Brad Wright Considers Movies a Win for Atlantis

In an extensive new interview at Gateworld, Brad Wright makes it clear that having Stargate Atlantis join Stargate: SG-1 in the world of DVD movies is a very positive thing from his viewpoint. From the interview:

We have been in discussions with MGM and SCI FI about “Where to next?” and we decided basically to pull the trigger on movies sooner rather than later, while Atlantis was still doing well. It was a mutual thing. I honestly have neither the desire nor the inclination to blame anybody, because this is a wonderful thing to be able to continue.

[…]

It’s not like there was any — like you said, the show was doing well. But you don’t wait until the show isn’t doing well before you try to launch movies. If you are going to go do movies when the show has still got life left in it, that’s a good time!

As to whether Atlantis was canceled to make room for Stargate Universe, Wright had this to say:

It’s not the case. It’s not the case that anything is being pushed aside, any more than SG-1 is pushed aside. Shows have a life, and they live their life … SG-1 went five years on SCI FI. Atlantis went five years on SCI FI. I’m proud of that, and there are always going to be people — there were people who were upset after 10 years! As many, I’m sure, as who were upset after the five years of Atlantis. There will always be a point where those people are disappointed.

This is a way of preserving Atlantis going forward in a very strong way.

Wright also predicts there could only be one SG-1 and one Atlantis movie per year, or perhaps 3 total, with the possibility of cross-overs. This would go on indefinitely. The remainder of the franchise will be filled out by the on-line game Stargate Worlds and Stargate Universe, which he describes as on the cusp of being green-lighted. Based on Wright’s references to Sci Fi Network’s support of Stargate, Stargate Universe might air on Sci Fi and not on MGM’s own channel, as has been speculated by fans.

Read or listen to the entire interview here at Gateworld.