TheBattlestar Galacticamovie has found itself a new writer. Universal Pictures has been developing a new big screen adaptation of the classic sci-fi series for several years now. As is often the case with projects such as these, it takes a while to crack the right story and for the stars to align. Now, the studio has brought in writer Jay Basu to help get the screenplay where it needs to be in order to make this movie a reality.
According to a new report, Universal has hiredJay Basuto rewrite the screenplay forBattlestar Galactica, working from a previous draft penned by Lisa Joy, ofWestworldfame. Basu most recently worked on Sony’s reboot of theDragon Tattoofranchise,The Girl in the Spider’s Web. He’s also working alongside Fede Alvarez onLabyrinth 2. Some of his other credits include the upcomingCharlie’s Angelsreboot andMonsters: Dark Continent, a sequel to Gareth Edwards' low-budget directorial debut,Monsters. It’s not clear if this is just going to be a simple polish and punch up on Joy’s script or if this is going to be a massive overhaul. Either way, Basu has been tasked with getting it right.
Battlestar Galactica, in its current form, really got going in 2016 when some new producers boarded the project, then caught a bit more steam whenHunger Games director Francis Lawrence signed on to helm the movie. Earlier this year,Lawrence indicated that the project is still happeningand that he may even beinterested in gender-swapping some of the key rolesin adapting the franchise for the big screen. Some of that may be up to Jay Basu now, depending on how much say he has on what ends up in the script.
As a response to the popularity ofStar Wars,Battlestar Galacticawas first introduced to the world in 1978, leading to a relatively short-lived TV series. However, its popularity maintained enough that other iterations popped up over the years. In 2003, SyFy (then Sci-Fi Channel), aired a miniseries that ultimately led to the 2004 TV series, which ran until 2009. That particular version ofBattlestar Galacticawas very well-received and is partially credited with ushering in the current golden age of television and was even ranked as one of Time Magazine’s 100 greatest TV shows of all time. The plot centers on a group of humans in the far reaches space in the distant future who are in aheated battle with the deadly Cylons.
Dylan Clark (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and Michael De Luca (Fifty Shades of Grey) are on board to produce the project, with Scott Stuber (Ted) set as an executive producer. There is no word on when theBattlestar Galacticamovie could enter production, nor has a release date been set by Universal at this time. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any additional details on the project are made available. This news was first reported byThe Wrap.
