Back in 1994,Roland EmmerichandDean Devlinwowed sci-fi audiences withStargate. This original feature re-imagined ancient mythology as a reflection of not the divine, but the otherworldly. The Egyptian sun god Ra, played byJaye Davidson, was not so much a spiritual entity who interacted with humanity, but rather an alien overlord awaiting his inevitable return. So, when an ancient stargate is found in Giza, the world is threatened by the possibility of another incursion.Kurt RussellandJames Spaderstarred in the film as Col. Jack O’Neil and Dr. Daniel Jackson, respectively, who venture through the portal to a whole new world. But did you know that there were originally plans to make not just a sequel toStargate, but a whole trilogy? It turns out, Emmerich and Devlin had the whole thing figured out, untilStargate SG-1got in the way.
An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.
‘Stargate’ Was Meant To Have a Sequel a Decade Later
ThoughStargatedidconsiderably well at the box office, the film wasn’t the instant critical hit that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had likely hoped it would be. Though this author considersStargateone of the most original, unique, and entertaining sci-fi blockbusters of the late 20th century, others don’t consider it much at all. But whenappearing on GateWorld’sDial the Gatepodcastin 2020, producer Dean Devlin reminded audiences that, “the original plan of the movie was to do three movies.” Though Devlin and director Roland Emmerich moved on directly toIndependence Dayfollowing the release ofStargate(and that horribleGodzillareboot after that), plans for the continued adventures of Jack O’Neil (Russell) and Daniel Jackson (Spader) were still being hashed out. In 2006, Devlin first teased a trilogy ofStargateadventures, noting that the first sequel would take place in real-time, 12 years afterwhen the original left off.
What Order Should I Watch the Stargate Franchise In?
Before you hop through the gate, be sure you know where you’re going.
Of course, by this time, MGM had alreadylaunched aStargatetelevision franchise, beginning with the famedStargate SG-1. Spin-offs such asStargate Atlantisand the television filmsStargate: The Ark of TruthandStargate: Continuumwere either airing or in development, and it seemed like the studio had left the original film in the dust. While the television franchise still considers the events of the 1994 feature canon, new actors, name/spelling changes, and other discrepancies and mythology expansions separated the two universes in Devlin’s mind. “Fans love the series, so much that it got a sequel,” the producer noted. “So it’s alive, well and in good shape. But it would be great to finish telling the story we set out to tell 12 years ago.” Devlin believed that bothStargateprojects could co-exist in the same creative space, but MGM didn’t necessarily agree. For them,SG-1and the other shows were their bread and butter, with the theatrical film being almost a distant memory.
Despite the studio’s hesitations,Devlin wasconfident that Kurt Russelland James Spader were willing to return for more, and that Roland Emmerich would find his way back to the project as well. Though Devlin noted that Emmerich might not have directed theStargatesequel, he would still be heavily involved in bringing it to life. After all, the pair had co-written the original 1994 film together, so it’s only fitting that they would continue their initially envisioned story. “Stargatestarted as a story that Roland wrote in college calledNecropol: City of the Dead,” Devlin revealed in 2006. “[It] was about a space ship buried underneath the Great Pyramid of Egypt. I had been working on, separately, without ever knowing, this thing I always calledLawrence of Arabia on Another Planet. And when we met, he pitched meNecropol, and I told him mine.” From the get-go,Stargatewas always the unique combination of Emmerich and Devlin’s shared vision, and the sequels would have been the same.
‘Stargate’s Trilogy Would’ve Connected to a Larger Mythology
But what would’ve happened in this proposedStargatetrilogy? Well, Devlin explained that the idea was for the second film to pick up over a decade after the original ended. If we remember, after defeating Ra, Jack O’Neil, Lt. Col. Charles Kowalsky (John Diehl), and Lt. Louis Ferretti (French Stewart) all return to Earth through the stargate, while Daniel Jackson opts to stay behind on Abydos. During their visit to the alien world, Jackson falls in love with and marries Sha’uri (Mili Avital), the daughter of local village leader Kasuf (Erick Avari). With the people of Abydos liberated from the tyrant’s rule, Jackson believes he’s finally found a place in the universe for himself, and remains with his new bride. So why would Jackson and O’Neil reunite for Part 2? Well,Emmerich and Devlin had crafted a sequel well-worth revisiting, which would’ve picked up 12 years after the original.
“The second one was going to deal with, ‘Why are there pyramids in Mayan culture?'” Devlin toldYahoo! Newsin 2023, noting that the draw forStargatewas always the concept of exploring humanity’s unique mythology from a new point of view. The Mayan concept would have been unique, predating the similar themes explored inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,and almost certainly doing a better job. The first film had already connected alien intelligence to the Egyptian pyramids, so tackling the other types of mythical structures around the world (and the cultures they represent) was the natural next step. It sounded likeStargate 2might have been very similar to the first film, though it would’ve explored a different system beyond Abydos. “There was going to be three major addresses [on the stargate],” Devlin toldDial the Gate. “And that’s why we needed the nine [chevrons]…And one was an Egyptian, and our second was going to be a Mayan culture.”
