Universal today confirmed rumors that Bryan Singer is leaping aboard a bigscreen Battlestar Galactica redo, and he won't simply be producing -- he's attached to direct, as well. I'm always willing to be convinced, but I can't help but think this is an ill-advised project in a couple of ways.
The most obvious knock against the project is the timing. Going ahead with this movie right on the heels of the SyFy television series is bound to confuse audiences, especially the ones who never watched it and won't realize this is an entirely new conception. Instead, those moviegoers are likely to brush the project off, thinking, "Sorry, never watched the DVDs. Too late to catch up now."
For fans who know the difference, Singer will still have to contend with widespread skepticism and the problem of a brand that's already been plundered of its geek cred. Television shows like The Sarah Connor Chronicles and, yes, Smallville already siphoned off excitement from their concurrent bigscreen revivals -- you'd think it's a lesson that Singer would have absorbed by now.
I'd much rather see Singer revive Logan's Run, as he'd planned to several years ago. It's a concept that could easily be modernized, hasn't seen its brand diluted by its television shows, and would no doubt provide for some super-fun casting sessions. Developing...
ยท Bryan Singer to direct and produce 'Battlestar Galactica' movie [EW]