the original movie, while some even joked about forgetting the movie altogether. By not having sequels, the original film had little to hold onto when it came to new fans and its legacy. I wasn’t alone in judging Stargate for lacking a proper theatrical follow-up. That doesn’t mean the movie was bad; it’s just that we’ve been brought up believing that even the worst movies can get at least two sequels.
If nothing else, we can all praise Stargate for being French Stewart’s big-screen debut.
