Here’s a little good news for Stargate fans reeling from the cancellation of Stargate Universe just before Christmas (story). After collapsing under the weight of $5 billion and going into bankruptcy court this month, legendary film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is declaring a Do-Over.
The studio that owns the Stargate television franchise announced Monday that its plan for restructuring the company has become effective. More important for the future of Stargate is that MGM has secured financing of $500 million through JP Morgan, for use in funding its operations and restarting active production of a new slate of film and television projects.
“MGM is emerging from one of the most challenging periods of its storied history,” Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, new Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of MGM, said in a press release. “We are honored and inspired at the opportunity of leading one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios into its next generation of unforgettable filmmaking, global television production and distribution, and aggressively pursuing, developing and exploiting new digital entertainment platforms.
“Beginning today, MGM is a stronger, more competitive company, with a solid financial foundation and a bright future. We look forward to working with MGM’s dedicated employees to build upon this company’s legacy.”
The studio traded its debt to creditors for ownership of most of the restructured company.
MGM has also named eight of the nine positions on its new Board of Directors, which includes Barber and Birnbaum. Former Pixar CFO Ann Mather has been tapped as the Board’s head (via Deadline.com).
One final glimmer of bright, brilliant news for Stargate fans: If MGM’s list of current executives on its Web site is up to date (it does include Barber and Birnbaum, who only officially joined with the restructure), then Charles Cohen is still at the company. Cohen (MGM’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer) is a self-proclaimed Stargate fan who has been with the studio since 1986, and has been hugely instrumental in the franchise’s success so far.
Keep your browser locked on GateWorld as we head into 2011 for more news on the future of Stargate! We hope to hear some good news early in the new year about Stargate‘s piece of that new production money.
Here’s hoping this really means some good news for the movies and the much promised SGA follow-up. After all, Sheppard did promise Ronon he would get him home!!
This is excellent news. Fingers crossed for the Atlantis and SG-1 movies.
Keeping my fingers crossed for the SGA movie, or even better yet – a mini series!!!
[…] https://www.gateworld.net/news/2010/12/mgm-reboot-complete-financing-secured-for-new-productions/ […]
Film or mini series please so so so so miss SGA
Yes, light at the end of the tunnel! I hope this does mean good things for SGU & the franchise!
Here’s hoping that MGM’s rebooting brings good things for the continuation of the Stargate franchise!
I highly doubt there will be an SGA movie or miniseries. Why? It’s simple, most props/sets have either been destroyed or sold (Atlantis gate in pieces I think). Don’t forget that the SGC set was dismantled and bits were re-used for Icarus base. Not to mention the fact that most if not all SGA actors are “busy” filming other shows/films. SGA had it’s time. Just as SG1. And with the poor writing during the second half of season 5 I highly doubt a movie would be worth watching. Perhaps they will find a piece of technology in pegasus that will… Read more »
This is good news. As far as the props having been sold, They can be remade for a mini-series for sga and then re-commissioned for something else. Besides, even though the actors are busy doing something else, I think they would jump on board for a short time to do it.
I would love to see the 2 promised movies made. However, I’m not very confident they will be made. As regards the Atlantis movie I don’t thinks it’s believable that Home World Command would let Atlantis leave Earth or the Milky Way Galaxy at least. Especially seen as the Drone chair was destroyed.
I would love to see an SGU mini series, just to finish out the story.
Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, new Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of MGM, said in a press release. “We are honored and inspired at the opportunity of leading one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios into its next generation of unforgettable filmmaking, global television production…” Great news for the Stargate franchise & all of the Stargate fans. I remember in a interview Brad Wright saying that the Stargate Franchise is the second most important/profitable franchise for MGM ; James Bond being the first one. So, if Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum are serious & honest that means the Stargate franchise is… Read more »
“and aggressively pursuing, developing and exploiting new digital entertainment platforms.”
Very interesting.
I think that maybe they will focuse theyr atention on SGU since its the latest show and the actors are still available and the sets are still up and operational. Maybe MGM will look for a new channel to air SGU who knows or a movie will be planned to end the series. Thats my guess, a SGA movie would be nice maybe after SGU is wrapt up.
