While the science-fiction genre has stepped up its game with plenty of quality additions in recent years, Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica still remains one of the best when it comes to television shows. That may be why there were a lot of mixed reactions when it was announced Sam Esmail would be "rebooting" the franchise, though recent word on the project is saying it won't actually be a traditional reboot after all.
Moore, whose Outlander just premiered Season 5 over at Starz, spoke to press in passing about Esmail's Battlestar Galactica and a conversation he had with the Mr. Robot creator about the project. The two creators didn't get into specific story details during their talk, but Moore did confirm to press that the Battlestar Galactica reboot is not actually a reboot.
Sam called me and was very gracious, he didn’t pitch me the story so I don’t know. But he said his plans and he wasn’t going to re-start the show and recast it but he wanted to do something in the same universe. Sam’s amazing and I love Mr. Robot. I was like, you know, ‘You’re an amazing guy and amazing writer, go with God!’
Ronald D. Moore signaled to press he has complete faith in the abilities of Sam Esmail, and was a fan of Mr. Robot. He also told Variety this new Battlestar Galactica is going to exist in the same universe and not be a straight up reboot of his acclaimed series, which was a reboot of the original, late 1970s show. This may be comforting to some fans of the franchise, who could have felt it was too soon for a straight reboot, especially with that show's polarizing ending still being talked about.
Ronald D. Moore's quote echoes a previous interview with Sam Esmail, who talked to THR about a conversation he had with Moore (possibly the same one) when the project was first discussed. Esmail admitted that he cringed when the word "reboot" was used in their meeting, as it was never in line with what he wanted to do with the series. Esmail explained he wanted to touch on a concept that draws on the franchise's deep mythology, though, like Moore, he didn't just start throwing story ideas out to the press.
Esmail has said that one of the things he liked about Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica was how grounded it felt compared to other sci-fi. Chances are Esmail's developing something that draws on that element for NBC's Peacock, and will try to tie current events to the future to create meaningful stories. It still remains to be seen if franchise fans will respond to it with the same praise as Moore's entry, but some may be at least a little more excited for knowing that this project is not a straight lift which will try to mimic prior success.
Sam Esmail's contribution to the world of Battlestar Galactica will premiere on NBC's streaming service Peacock. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more details on the upcoming series, and for the latest news on all television and movies coming in 2020 and beyond.
