By Ryan Parsons | Image property of respective holders, Variety
Battlestar Galactica
As first reported by HitFix, Universal Pictures has picked up Bryan Singer to direct and produce a feature version of Battlestar Galactica.
Bryan Singer to Direct Battlestar Galactica
While Singer has always openly been a fan of Battlestar Galactica, the development comes somewhat as a shock. The director has also been in orbit of X-Men: First Class, a film that would bring him back to the X-Men franchise. A script is ready from Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz.
It turns out that Singer also had it in mind to relaunch Battlestar Galactica back in 2001. He also planned on directing the pilot of the recent series, with Tom DeSanto onboard to exec produce. Though he missed the opportunity, he was open about his love for the franchise; or franchises in general.
"The lesson I learned on `X-Men' is to have a healthy respect for the fan base of sci-fi fantasy franchises, and I'm confident that the `Galactica' brand is a sleeping giant. It was a show I watched during its initial run, from the pilot to the final episode. The essence and the brand name is quite potent in a climate where there's a great deficit of scifi programming."
Universal's Battlestar Galactica is now on the fast track with Singer looking to receive close to $10 million just for signing on.