Stargate
Corporate brand
UnclaimedStargate is a military science-fiction media franchise built around an ancient ring-shaped device that enables near-instantaneous travel through space.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Overview
Stargate is a military science-fiction entertainment franchise originating with the 1994 feature film Stargate, directed by Roland Emmerich and co-written by Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin. The property combines contemporary military and scientific institutions with an expansive mythology centered on the Stargate, a ring-shaped device created by an ancient intergalactic civilization. By connecting two gates through a wormhole, the device allows people and objects to travel vast distances almost instantaneously. This premise gives the franchise a recurring structure: expeditionary teams leave Earth, investigate unfamiliar worlds, encounter human societies shaped by alien intervention, and confront larger geopolitical or existential threats. The original film established the basic mythology through an expedition led by Colonel Jack O'Neil and Egyptologist Daniel Jackson to the planet Abydos. There, the team encounters a technologically advanced alien impersonating the Egyptian deity Ra and helps the local population overthrow his rule. The film was released in October 1994 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco. Its success led to a television continuation rather than an immediate conventional film sequel. Stargate SG-1 premiered in 1997, with Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner developing the series and adapting major characters and concepts from the film. The television version relocated the program's main operations to Stargate Command beneath the Cheyenne Mountain Complex and expanded the premise into a long-running episodic universe. Stargate SG-1 became the central expression of the brand. Its early seasons followed Earth's efforts to resist the Goa'uld, parasitic extraterrestrial rulers who had enslaved human populations across the galaxy and used the Jaffa as soldiers. Later seasons introduced the Ori as a new religious and technological threat. The series ran for ten seasons and was followed by the direct-to-DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, which concluded major elements of its story. Across its principal live-action programming, the franchise accumulated 18 seasons and 364 episodes. The brand expanded through Stargate Atlantis, which premiered in 2004 and followed an international civilian-military expedition in the Pegasus Galaxy. Its principal adversaries were the Wraith, a species that periodically feeds on human populations. Stargate Universe premiered in 2009 and adopted a darker, more character-focused tone, following a group stranded aboard the Ancient vessel Destiny billions of light-years from Earth. The series ended in 2011 after two seasons. Stargate Origins, a short-form web series released in 2018, acted as a prequel focused on the young Catherine Langford. Stargate has also supported novels, comic books, role-playing games, trading cards, video games, amusement rides, and pinball. Licensing has changed over time as corporate ownership and distribution arrangements shifted. Some licensed works are treated as extensions of the principal continuity, while others use the franchise's central concepts without fitting neatly into a single canon. In 2016, American Mythology began publishing Stargate Atlantis comics, later expanding into Stargate Universe material. Stargate: Timekeepers, a real-time strategy game developed by CreativeForge Games and published by Slitherine, was released for PC in January 2024. The franchise's positioning rests on the intersection of military science fiction, exploration adventure, archaeology-inspired mythology, ensemble drama, and serialized world-building. Unlike many space-operas, its stories generally begin from a recognizable contemporary Earth and use the Stargate network to connect that setting to an effectively unlimited range of worlds. Amazon MGM Studios is identified as the current franchise owner in reference material, while rights relating to the original film have also been associated with StudioCanal. The property remains an active en…
History
The Stargate franchise began with the theatrical film Stargate, released on October 28, 1994. Roland Emmerich directed the film and co-wrote it with Dean Devlin. Its story introduced the central device: an alien ring capable of opening a wormhole to another gate. The film's protagonists travel from Earth to Abydos, where they discover that an alien being has used the identity of the Egyptian sun god Ra to rule a human population. The expedition's success establishes the franchise's recurring combination of archaeology, military action, contact with extraterrestrial cultures, and resistance to authoritarian alien powers. The film's continuation became Stargate SG-1 rather than a direct theatrical sequel. Developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, the series premiered in 1997 and recast