But that’s not all. The third film would’ve tied everything together, pulling from just about every mythology and legend mankind has devised. “Whether it was Bigfoot, or the Yeti — we were going to tie everything together into a larger mythology,” the filmmaker continued. Even the Loch Ness Monster would’ve been involved. As far as how O’Neil, Jackson, and any of the other supporting or returning cast were concerned, we haven’t gotten too much detail. Sure, the idea was to have Russell and Spader back on board, but as to what their characters would’ve gone through, we haven’t a clue. The world ofStargateis a mystery for a reason, and while theSG-1series may have had the luxury of expanding on it over time (and developing its characters the same), the film trilogy would’ve had far less to work with.
The ‘Stargate’ TV Shows Shattered Plans for More Movies
As mentioned before, the reason that theStargatesequels ultimately weren’t made was because of MGM’s commitment toStargate SG-1and the other spin-offs associated with the television franchise.SG-1takes place not long after the original film,withStargate: Children of the Godskicking it off. Aside from the lack of returning cast and crew,Children of the Gods- The Final Cutfeels very much like a trueStargatesequel. Sure, it wasn’t what Emmerich or Devlin originally envisioned, but it took a deep look at the original characters and dealt with the fallout of the film uniquely, with Ra’s death creating a power vacuum among the other alien gods out there. “MGM decided to do the television series, which has become enormously successful, and I think that they would rather do movies based on the television series than based on the first film,” Devlin explained toIGNback in 2002.
According to the producer,Stargate SG-1(which first aired on Showtime before moving to the Sci-Fi Channel) happened after the original film because they sold the picture to MGM.Stargatewas made entirely independently of Hollywood, financed through the French-based Le Studio Canal+.But according to Devlin, the group was “so sure they had a bomb, that they sold [the $50 million movie] to MGM for $5 million.” The studio then decided to echo the success ofStar Trekand build a television brand, independent of Emmerich and Devlin, who the studio cut out of their plans for the franchise. It wasn’t long beforeSG-1was a hit as well, and began expanding into multiple television series, films, and even a 2017 prequel,Stargate Origins. Unfortunately, this kept the studio from following up with the theatrical franchise, and so Devlin and Emmerich’s sequels were never pursued.
“When we created the originalStargate, we always envisioned it as a trilogy, and, unfortunately, the way in which the movie got made, we didn’t really have control over [it],“Devlin told audiencesat Comic Con International in 2006. Despite hopes that Devlin could convince MGM to change their minds, nothing came to fruition. The originalStargatestory was long gone, and it was us fans who suffered most. Though we could’ve had two simultaneousStargatenarratives running (not unliketheJ.J. AbramsStar Trek filmsexisting alongside the original timeline) that would’ve expanded further on what makes the concept exciting in the first place: the hard sci-fi interpretation of ancient mythology. Nowadays, Devlin considers theStargateship to “have sailed,” and doesn’t see any hope for a traditional sequel to the original 1994 film.
What’s the Current State of the Stargate Franchise?
Part of the reason that aStargatesequel is unlikely to occur is thatMGM sold to Amazon in 2021. Though aDevlin/Emmerich Stargate rebootwas announced at one point back in 2014before being cancelled, a few years later, Amazon came into the picture. Now that the streaming giant has the rights to the entire franchise — both the 1994 film and the television shows — they’re looking to reboot the story entirely. With Amazon at the helm,aStargatereboot might finally happen. Of course, a reboot would likely feel more likeSG-1than the originalStargategiven the longevity of that series, andmaybe that’s for the best. After all,SG-1is the series that most think of instantly when the wordStargateis uttered, and why shouldn’t it be? The Showtime-turned-Sci-Fi Channel series ran for a whole decade and furtherdiversified Emmerich and Devlin’s original concept. Not only did it add loads of character depth and build upon the mythology of the original, but it made a name for itself almost entirely separate from the 1994 film.
If Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin (who ironically made asequel toIndependence Day, a film they originally had no interest in revisiting) can’t be the ones to finish out their originalStargatestory, then perhaps a new batch of filmmakers would have better luck inserting new life into the 30-year franchise. According toDeadline,Amazon is hoping to generate both newStargatemovies and television productions, with a feature film meant to kick the whole thing off. If that’s the case, then we could be on the verge of a whole new era ofStargate, one that could take the foundation of the original classic and take us boldly to worlds we’ve never gone before.