I’m already the proud owner of a Season 1 Blu-ray set and am committed to purchasing Season 2 as soon as it comes out. I hope more of you will do the same. I only wish SGA was on Blu-ray so I could support the franchise further, but I can’t bring myself to buying a lowly DVD. Cheers and Merry Christmas to all!
Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, new Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of MGM quote – “and aggressively pursuing, developing and exploiting new digital entertainment platforms.” Yes, i think that is a good idea. Some people are still hoping that SYFY will fight for SG-Universe(Since they already helped launching it, they might as well fight for it)& others have their own suggestions about what could be done to save SG-Universe. redleade quote “SGU should go directly to ITunes or digital media distribution and skip the middle man.” gilbak quote “Is it not possible for other networks possibly from another country to… Read more »
Great news! Here’s hoping for the SG-1 and the Stargate Atlantis movies!
sg1 and atlantis movies!! THIS is what a big chunk of fans are waiting for!!
now that mgm has some money to spend, how about the sg1-atlantis movies getting first choice? the fans have been waiting for these movies!!
*keeps fingers crossed*
EXTINCTION!
Ideal situation? Season 3 conclusion to SGU, SG-1 and Atlantis movies (or miniseries) and a fourth series in development! Maybe a good video game made by a KNOWN developer like Bioware (they’re kinda busy now but you get my drift).
I should also add to that ideal situation: SGU season 2.5 airs in January instead of March/April…
@kvasirdor
All they’d need to do is rebuild the sets/props. Thats what they did for Firefly/Serenity. As for the little snib at Ark of Truth, there is a big deffrence; SG-1 had very little time to finish off a storyline that really needed at least another season to properly come to a conclustion, where as Atlantis has had a few years and lets face it, the Wraith aren’t really that big of a threat to Earth (unlike the Ori) anymore.
Please please make the movies!!!!!
Sorry to all fans of SGU, but I personally really want them to spend money on those movies… Fingers crossed…
Well i hope they start SGU again so much more can be done easy get another 5 seasons out of it to make 10 seasons like SG1 maybe 1 more season of that if not the flims sound good to!
I would rather something to finish off any cliffhangers for SGU and maybe the story.
How about just starting a new series in the SG-1 format. Just push it in xx years ahead. Or something. As it was the SG-1 series that really built the franchise. Sure SG-1 has played out its characters so i don´t mean with the same peoople but just something it that way. But as im writing this the stories maybe where pretty much used up in SG-1. SGA was excellent too. SGU i would say is abit boring to the another series tbh. More action and more world travelling like in SG-1 in a new story/team. But it must be… Read more »
I think they should relaunch SG:A they got it wrong in cancelling the show and have paid the price with SG:U being cancel after 2 year if SG:A would had not been cancel to make a BSG style SG show it would had got 2 more years.
Don’t hold your breath about any sort of SGA revival. Mostly because it won’t happen.
Everyone has moved on.
“I think that maybe they will focuse theyr atention on SGU since its the latest show and the actors are still available and the sets are still up and operational. Maybe MGM will look for a new channel to air SGU who knows or a movie will be planned to end the series. Thats my guess, a SGA movie would be nice maybe after SGU is wrapt up.”
Sorry, SGU had its chance and failt. Now it’s time for the promised SGA-movie.
Give me some SG movies please!
And then continue with SGU.
Or don’t.
Would be sweet to see it wrapped up nicely though.
A show should have at least three seasons methinks.
Why does it have to be either or? They can produce SG 1 and SGA movies and continue to produce an SGU series.
Anyway, if MGM concludes that they can make money off SGU then they’ll do whatever they can to set the show up with a network or syndication or satellite channel, or whatever.
If they conclude that the expense of producing SGU is more than the reward, then they won’t.
It’s a matter of demand and dollars and cents. If the demand and the money are there, then they will produce the product.
Stargate is as dead as Julius Caesar for a while now. Even Mallozzi rightly asserts that 3 year old SGA numbers don’t account for much anymore. Imagine going back to season 2 of Star Trek if after it had divided the fanbase in half and trying to get a season 3. Their total “all or nothing” arrogance ensured there would be no plan B for a wrap up of SGU at the end of S2. Stargate will be going out on some over-hyped SGU “cliffhanger”. And unless anyone can convince the money that SGU was anything other than a massive… Read more »
Great news… A least there is now a glimmer of hope for a resurrection of of SGU.