the central roles while retaining characters and mythology from the film. Its operational center was Stargate Command, a secret military installation beneath Cheyenne Mountain. SG-1 broadened the setting from a single planet to a network of connected worlds. The team initially fought the Goa'uld System Lords and sought to free populations enslaved by them, while later storylines introduced the Ori. The program began on Showtime and later moved to the Sci-Fi Channel. It ultimately ran for ten seasons and became the franchise's longest-running and most influential production. The end of SG-1's television run was followed by two direct-to-DVD films. Stargate: The Ark of Truth completed the Ori storyline, while Stargate: Continuum used time travel as the basis for a separate adventure. A revised version of the SG-1 pilot, Stargate: Children of the Gods, was also released for home video with altered material and updated effects. Stargate Atlantis premiered in 2004. It was initially connected to plans for a feature film that would bridge SG-1 and a new series, but those plans evolved into the two-part SG-1 story Lost City. Atlantis consequently became a series set primarily in the Pegasus Galaxy. Its international expedition searched for the lost city of Atlantis and confronted the Wraith, whose survival depended on feeding on humans. The show shared production resources and continuity with SG-1, including crossover characters. It ran for five seasons, with its final episode broadcast in January 2009. Stargate Universe, the third live-action series, premiered in October 2009. The premise placed an expedition aboard Destiny, an Ancient ship traveling billions of light-years from Earth. The stranded crew had to maintain the vessel and survive with no immediate route home. Universe distinguished itself through a more somber tone and greater emphasis on interpersonal conflict and the psychological pressures of isolation. The series ended in May 2011 after the broadcaster declined a third season. In 2017, a web prequel titled Stargate Origins was announced at a panel marking the franchise's twentieth anniversary. The series follows a young Catherine Langford and is positioned before both the original film and the principal television continuity. It began streaming in February 2018 through the Stargate Command website. The franchise's licensing history extends beyond screen productions. Books, video games, comics, role-playing games, a trading-card game, themed attractions, and pinball have all used the Stargate name and concepts. Several game projects were cancelled, including Stargate Worlds and Stargate SG-1: The Alliance, while other releases such as Stargate: Resistance and Stargate SG-1: Unleashed reached players. American Mythology's 2016 acquisition of rights to produce Stargate Atlantis comics, followed by Stargate Universe comics in 2017, continued selected television storylines in print. The property is currently associated with Amazon MGM Studios, although the supplied reference also distinguishes rights in the original film held by StudioCanal. Because the franchise has been developed by multiple companies and creators, its works do not form one completely uniform continuity; the Stargate device and the broad mythology remain the most consistent identifying elements.
- 2024
Stargate: Timekeepers released
[1]A licensed real-time strategy game is released for PC by Slitherine and CreativeForge Games.
- 2018
Stargate Origins premieres online
[1]The prequel web series presents the early history of Catherine Langford.
- 2011
Regular television production pauses
[1]Stargate Universe ends after two seasons, becoming the last regular Stargate television program in the supplied material.
- 2009
Stargate Universe begins
[1]The third live-action series introduces the Destiny expedition and a more character-driven survival premise.
- 2008
The Ark of Truth and Continuum complete SG-1's major storylines
[1]Two direct-to-video films extend the series after its television conclusion and resolve major narrative threads.
- 2004
Stargate Atlantis premieres
[1]The first live-action spin-off moves the principal expedition to the Pegasus Galaxy.
- 1997
Stargate SG-1 premieres
[1]Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner launch the television continuation that becomes the franchise's central long-running series.
- 1994
Original Stargate film released
[1]Roland Emmerich's feature film introduces the Stargate device, Abydos, Daniel Jackson, and the alien ruler Ra.
Products and positioning
A cross-media military science-fiction franchise combining contemporary Earth institutions, interstellar exploration, ancient-alien mythology, ensemble adventure, and a serialized shared universe.
Feature film · 1994
Stargate
The 1994 origin film follows an Earth expedition through an ancient portal to Abydos. It establishes the franchise's core mythology, including the Stargate network, the Ancient builders, Daniel Jackson's archaeological expertise, and the threat posed by alien beings who rule human societies under the identities of ancient gods.
