Hitfix is reporting that Universal is on the verge of signing X-Men and Valkyrie director Bryan Singer to direct a big-screen reboot of Battlestar Galactica. It’s actually not the first time Singer has attempted to work on Battlestar, as he was three months away from shooting a pilot for a new Galactica TV series when the September 11th attacks happened. As the pilot, designed as a sequel to the 70s series, was largely about a sneak cylon attack, the whole thing got shelved.
Of course since then Ron Moore and David Eick have successfully brought Battlestar back to life, with their much praised TV series (and the spin-off series, Caprica, which will start airing soon). It would seem then a bit soon for Universal to be talking about rebooting it for the big screen. That said, they did officially announce earlier this year that producer Glen Larson had been signed to work on a Galactica feature that isn’t tied to any previous version.
Although Hitfix don’t quote any sources for their scoop, they seem very sure that Singer is going to be attached, although even they seem uncertain how the film would work, as it’d be tough to go back to the beginning and make a mega-budget version of a story that’s only just finished its TV run. However as Avatar has reignited interest in all things sci-fi, Universal is looking for new ways to capitalise on their property, and they might find a way to do it.