Sci Fi TV Top 5: Covering the top sci fi and fantasy TV stories of interest from the past week. You can keep up with the sci fi and fantasy TV news headlines throughout the week at r/SciFiTV on Twitter and on Reddit.
1. Upgrade TV Series in the Works
Blumhouse TV has started development on a TV series based on the 2018 feature film Upgrade. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description for the project:
Upgrade the series picks up a few years after the events of the film and broadens the universe with an evolved version of STEM and a new host – imagining a world in which the government repurposes STEM to help curb criminal activity.
Leigh Whannell, who wrote and directed the film, will be onboard as executive producer and Tim Walsh (Treadstone) will be the showrunner. There is no word at this point on whether the actors from the film will reprise their roles. There is also no network is attached yet, but the project should draw some interest.
2. American Horror Story Spin-Off Gets a Series Order
FX has officially given a series order to an American Horror Story spin-off series. As opposed to the season-long story arcs of the parent series, the new show will offer stand-alone episodes each with their own horror stories. But they could include characters that have previously appeared on AHS and/or could also tie back to previous stories. The upcoming tenth season of American Horror Story has been delayed to 2021 due to the Coronavirus-related shutdowns and the new series will likely debut at some point in 2021 as well.
3. New Battlestar: Galactica Series Will Not Follow Typical Episode Structure
A new Battlestar: Galactica series (which may or may not be a reboot) is in the works for NBC’s Peacock streaming service, and executive producer Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) has indicated that it will not follow the standard television episode structure:
There might be episodes that are longer than others. There might be a three-episode arc. There might be a standalone episode that’s a half-hour long. We don’t want to put guardrails up at all. We want to do whatever’s best for each episode. And because I do believe in the episode model, I maybe share the frustration some critics have when showrunners go on an say ‘Well, it’s a 10-hour movie.’ That’s silly. It’s not. What we’re doing here is every episode you have the opportunity to change up the tone, to change up the story, to change up the point of view. So we’re going to lean into that, not shy away from it.
Details about the show’s story and connection to the 2003 series (or perhaps 1978 series) remain sketchy, and it will likely not have its debut until mid or late 2021.
4. Greg Berlanti Will Play The Forbidden Game
Television uber-producer Greg Berlanti is working on an adaptation of The Forbidden Game novels which come from L.J. Smith, the same author of The Vampire Diaries. Deadline Hollywood gives the following description of the books:
The Forbidden Game is a teen horror trilogy of novels in which a girl named Jenny and six friends enter a Jumanji-like game that drops them into different shadow worlds to fight off their worst nightmares, or die and have their souls forever imprisoned. The stakes are set by Julian, an enigmatic blue-eyed boy who moves freely between worlds. Jenny is determined to save herself and her friends, but when she starts to fall in love with Julian her loyalties are tested beyond anything she has ever experienced.
No network is attached at the moment, but Berlanti is working with Warner Bros. Television on this which makes The CW or HBO Max likely destinations.
5. Production Notes: Delays Continue for Fear the Walking Dead, Outlander Spin-Off Could Be in the Works
AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead halted production due to the Coronavirus-related shutdowns and there is currently no date set for when shooting will resume on the series. That could push the Season 6 premiere, originally set for a Summer, to Fall or possibly beyond. Ronald D. Moore has indicated that Starz is considering one or more spin-offs to Outlander, the fantasy-romance based on the books by Diana Gabaldon which just concluded its fifth season on that network. No details are available on the spin-offs at this point, though.
THE SCHED: Season Finales for Legends of Tomorrow and Vagrant Queen
The Summer drought begins with no new shows joining the schedule and two wrapping up their seasons. On Tuesday, The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow airs its fifth season finale (it will be returning next year for a sixth season). Then on Thursday, Syfy’s Vagrant Queen has its first season finale (and perhaps series finale). With the production shutdowns having delayed the start of many shows, there will not be many additions to the schedule in June. But there are still some sci fi entries on the way over the next month and you can see the full schedule at this link.
>PRIOR POST: New Star Trek Series in the Works, Ahsoka Could Get Her Own Show, and More
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Upgrade was a surprisingly good sci-fi film – the short description given for the direction of the series leaves me less than optimistic about it though.