All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again. Because literally, that’s what they’re doing, they’re rebooting Battlestar Galactica again.
Deadline reports that NBC Universal has tapped Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail to headline a reboot of the beloved sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica for its newly unveiled streaming service. Which is called Peacock.
Yes, really.
Anyway, so far not much is known about the reboot, other than Esmail’s involvement and that it’s now happening. NBC Universal has a long history with the series”about the last remnants of humanity on the run from a sinister, overwhelmingly powerful race of robots called the Cylons ” of course, having produced Glen A. Larson’s original in 1978, which ran for just one season on ABC, and then produced beloved reboot, which aired on Syfy from 2004 to 2009.
But I guess, in this age of streaming wars, every company around looking to make their own platform is returning to past successes in the hopes of making it new again for streaming.
In the sci-fi realm Disney has Star Wars, CBS of course has Star Trek, Apple now has Jason Momoa. And now, NBC has Battlestar again.
In the wake of this news, Esmail took to Twitter to clarify his show is not a remake of the 2004 series, or seemingly even the 1978 version. Instead, it is a “new story within the mythology”:
BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series @RonDMoore launched because… why mess with perfection? Instead, we’ll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar. So say we all!
— Sam Esmail (@samesmail) September 17, 2019
What this actually means is unclear. Is it set in the same universe as the 2004 reboot? Is it a prequel like Caprica? Somehow a continuation to what was a pretty definitive end, whether you loved or hated it? We’ll have to wait and see.
Peacock is set to launch in the U.S. in April 2020.