THIS ARTICLE MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS!!! READ FURTHER AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

Rejoice, faithful and patient Stargate SG-1 fans! The second straight-to-video SG-1 movie, Stargate: Continuum is being released July 29^th (DVD and Blu-ray), and as they get ready for the release, more info is coming out in press releases and interviews. At the end of the article, I'll list a few of the sites that fans will want to visit for more information, and some of these sites have trailers and other video clips. One site even has a video of a convention appearance by director Martin Wood, where he talks about some of their experiences filming in the Arctic circle, including a humorous story about Richard Dean Anderson.

Yes, fans, I said Richard Dean Anderson...he IS in this movie! According to what I have been reading, he is not a “main” character, but this is not a cameo appearance either. The folks behind this movie are very proud that this is a return to some of the classic elements of SG-1 and includes some other old, familiar faces as well, such as General Hammond (Don S. Davis) and some of our favorite Goa'uld baddies.

Another classic aspect is one that is central to all sci-fi storytelling – this movie has time travel. Here's an except from an MGM press release from earlier this year: “While SG-1 attends the execution of Baal, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened, a fleet of Goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Baal, his queen, Katesh (Vala), and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld.” Gee...not exactly an offworld trip through the gate, but sure sounds like a great adventure.

This is a stand-alone story, unlike the first movie that wrapped up the Ori storyline. This let the team be a bit more creative and playful with the story. They also had fun with the grandfather paradox, but you'll have to read other sites or wait for the movie for more information on that. I can't tell everything now can I?

A few other tidbits have been talked about with the pending release. The folks behind the world of Stargate do want to continue to bring us new adventures, and MGM wants to do more. The real question is what form that will take. Three things are being discussed: more straight-to-video movies, a third ongoing series, Stargate Universe, and possibly a theatrical release movie. Nothing is set in stone of course. One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that while Atlantis is still going, they can do EITHER one or two movies a year OR a second series, but that doing all three at the same time would be next to impossible. As for a cinematic movie, producer Brad Wright has said that one of the reasons he wanted to make Continuum was as a chance to prove they could do a Stargate theatrical movie. Will it happen, who knows. As a fan, I can always hope!

Now, a couple of other quick news bites that are Stargate connected. Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex, Atlantis) has cut his hair! This is according to TV Guide, who even had a picture of his new style. Momoa said that after about six years of the dreadlocks, it was just hurting his head and neck too much. If I am understanding the blurb in TV Guide correctly, Ronon will still have the locks as Momoa will be using a wig.

Gamers have reason to start getting excited. It looks like closed beta testing for Stargate Worlds will start as early as mid-July. The game is currently in the “friends and family” testing stage, which will be followed by closed beta and then open beta. They are still hoping for a fourth quarter release for the game. Their official website is accepting applications for beta testers, but a quick read through some of the forums tells me that they will likely be giving priority to those fans/users who have been participating in the forums on their site. I can understand that, and I think those folks deserve it. Those who like MMO games and Stargate will want to give this one a try.

Website links:

SciFi Channel: www.scifi.com

Stargate Official site: www.stargate.mgm.com

Gateworld: Your complete guide to Stargate: www.gateworld.net

Newsarama, covering comics, sci-fi, fantasy, and action: www.newsarama.com

Stargate Worlds MMO official site: www.stargateworlds.com

Stargate Worlds game and overall Stargate fan site: www.sgwgame.com

Photos:  Wikipedia.org, Stargateworlds.com