With Solutions’ recent report on what was said about the status of the first Stargate Atlantis movie combined with rumors that the movie had been shelved or put on indefinite hold, producer and writer Joseph Mallozzi felt the need to clarify the movie’s status. He stated, “So even though the SG-1 movie has been greenlit, I can assure you that plans are still in place to move forward on the Atlantis movie as well.”
Solutions reported, “Wright and Cooper, and MGM, want to make an Atlantis movie. The fact the sets are still up and their space being paid for is evidence of MGM’s commitment to the movie. However, given the world economy, the people who fund the movies have put the breaks on actual production. Joe Mallozzi and Paul Mullie are working hard on the script, and they really want to make it as much as we want to see it.”
In his April 7 entry in his weblog, Mallozzi explained that there are different deals for each of the legs of the franchise and that financing for each project comes from different sources. “Well, first of all, it’s not a simple matter of us getting a whack of money and being able to pick and choose the projects we want to apply it to. Each production whether it be SGU, SG-1, or SGA, is contingent on their respective deals. And no two deals are alike.
“Furthermore, part of a project’s production budget is made up of licensing fees from various broadcasters, sales to various territories both domestic and international. Now these entities are a fickle bunch and won’t just buy anything. If they want product A, you can’t just replace it with product B. And that’s just one aspect of the many elements that go into any given deal. The bottom line is that the deal in place for Stargate: Universe has different components than the deal for the SG-1 movie which has different components than the deal for the SGA movie (yes, in spite of the fact that they are both Stargate movies, the deals are different).”
One of the differences between the production of the SG-1 movie and that of the SGA movie was brought to light early on when the two movies were first announced: the SGA movie was to first air on the Sci Fi Channel before being released on video, while the SG-1 movie would follow in its predecessors’ footsteps and go directly to video (DTV).
The production office has not put the Atlantis movie script aside with no production future in mind: that would be the definition of “shelving”. Rather, Mallozzi clarified, “Brad is working on the SG-1 script while Paul and I hope to have a first draft of the Atlantis script by month’s end (we’re already past the halfway mark). No firm production dates for either movies, but if I was a betting man, I’d be looking at this fall. All this to say – there’s no need to get all negative. When there is a need, I’ll let you all know but, at present, we’re making progress on all fronts: SGU, SG-1, AND SGA.”
To read Mallozzi’s full statement on the status of the Atlantis movie, visit his April 7 weblog entry.