It seems the Cylons have come out on top this time around. Peacock and Sam Esmail‘s ambitious reboot of Battlestar Galactica has been cancelled after years in development hell, according to Variety. Originally announced to be an original series for the streaming platform, the Mr. Robot creator’s project was never able to launch despite getting writer Derek Simonds attached a few months ago.
Reports have previously suggested that Sam Esmail‘s vision for the new Battlestar Galactica show would have taken place in the same continuity of the massively popular 2004 iteration, which is fondly remembered as one of the most prolific and beloved versions of the IP. Whether this means the show would have been a prequel, midquel, or sequel to the Emmy-winning series isn’t currently known. There is some hope, as Sam Esmail‘s Battlestar Galactica reboot is reportedly being given the option to shop around for a new distributor, so only time will tell if we’ll ever see Esmail‘s vision come to life on another platform.
What is ‘Battlestar Galactica’ About?
If you were to combine the desire for space exploration from Star Trek with the intergalactic battle sequences of Star Wars, you get Battlestar Galactica. First conceived in 1978, Battlestar Galactica takes place in the far-off future, where most of humanity has been colonizing the stars and has all but forgotten about their ancient history. They inadvertently spell their doom with the creation of the Cylons — a remarkably advanced race of robotic artificial intelligence that predictably rebels against humanity. One fateful day, the Cylons lead a surprise attack on the human capital of Caprica, thus slaughtering billions and displacing thousands.
The few humans that survived have made their homes on massive spaceships in a connected convoy. The leader of this convoy is the titular Battlestar Galactica — a massive military vessel that is led by the reputable Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos). They find a ray of hope when they learn of a planet called Earth, which they discover may be the original birthplace of humanity. However, the humans continue to preserve humanity as they fight for survival and evade the Cylons that are hunting them down. They also soon discover that the Cylons have evolved to create humanoid puppets, and even the most loyal characters in the series could be robotic sleeper agents in disguise.
While the future of Sam Esmail‘s reboot is uncertain, the 2004 Battlestar Galactica series is available to stream on Prime Video.
via Collider