Mr Robot boss's Battlestar Galactica remake gets update

The Battlestar Galactica remake from Mr Robot producer Sam Esmail has received an exciting update in the form of a new showrunner.

The reboot was first announced in 2019, and will again focus on the war between humanity and the robotic Cylons.

Although the remake is still in production at Peacock, Deadline has reported that The Sinner creator Derek Simonds has been recruited as a writer, executive producer and showrunner for the project.

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The last update Battlestar Galactica received was in October 2023 following the end of the WGA Strike; with Esmail telling Deadline that the series was being worked on.

"We are working on it," he told the publication

“And in fact, I just read a great outline and it’s in great shape. Because the strike is over now – at least the WGA strike is over – we’re back into developing it.”

When Esmail announced the reboot in 2019, he wrote: "BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series @RonDMoore launched because... why mess with perfection?

"Instead, we'll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar. So say we all!"

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The original Battlestar Galactica debuted in the 1970s and then got iteration two in the 2000s with Jamie Bamber and Tricia Helfer under a more political guise.

Previously, Universal had announced plans for a Battlestar Galactica movie with The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence attached to the project, before being swapped out for X Men boss Simon Kinberg.

Separate to the TV series, the movie has also been in development for a number of years.

When Kinberg joined the project, he told The Hollywood Reporter, "Battlestar Galactica is one of the holy grails in science fiction, and I couldn't be more excited about bringing something new to the franchise, while honoring what's made it so iconic and enduring.

"I'm so grateful that [producer] Dylan [Clark] and my partners at Universal have trusted me with this incredible universe."