What The Battlestar Galactica Reboot Needs To Work & Honor The Original Explained By Producer

Sam Esmail, executive producer of the planned Battlestar Galactica reboot, has explained what the show’s latest incarnation will need to work. Based on the cult science fiction show that originally came out in the 1970s, in 2003 the Sci-Fi Channel commissioned a pilot for a fresh reimagining of the show that first aired as a two-part miniseries. This, in turn, would lay the groundwork for the immensely popular and critically acclaimed 2004 reboot that ran for four seasons and spawned several spinoffs. In 2019, Peacock announced the property would be receiving a second reboot, this time with Mr. Robot creator Esmail assuming control of the franchise.

During a recent interview for his apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind, Esmail spoke exclusively with Screen Rant about his work on the upcoming Battlestar Galactica reboot and what his show will need to do to live up to the legacy of Ronald D. Moore’s beloved 2004 version. Suggesting Moore’s version was “one of the most perfect TV shows out there”, Esmail reflected on how his predecessor was able to use science fiction themes to create a timely allegory for a post-9/11 world and suggested his show would need to find something similar. Check out his comments below:

Yeah, Ron Moore’s was to me one of the most perfect TV shows out there. And I think what made it really work was how smartly he created this sort of allegory between post-9/11 and then using sci-fi to kind of explore those themes. And we have to do something at that level.

Because for me, following in his shoes, it’s a huge undertaking. So if it’s not up to that caliber, then there’s no point in making it. So we’re kind of figuring that out now, and we’re trying to figure out, “Well, what is relevant today that Battlestar could be a great allegory for?”

Esmail’s Battlestar Galactica Reboot May Suffer The Same Backlash As Moore’s

Despite earning a slew of awards and going on to become widely regarded as one of the best science fiction series to come out of the early 2000s, when news first broke that Star Trek writer Moore was crafting his own reboot of Battlestar Galactica, the reception was not entirely positive. While fans of the original were keen to get behind a proposed legacy sequel project, Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming, that had previously been developed by original star Richard Hatch, when Moore first screened a five-minute preview of his own 2003 miniseries at 2003’s Galacticon Convention in Los Angeles, he was met with a largely cool reception from those in attendance.

Trading the original show’s trademark sci-fi pulp sensibilities for a far more grounded militaristic approach, Moore would also come under significant fire for electing to transform the handsome, womanizing Captain Starbuck into Katee Sackhoff’s hard-drinking and insubordinate Kara “Starbuck” Thrace. Though both Sackhoff and Moore would ultimately prove their doubters wrong, the initial reaction Moore’s approach to Battlestar Galactica received highlights how protective sci-fi fandoms can become of their favorite properties.

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While there is currently no clear indication of what route Esmail may take with his approach to reinventing Battlestar Galactica for a second time, it is possible that when those details finally do arrive, the Mr. Robot creator may also find himself in a very similar position to what Moore originally had to face. Hopefully, however, Esmail will find exactly the angle he needs to make his reboot a success and will overcome any hesitation from overprotective fans of the franchise, just like Moore did before him.