Television series · 1997
Stargate SG-1
The principal television continuation follows Stargate Command's SG-1 team as it explores connected worlds and confronts the Goa'uld, the Ori, and other threats. Running for ten seasons, the series expanded the film into a broad shared universe and supplied the continuity used by much of the later franchise.
Television series · 2004
Stargate Atlantis
This spin-off follows an international expedition to the Pegasus Galaxy in search of the lost city of Atlantis. The team investigates Ancient technology, establishes contact with local civilizations, and battles the Wraith, while maintaining crossover links with Stargate SG-1.
Television series · 2009
Stargate Universe
The series strands an expedition on Destiny, an Ancient spacecraft traveling billions of light-years from Earth. Its survival-focused premise and darker tone emphasize resource scarcity, isolation, leadership disputes, and the relationships among the crew.
Web series · 2018
Stargate Origins
This short-form prequel centers on Catherine Langford before the events of the original film. It was produced for online distribution and explores an earlier encounter with the Stargate.
Direct-to-video film · 2008
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
A direct-to-video continuation of Stargate SG-1 that concludes the show's Ori storyline. It extends the television narrative after the regular series and was written and directed by Robert C. Cooper.
Direct-to-video film · 2008
Stargate: Continuum
This second SG-1 follow-up uses a time-travel premise to create an alternate history involving the team's established characters. It was written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood.
Video game · 2024
Stargate: Timekeepers
A real-time strategy game developed by CreativeForge Games and published by Slitherine. It brings the Stargate setting into a tactical PC game format and was released in January 2024.
Comic books · 2016
Stargate comics
Licensed comics have extended or revisited the television settings, including Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe stories published by American Mythology. Some comic material continues established television storylines, while the wider franchise includes works with differing continuity status.
Brand decisions
2009
Introduce Stargate Universe with a darker survival premiseProduct launchBackground
After the cancellation of Stargate Atlantis, the franchise developed a new series intended to explore a more mature and character-focused style.
Action taken
Stargate Universe placed an expedition aboard the distant Ancient vessel Destiny and emphasized isolation, survival, and interpersonal relationships.
Aftermath
The series ended in 2011 after two seasons and was the last regular Stargate television production identified in the supplied reference.
2004
Launch Stargate Atlantis in the Pegasus GalaxyProduct launchBackground
Plans for a feature film intended to bridge Stargate SG-1 and a new production evolved as the television series was renewed.
Action taken
The planned transition story became the SG-1 episodes known as Lost City, while the new series was relocated to the Pegasus Galaxy and developed as Stargate Atlantis.
Aftermath
Atlantis operated as a distinct spin-off while retaining crossover and continuity links with SG-1.
1997
Develop a television continuation instead of an immediate film sequelStrategyBackground
The original film provided a setting and mythology suitable for recurring exploration stories, but the franchise's next major production was developed as a television series.
Action taken
Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner created Stargate SG-1, retaining core film concepts while recasting some roles and establishing Stargate Command as the main institutional setting.
Aftermath
SG-1 became the central long-running expression of the brand and enabled multiple spin-offs and home-video continuations.
Recent events
- 2024
Stargate: Timekeepers releases for PC[1]
Product launch
The licensed real-time strategy game developed by CreativeForge Games and published by Slitherine became available for PC.
- 2018
Stargate Origins launches as a web series[1]
Product launch
A short-form prequel centered on Catherine Langford premiered online through the Stargate Command website.
- 2016
American Mythology acquires rights for new Stargate Atlantis comics[1]
Other
American Mythology began publishing new Stargate Atlantis stories set within the established franchise continuity.
- 2011
Stargate Universe ends after two seasons[1]
Other
The final regular Stargate television program concluded after the broadcaster declined to continue the series for a third season.
- 2004
Stargate Atlantis expands the franchise into the Pegasus Galaxy[1]
Product launch
The first major live-action spin-off premiered with a new expedition, setting, cast, and principal antagonist while remaining connected to SG-1.
- 1997
Stargate SG-1 premieres as a television continuation of the film[1]
Product launch
The television franchise began with Stargate SG-1, which continued the film's mythology and established Stargate Command as the central setting.
Sources1 sources
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