Fifteen years ago I was planning my nights around episodes of "Mystery Science Theater," programming math cheats into my graphing calculator and filming "60 Minutes"-style interviews with Cobra Commander. I was also madly in love with director Roland Emmerich's "Stargate," the German filmmaker's bold sci-fi experiment in 1994 that foreshadowed his big-budget juggernaut "Independence Day" only two years later. "Stargate" is now bowing on Blu-ray as a "15th Anniversary Edition," and it's one of a handful of notable releases during an otherwise forgettable DVD week.

"Stargate" finds Kurt Russell as a suicidal, no-nonsense military officer tasked to lead a group of battle-hardened veterans -- and soft-skinned ninny scientist James Spader -- through a newly discovered wormhole to an unknown destination. The other side winds up being a sandy desert planet whose native inhabitants have kept their human slaves in bondage under the guise of ancient Egypt. It was a wholly original concept, driven forward by personality-heavy stars, amazing location photography and Emmerich's strong sense for the fantastical. The film would eventually launch a number of successful television spin-offs, although sadly no follow-up film (although one was originally planned). Read more...

Yesterday, the discovery of 32 planets outside of Earth's solar system was announced by an international team of scientists. The existence of these planets — dubbed "exoplanets," short for "planets outside of our solar system" — should only further the line of thinking that we are not alone in this universe, even if our other neighbors are uninhabited planets in galaxies far, far away.

But what if they're not uninhabited? Indeed, what if these planets aren't even unfamiliar? The Movies Blog team happens to have a well-connected source close to the discovery of the exoplanets, and we can exclusively confirm that at least five of these brave new worlds have been featured in past, present and future works of fiction!

Okay, that's a lie. But let's put our "make believe" hats on for a moment and imagine that these five fictional planets were counted amongst the newly discovered exoplanets... Read more...

Wish the 2004 medieval action movie “King Arthur” had featured more wizardry? What about a more epic narrative? Fans of the Camelot story who take their Arthurian legend with a side of magic and myth will be delighted to hear that Bryan Singer (“X-Men”) is negotiating to produce, and possibly helm, a remake of the 1981 sword-and-sorcery picture “Excalibur.”

Why Warner Bros. is looking to a barely classic film for a redo rather than simply adapting the story anew is beyond me. But I guess there is a shortage of possible titles for a movie about Arthur and his Round Table Knights. This practice of planning remakes has become almost second nature to Hollywood at this point. We can't really blame the studio for marching along to the trendiest beat. Read more...

Are you a fan of both “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Battlestar Galactica”? How about "MADtv"? If so, then your TV-watching dreams have come true with a casting announcement that links all three series'. Let's start with the whopper: James Marsters, who played fan-favorite Spike on “Buffy” and its spin-off “Angel,” has joined the cast of “Caprica,” an upcoming Syfy show that’s a prequel to the recently finished “Battlestar.”

Marsters will play a villain named Barnabus Greeley, described as a dangerous and unpredictable terrorist torn by his conflicting moral and carnal desires. The character appears to exist outside of the show’s primary focus, which is on two rival families: the Graystones and the Adamas (headed by Eric Stoltz and Esai Morales, respectively). Considering the actor’s appeal and sizable fanbase, it’s sure to be a major role. Read more...

Seriously. Were any of you paying attention back in March when Ron Moore and David Eick's reimagined "Battlestar Galactica" series came to a close on the Sci Fi Channel (now Syfy)? I know Universal was-- after all, they own the property. So what gives with this news that Bryan Singer is officially on board to direct a big screen "Battlestar"? The series ended, and it ended well. There was closure, some minor ambiguity, even a happy ending or two.

And now Singer's going to come in and muck up all of that great work. That's not to say I think he's a bad filmmaker. Granted, "Superman Returns" was underwhelming, but it's hard to knock the guy who gave us a masterpiece like "The Usual Suspects." And he certainly proved he could do blockbusters right with "X2: X-Men United." So why does Singer getting "Battlestar" feel like such a monumentally terrible idea? Read more...

-- Robert Rodriguez has some updates on "The Jetsons," "Predators," "Nervewrackers" and "Sin City 2." Click it. You know you'd like to know more. (Sci Fi Wire)

-- Huge news. Bryan Singer is now confirmed to be directing a silver screen reboot of "Battlestar Galactica." This was reported earlier by Hitfix, but the news has now been confirmed. Fans of Ron Moore's take on the franchise shouldn't rise up in angry protest just yet. The project is literally at ground zero right now. With Singer on board, now it's time to find a writer, figure out the course such a project might take. Might Ron Moore step in to deliver a script? Anything is possible. We shall see, fellow "BSG" fans. (Variety) Read more...

Always a latecomer to popular television shows (I’m a movie guy), I’ve only just begun watching the recently wrapped reboot series of “Battlestar Galactica.” And since I’m hooked, I am very excited that, according to HitFix, Bryan Singer has been approached by Universal to produce and possibly direct a “BSG” movie. Even if it has nothing to do with the show I’m currently watching, I’m interested in anything having to do with that world.

Obviously it helps that Singer is a talented filmmaker, and there’s something very intriguing about how a feature film not directly related to the recent series will factor into the franchise, which began with a short-lived TV show back in the late ‘70s. In the exclusive report from HitFix, Drew McWeeny mentions that Singer was previously involved with the property prior to Ronald Moore's signing on with SyFy (then SciFi), when plans for a “BSG” movie ceased after the September 11th attacks. McWeeny wonders if the ideas Singer had nearly a decade ago will be revisited for this new project. Read more...

It's fair to say that I've gotten a nice share of free stuff during my tenure here at MTV News. So much so that I've become jaded (a curse, I know). You can only get so many alarm clocks, vodka bottles and t-shirts before it all melds together. But every once in awhile, something comes across my desk that stops me in my tracks. That happened today when a hefty package arrived.

Opening its lid, I saw the logo of a show I rate in my top 3 of all time... yes, it was a massive "Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series" Blu-ray box set. This was no ordinary collection either. The 12-inch Cylon Centurion carefully nestled inside a see-through lid was the first clue. Read more...

Just as remaking the original "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" film without consulting series mastermind Joss Whedon is nothing short of a Hollywood faux pas, it seems equally unthinkable to forge a big-screen "Battlestar Galactica" adventure without Ron Moore, creator of the recently finished television series. This may be a fairly common sentiment among fans of Moore's politically-minded take on the classic science fiction franchise, but it appears that not every "Galactica" vet shares that feeling -- so long as the film version is done right.

Richard Hatch, who played fighter pilot Apollo in the original '70s-era "Galactica" series and then terrorist-turned-politician-turned-terrorist Tom Zarek in the latest incarnation, tells Moviehole that he'd be keen to see Universal Studios' announced "Battlestar Galactica" film if it took a cue from the recent "Star Trek" revival. Read more...