Streaming service Prime Video and film studio Amazon MGM Studios have canceled the development of a large-scale series in the "Stargate" universe. The official announcement of the project took place last November: it was then announced that production was being led by franchise veteran Martin Gero, who promised fans "a new incredible adventure."
Prime Video representatives are not disclosing the official reasons for the project's cancellation. According to Variety, the new management of Amazon MGM Studios allegedly considered Martin Gero's vision "too niche," fearing that a show that carefully preserves the canon of the original series would only attract a loyal fan base and would not be able to interest a wide audience.
Consulting producer Joe Mallozzi denied these rumors:
"No. No way. Sorry, but I have to refute that. From the very beginning, we aimed to create a show that would appeal to the widest possible audience, but at the same time would deeply respect the existing lore."
He also confirmed that production was halted at the scriptwriting stage. According to Deadline, the authors had already spent 20 weeks in the writers' room and were actively preparing to start filming in the UK.
The true reason for the closure, according to the media, is a change in leadership within Amazon MGM Television. The new "Stargate" was launched by top managers Nick Pepper and Matt King under the wing of Peter Friedlander. However, during a recent restructuring, Pepper and King left the company, and Brett Fetter became the new head of the world-building department, who scrapped the predecessors' plans.
At the same time, Variety notes that Amazon is not going to completely abandon the brand. The studio may return to "Stargate" later, but with a completely new team not associated with the original franchise, to give the project "a fresh perspective." The question remains open: will the new version take into account the canon and the interests of loyal fans?