125,000 Signatures Couldn't Save Stargate's Cancelled Reboot, But The Original Movie Is Now Free To Stream
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Published Nov 14, 2026, 5:30 PM EST
Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art.
A huge petition wasn’t able to save the Stargate reboot, but the original is free to steam in advance of a fresh reboot attempt. Few science fiction franchises have demonstrated the staying power of Stargate. The relatively straightforward adventure movie in the 1990s eventually developed into an expansive television universe. Its combination of military science fiction, mythology, extraterrestrial mysteries, and surprisingly good humor helped it develop a particularly devoted following. However, despite decades of audience enthusiasm, getting the Stargate franchise back onto television has proved difficult.
Amazon MGM Studios seemed primed to change that when it announced a new Stargate series in 2025, bringing aboard a creative team with considerable experience working on the franchise. Unfortunately, the project was scrapped, prompting an enormous backlash from those who had waited years for its return. There is, however, some good news. The 1994 movie that started everything has recently returned to free streaming, offering audiences an opportunity to revisit the beginning of the franchise while Amazon works out what comes next.
The OG Stargate Movie Is Still Worth Watching In 2026
1994’s Stargate starred Kurt Russell as Colonel Jack O'Neil and James Spader as Egyptologist and linguist Dr. Daniel Jackson, who discover an enormous circular artifact during an archaeological excavation in Giza. Decades later, Jackson is recruited to decipher the mysterious symbols covering its surface, eventually discovering that the device is an interstellar gateway capable of transporting people across the universe.
It's an entertaining combination of archaeological mystery, military action, and space opera, with plenty of spectacular imagery as the explorers discover the true nature of the civilization they've encountered. Stargate certainly has some unmistakable 1990s blockbuster sensibilities, particularly in its enormous practical sets and occasionally over-the-top action sequences. For anyone wanting to revisit the original adventure, Stargate is currently available to stream for free with advertisements on Pluto TV in the United States.
Stargate's Movie Laid The Foundation For A Sci-Fi Franchise
Although Stargate was conceived as a standalone cinematic adventure, it featured more storytelling potential than a single feature could accommodate. The concept offered practically limitless possibilities, particularly when combined with the suggestion that extraterrestrial civilizations had influenced humanity's religious and cultural history.
That potential was realized in 1997 with Stargate SG-1, which picked up approximately a year after the events of the movie. Richard Dean Anderson replaced Russell as Colonel Jack O'Neill, while Michael Shanks took over the role of Daniel Jackson. The team explored different planets, encountering alien societies and increasingly dangerous enemies.
SG-1 became the franchise's defining achievement, running for 10 seasons and 214 episodes between 1997 and 2007. Its success also established a much larger mythology surrounding the Goa'uld, the Ancients, the Asgard, and numerous other extraterrestrial species. Rather than simply repeating the original film's conflict with Ra, SG-1 developed an interconnected universe that could accommodate everything from standalone adventures to sprawling intergalactic wars.
Two further live-action series followed. Stargate Atlantis (2004–2009) transported the exploration concept to the distant Pegasus Galaxy, while Stargate Universe (2009–2011) adopted a more dramatic approach by following a stranded crew aboard the ancient spaceship Destiny. There was also the animated series Stargate Infinity, alongside the two direct-to-video SG-1 movies, The Ark of Truth and Continuum.
Taken together, the Stargate franchise became one of science fiction television's most substantial shared universes. The original Stargate deserves considerable credit for establishing the concept, even if the subsequent television productions ultimately expanded its mythology far beyond anything anyone could have anticipated in 1994.
Amazon's Cancelled Stargate Reboot Was A Missed Opportunity
After years without a new live-action Stargate series, Amazon MGM Studios finally announced a revival in November 2025. The project was particularly promising because it involved Martin Gero, a franchise veteran who had previously worked as a writer and producer on Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate Universe. He was attached as writer and showrunner.
Gero described the opportunity as particularly meaningful, having spent five years working across the existing television franchise. His intention was to create a fresh entry point for newcomers without disregarding the established mythology. It was an appealing proposition for a series that needed to attract new audiences while acknowledging the people who had supported it for decades.
Unfortunately, Amazon pulled the plug in June 2026. According to reporting by Variety, executives were concerned that the proposed series wouldn't have sufficiently broad appeal beyond the existing Stargate fanbase. The decision was especially frustrating given that Gero had reportedly spent more than two years developing the project, with the production already moving into pre-production in the UK.
A Change.org petition titled "Save Stargate with Martin Gero!" was launched to demonstrate the franchise's continuing audience demand, arguing that Amazon should recognize the value of its established fanbase rather than abandon a project over concerns about its mainstream appeal. Its organizers specifically called for a continuation that respected the existing canon and retained Gero's creative involvement.
The petition has attracted more than 125,300 verified signatures – a substantial show of support for a franchise that hasn't had a major live-action television release since Stargate Origins in 2018. As part of its plea to Amazon executives, the petition suggested the fandom is "financially, emotionally and socially ready." It continued in a delightfully whimsical manner:
For over a decade, the celestial gateway of the Chappa'ai has remained dormant, casting a longing shadow upon the hearts of its devoted followers. But the time has come, warriors of the tau'ri! Rally your spirits and brace yourselves, for we stand at the threshold of a new Stargate series, yearning to emerge from the cosmic depths!
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save Gero's Stargate series, with no official response from Amazon at time of writing.
Fortunately, the cancellation of Gero's project hasn't meant that Amazon has completely abandoned Stargate. In October 2026, reports emerged that the studio was developing a new Stagate television series, this time with Jac Schaeffer attached as its creative lead.
Schaeffer is best known for creating Marvel's WandaVision, which earned considerable critical acclaim for its inventive approach to superhero storytelling and television history. She also created the spin-off Agatha All Along, a surprise genre mash-up that transformed a fairly obscure Marvel character into a celebrated icon.
However, it's important to distinguish this new project from the canceled series. Schaeffer is developing a separate iteration, and there is currently no confirmed release date, casting information, or detailed story synopsis. It's also unclear whether the new series will continue the established television continuity or introduce a more substantial reboot of the mythology.
The uncertainty is particularly significant given how much of the original petition's appeal centered on retaining Gero's creative vision and respecting the existing canon. Although Amazon's decision to pursue another series is encouraging, it doesn't necessarily address the concerns that prompted viewers to campaign in the first place. For now, Stargate is a franchise in transition, but audiences can revisit where it all started for free on streaming.
©MGM Television/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Image credit: Art Streiber © Sci-Fi (Syfy)/Courtesy: Everett Collection
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