'Stargate' franchise to continue on Sci Fi

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- The Sci Fi Channel will put in an order for a new entry in the "Stargate" U.S. television show franchise, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said the new series will be called "Stargate: Universe" and will mark the third show in the cable network's long-running franchise. The move comes after Sci Fi Channel officials said they were dropping "Stargate: Atlantis" from its schedule. The "Stargate" franchise has been on the air in various forms since 1997, the Reporter said.

"Stargate: Universe" will start out as a two-hour movie in early 2009 and will move into a regular hourly slot next summer, the sources said. "Stargate: SG-1" and "Atlantis" co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper will serve as executive producers and writers on the new series from MGM Television.

The Hollywood Reporter said the new show will be heavier on the space-based action than "SG-1" or "Atlantis," and the producers hope to convert fans of the defunct "Star Trek" franchise and the soon-to-be ending "Battestar Galactica" series to "Stargate."