FX Stage to Become Home to SGU

The Vancouver Sun has a brief article on the tearing down of Stargate’s FX Stage sets to make way for the new television series Stargate Universe that will start filming in February next year. As the location of the popular Medieval Village Set, this stage has a lot of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis history tied up in it, and to see it being torn down to be replaced is bittersweet.

BRIDGE CONTRACT: Heavy machines are smashing the Stargate Atlantis TV series’ set in Bridge Studios’ 40,000-square-foot effects stage. That’s the largest of eight movie-shooting facilities in almost constant use on the six-hectare complex at Boundary-off-Second Avenue, Burnaby. The studio’s website claims it’s the largest in North America.

But Bridge Studios general manager Ron Hryniuk — say Her-nik — isn’t sorry to say goodbye to a show that produced some 100 episodes on six of his sound stages, as well as twice that number for the predecessor Stargate SG-1 series. That’s because the SCI FI Channel and MGM Television recently announced the launch of a new “science faction” series called Stargate Universe.

“Its great news. Fantastic,” Hryniuk said of a show that will premiere as a two-hour movie on SCI FI and become a weekly one-hour series next summer.

In a press release Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper said Stargate Universe “will break new ground in relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust together and far from home.”

[…]

To get a general overview of the Bridge Studios complex, visit their website’s virtual tour at the Bridge Studios – Facility webpage (Flash Player required).

In a series of short video clips, executive producers Joseph Mallozzi and Carl Binder took Mallozzi’s weblog visitors on an informal tour of the FX Stage. It’s a trip down memory lane now as Atlantis has concluded its filming of their final season on television.

Visit Google Video to watch the tour. Be aware that there is mention of some of the scenes in upcoming episodes of Atlantis. Mallozzi’s collection of videos that you’ll see indexed at Google Video also includes tours of Stages 2, 3, 5 and 6. Visit Mallozzi’s weblog for more details about these stages and other production information (the first part of the FX Stage tour appears on September 8).

ETA: Solutions has since learned that Stage 4 at Bridge Studios is to be the home of the Destiny, not the FX Stage. The use of the FX Stage has not been confirmed for Stargate Universe at this time (February 2009).

One thought on “FX Stage to Become Home to SGU”

  1. From Joseph Mallozzi’s blog:

    One of the great things about doing this daily blog is that it affords me the opportunity to head off rumors and fan concerns before. Today, for example, I see many a panicked reaction to a recent Vancouver Sun article that states: “Heavy machines are smashing the Stargate Atlantis TV series’ set in Bridge Studios’ 40,000-square-foot effects stage.” Well – yes, it’s true and, no, it’s not a big deal. We’re not talking about Stage 2 (that houses the wraith hive/facilities) or stage 3 (that houses the Daedalus/Apollo) or, more importantly, stage 6 (where the Atlantis gate room, control room, infirmary, Woolsey’s office, and various corridors are located). We’re talking about the FX Stage, the location of the (well played-out) village set, cave sets, catacombs, and one of our cafeteria views. No big loss. Hell, Stage 5 (which holds the SGC gate room, control room, briefing room, and several corridors) is still up despite the fact that SG-1 was cancelled two years ago! So, fear not. The movie will not be take place entirely on some forested planet.

    – October 2, 2008

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