Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
8/14/09 - Entertainment Weekly is confirming a story that Bryan Singer will produce and direct a new film version of Battlestar Galactica for Universal Pictures.  Universal Pictures has confirmed blog speculation that Bryan Singer, director of Valkyrie, will take on directing and producing duties for a BSG movie. Glen Larson, who created original series back in 1978, will produce as well. The film is not expected to be a continuation of current popular television show that's running on the Syfy network but will be a complete re-imagining of the sci-fi lore that was invented by Larson back in the '70s.

6/30/09 – SCI FI Wire reported that Edward James Olmos said Battlestar Galactica: The Plan will be a surprise.  "What their plan was, I think that's a big surprise," Olmos said. "Finding out what the plan was and how it was structured and how close they were to completing it."  Dean Stockwell takes a leading role in The Plan as John Cavil, whose part turns out to be bigger in the Cylon story than it may have appeared in the run of the series. "Dean is definitely the person who masterminded the entire event," Olmos revealed.  Battlestar Galactica: The Plan will air on SCI FI in the fall, with a DVD release that includes an extended cut.

6/5/09 – SCI FI Wire reported that Edward James Olmos, who directed the upcoming DVD movie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, said the film will deliver exactly what they expect it to: The Plan shows the Cylons' perspective on their attempted genocide of humanity.  "I gotta tell you, not to give anything away, it is exactly what you think it is," Olmos said. "You see the complete opposite of the first 281 days of what we went through, ... seen through the eyes of the Cylons, and it is breathtaking. It's fantastic. It's not fun, but I will say that you will sit there gasping."  Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is due in September.

12/18/08 – SCI FI Wire reported Jane Espenson, who wrote the upcoming movie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, said that the telefilm will retell the initial story of the SCI FI Channel series, but from the perspective of the Cylons, and that it will take advantage of revelations that will come in the upcoming new episodes of the show's fourth and final season.  "The events of The Plan are the events that you've seen ... in the show, from the miniseries to almost the end of season two," Espenson said. "So it's that chunk of time, but sort of seen with the Cylon perspective. So you're going to see a lot of stuff that was going on that you weren't aware of at the time: on Caprica, in the fleet. ... This was the time when the Cylons, as depicted in the original show, ... were very mysterious, enemies that would come out of the darkness and retreat. And this is ... what were they really doing all that time: what was the internal stuff. ... A lot of loose ends are tied up, a lot of questions are asked that you don't even know you have."  The Plan stars Edward James Olmos, who also directed; Dean Stockwell as Brother Cavil; Michael Hogan as Col. Tigh; and Michael Trucco as Anders, among others.  Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is slated to air in June 2009.

8/7/08 - SCI FI Channel announced that it will air a new Battlestar Galactica two-hour prequel movie, set to air in 2009 following the conclusion of the series.  Directed by star Edward James Olmos, the as-yet-untitled new film will be set before the events of the original Battlestar miniseries and will focus on Cylons: Number One, known as Cavil (Dean Stockwell), resistance leader Sam T. Anders (Michael Trucco) and Chief Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas).  In the beginning, the Cylons had a plan, but it didn't account for one thing: survivors. During the chaotic aftermath of the nuclear destruction, two powerful Cylon agents struggle with plots and priorities on the human ships that got away and among the resistance fighters who were left behind.  The film will be written by Jane Espenson and will begin shooting in Vancouver, Canada, at the end of the summer. After airing on SCI FI, it will be released on DVD by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  The final 10 episodes of the fourth and last season of Battlestar Galactica will begin airing on SCI FI Channel in 2009.

AlienAlmanac.com 2008