galaxy quest

Paul Scheer Gives Update on ‘Galaxy Quest’ TV Show

It’s been a few months since we heard that Amazon would finally be rebootingGalaxy Quest‘ as a television series for a new generation. Paul Scheer (‘The League‘) was tapped to write the reimagining of the original movie, which featured a group of washed up tv actors being swept up into a real life adventure that mirrors their show. At the time of the announcement, it was unclear how the series would move forward. After all, there had been several unsuccessful attempts at bringing the cast back together for some sort of follow-up in the past. Suffice it to say, details were sparse with a series of crucial questions were left about what this show would end up being.

Recently, Scheer spoke out about writing the project, providing more details about the direction of the new show. Chatting with Slashfilm to promote ‘The Disaster Artist‘, Scheer gave a very in depth update on his work so far, and it looks as if he has just recently turned in a first draft, as well as confirming that the new ‘Galaxy Quest‘ reboot will continue the storylines of the original, in addition to mixing “mixing two casts”. This is great for fans of the original film because it means that we’ll definitely see some familiar faces, along with some new ones. Here’s what Scheer had to say:

“Right now, I just handed in my first script to Amazon, so I’m in that zone. I’m excited about it. It’s a bigger idea that’s kind of morphed and changed a little bit. Not much. The thing I keep on saying about it, without giving too much away – because it’s going to be so long before people get to see it, I don’t want people to get too burnt out on me telling you what it’s about before it gets to that point – but for me, it was really important to do service to a Galaxy Quest story that gives you everything that you want and indoctrinates people who have never seen Galaxy Quest into what the fun of that world is. That Tropic Thunder, Galaxy Quest world. And also to continue the story of our original characters and have consequences from the first film.

So it is mixing two casts. It’s separate kind of adventures that kind of merge, and I’m looking at this first season not as episodic, but as a serialized story. So, the only way I’ve been looking at it is, using everything from the first movie and making the reasons for everything not just – I want to avoid anything that could be viewed as a reboot for reboot’s sake. There are real reasons behind these choices – maybe too much so.”

As someone who really enjoys ‘Galaxy Quest‘, it’s great to hear that the original cast has the potential to return. Although Scheer naturally remains coy about how much of the original cast will return, I think that it’s safe to say that with the exception of the late Alan RickmanTim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, and Tony Shalhoub are a sure to be included in the new series at the very least. In addition, Scheer also noted that, thematically speaking, the show would address the massive cultural shift that has happened between the original and the new series:

“And then the other jumping off point was, I love that in 1999, as a fan of Star Trek and going to these conventions since I was a kid: sci-fi, fantasy, those worlds have changed so drastically. I really wanted to capture the difference between the original cast of Star Trek and the J.J. Abrams cast of Star Trek. I think that, to me, is my entry point. Sci-fi heroes are rock stars now. If you look at Thor, in 1999 if that movie came out, it would not be received the way it is. People would not want to see a cosmic, galactic thing on that level. But now we’re accepting it. I think just by virtue of that switch in our environment, it’ll make the story feel a little bit more fresh.”

Well, I can certainly see how Scheer won the job of writing this series. Based on his comments here, it seems that he has the right approach. We live in a world that is seemingly dominated by geek culture, so its seems natural that the show would address this shift thematically. Although the show is still very far from reaching our eyes, this news is exciting to say the least. As always, stay tuned as we learn more about the series in the future!

 

About Taylor Salan

Taylor Salan is a independent filmmaker who currently resides in the San Fernando Valley. Since childhood, Taylor Salan had a fascination with movies. Although he was an avid fan of film as a child, it wasn’t until his years as a young adult that his passion for the art of filmmaking truly came to fruition. A current student of the film production program at California State University Northridge, Taylor studies Cinematography but ultimately has plans to direct full time if afforded the opportunity. In his spare time, Taylor produces audio podcasts and blogs about film for ageofthenerd.com. He is also a longtime musician, playing drums for over 8 years.

Check Also

Loungefly Launches New High-End Fandom Accessory Line, Collectiv!

 Loungefly, the fan-forward lifestyle brand from Funko, unveils a stylish new line of high-end accessories …