Best case scenario is a complete third season with potential for more if it grows a larger fan base. But even a tv movie or two to round of the SGU story would be better than nothing. Not allowing the latest SGU franchise to finish properly would be an insult to the last 14 years of Stargate…
I hope the producers can pull this off…
Greetings to all. I have been an observer on GateWorld for many years now and this is my first posting. I have been a great fan of Stargate since the beginning of the franchise. I have enjoyed each of Stargate’s incarnations, for themselves and for their part in the greater Stargate mythology. I have read the comments posted to the various articles about the cancellation of SG:U over the last few days. I have also been doing research on the Internet. What I have learned makes me believe that the cancellation of SG:U, and indeed the cancellation of so many… Read more »
Mentat, I have two questions, if I may ask: 1) why suddenly SG is dead? I thought you guys main line was ‘SGU is dead, thanks God, now let’s move forward with new series or planned movies’. What was basis for your assumption that it will work that way? 2) Do you have any numbers to back up your ‘half of fan base hates SGU’ statement? Again, just curious. What about seemingly bunch of fresh newcommers who were introduced to SG franchise trough SGU? Aren’t they fans too? I’m very tempted to go to little flame war with you, but… Read more »
Don’t count on them to spend this new money on more SGU; the show was cancelled for a reason. This is MGM’s fresh start, and they’re going to want to become self-sufficient again by spending this money on projects that they feel are guaranteed to make money, not a show that had ratings so abysmal that Syfy washed their hands of it. And as much as I would love to see SG-1 or SGA movies made, I know that’s not going to happen either. The best we can hope for is a new series a few years from now at… Read more »
Tekrelm, Caprica had about 40% lower ratings than SGU and SyFy will spend their money for new series – which will be more expensive than Caprica by the way. Somehow it doesn’t add up with your logic. For MGM ratings in prime is second class argument, DVD and Blu-ray, iTunes, Hulu, also syndication payments matters more. If numbers are healthy in other areas and there are indications that SGU can gain a new fresh crowd for franchise, they will do it. And again, no, one one will reboot SG. It has been used for 14 years! If SGU is done,… Read more »
longtime reader, first time poster i was just wondering if anyone knows how much it cost to make one epidsode of SGU? or one season?
“the show was cancelled for a reason”
That reason being that Syfy isn’t making any money off it, while MGM is.
“And again, no, one one will reboot SG. It has been used for 14 years! If SGU is done, franchise is done. For very long time.”
Devlin could always reboot it Abrams-style for the movies. Never say never.
@stargatemewhat
I’ve heard rumours that an episode of SGU cost about 2 million dollars.
Bring SGA movie, then we can buy dvds.
Hey how come they didnt auction off Todd’s brown coat? Or did Mr.C.H. kepted it himself. would have loved to have gotten that one. Knew once they sold those wraith coats (especialy the High Commander’s coat) SGA was history. Bring me all the bloopers/outakes, behind the seens and spoofs dvd. Im realy going to miss those wraith, mostly the High Commander and smily.
It’s best that SGU is dead. After reading the last week’s worth of entries on Joseph Mallozzi’s blog, it’s clear that he (and presumably the others) don’t actually understand scifi fans. He thinks that downloading shows has just occurred within the last 2 years when I was doing so with shows back before the Stargate movie was even made, yet alone the shows started. He also apparently thinks that DVR’s are new tech. Real scifi fans aren’t going to watch SGU on their little computer screens. We buy big tv’s so that we can watch scifi. And they blame this… Read more »
That is good news but i’m hoping that there will be good news on the two moives will get the green light. After the shocking news of the cancelation of SGU, us fans could do with some good news to start of the new year
Yes! MGM will get new three movie Stargate Revolation. :) I hopeful it…
SG-1 movie please!
[…] and therefore can’t produce any Stargate even if they want to. This is not true. As GateWorld reported last December, MGM is out of bankruptcy and in May they started funding new productions including […]