'Transcendence' Writer Comes Aboard Revived 'Battlestar Galactica' Film

Around the time the rebooted Battlestar Galactica TV series was ending its run on SyFy Channel, Bryan Singer came aboard to helm a big screen version of the original series. But he had actually been working on something even before that, so this seemed like the perfect chance for him to put some of those ideas to work. Nothing has been heard about it in three years, but now Variety reports Universal is moving forward on the Battlestar Galactica film, only Singer may not be involved.

Transcendence and Prometheus 2 scribe Jack Paglen has been hired to write the screenplay for Battlestar Galactica, which also has the involvement of series creator and producer Glen Larson. Paglen takes over from John Orloff (A Mighty Heart), who was intending to merge all of the Battlestar Galactica continuities somehow. Universal wants a "complete reimagining", something more streamlined for audiences unfamiliar with the property, so it makes sense to bring someone new in.

As for Singer, Variety's piece only refers to his past involvement with the project, implying that he's moved. With him spearheading the renewed X-men franchise it's doubtful he would have had time for it, anyway.

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A Mighty Heart scribe John Orloff to script Bryan Singer's Battlestar Galactica

Between Bryan Singer and newly named screenwriter John Orloff, Battlestar Galactica will at least be headed up by two die-hard BSG freaks. Singer has been trying to get his film based on the classic sci-fi franchise up for years, starting back as a planned TV series back around 2001. Lately, while he's been wrapping up completion of his next film, Jack the Giant Killer, buzz surrounding BSG has only picked up. Although it won't have any relation to the recently ended SyFy Channel series, it has a devoted group of diehard fans, and Orloff knows better than to piss them off....

Orloff: “I have wanted to write this movie since I was 12 years old, and built a Galactica model from scratch out of balsa wood, cardboard, old model parts and LEDs,”I love BSG, and I would pass on the job rather than frak it up.”

So ignoring the fact that Orloff wrote the Roland Emmerich Shakespeare conspiracy flick, Anonymous(now releasing limited next week. Whomp whomp.), Orloff has an impressive list of credits that should ease fanboys' minds. After earning an Emmy nomination for penning a couple episodes of HBO's fantastic Band of Brothers, he also wrote the scripts for Michael Winterbottom's A Mighty Heart, and Zack Snyder's underrated Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. 


Orloff using the phrase "frak it up", so specific to the very popular modern series, makes me think this won't be as separate of a universe as Singer has led us to believe. But only time will tell. Personally I'd love to see it be a spinoff or continuation of some sort.

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