Differences between Stargate and Stargate SG-1

Although the movie Stargate and the television series Stargate SG-1 share similar themes, there is a number of differences in the canon of these fictional works. Through official production notes, scripts, and subsequent text and graphic novel series, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin created a rich backstory and universe. When MGM decided to make a TV series based on the movie, they were no longer involved, and SG-1 showrunners Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner introduced many novel concepts, altering the canon.

Actor and spelling changes

Most notably, many characters were portrayed by different actors, and names were spelled differently. Daniel Jackson was played by James Spader in the movie and by Michael Shanks in the series. Kurt Russell's character Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil, a rather humorless Colonel, is played by Richard Dean Anderson as Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill (with two L's) in SG-1. The name of O'Neil's son changes from Tyler in the film to Charlie. French Stewart's character was named Louis Feretti, in SG-1, Brent Stait's character is named Louis Ferretti. The spelling of Daniel Jackson's wife changes from Sha'uri to Sha're, O'Neill's wife from Sarah to Sara.

Changes to the Stargate

File:Wormhole old.jpg

Movie and SG-1 wormhole from Seasons 1-8.

File:New wormhole.jpg

TV show wormhole in Season 9 and later.

After the SG-1 television series got a greenlight from MGM, the original Stargate device prop was considered to be re-used. The prop was found on a studio backlot, weather-beaten beyond usability for the TV series. A cast was made instead, and several new Stargate props were constructed from it for use in the gate room and on-location shooting.

• In the film, each Stargate has a unique set of 39 symbols, but in the series, each gate has the same 38 symbols (Earth's symbols based on Earth's constellations), minus a single point of origin symbol that is unique to that individual gate.
• The kawoosh effect in the movie was created by filming the actual swirl of water in a glass tube, and looked like a vortex on the back of the Gate. On the TV series, this effect was completely created in CG by the Canadian visual effects company Rain Maker. At the beginning of Season 9, the original movie wormhole sequence was substituted by a new sequence similar to the one already used on Stargate Atlantis, but being blue as it was in the movie and SG-1, whereas in Atlantis it's green.

Other changes

Concept drawing of Ra's original humanoid form by Patrick Tatopoulos. [1]

• Whereas the film's Stargate resides in the fictional military facility located in Creek Mountain, the Stargate in SG-1 is in the Cheyenne Mountain military complex.
• In the Stargate film, Ra is the last of an unnamed race, which is a humanoid species with large black eyes and a lack of facial features, not very dissimilar to the Asgard. In SG-1 however, Ra is one of many "Goa'uld System Lords," who are a race of parasitic snake-like creatures.
• In the film, the planet Abydos resides millions of lightyears away in an entirely different galaxy. In SG-1, Abydos is the closest planet to Earth that has a Stargate, residing in the same galaxy as Earth. Also in SG-1, Stargate travel is limited to the Stargate network in the Milky Way galaxy (unless a tremendous amount of power is used to lengthen the subspace wormhole of a Stargate to another galaxy's Stargate).

Using some of Emmerich's notes, Bill McCay wrote a series of five novels continuing the story the original creators had envisioned. However, Dean Devlin stated in 2006 that there was an interest in creating the original sequels and that the McCay books were not correct. According to Devlin, two movie sequels would have picked up the story from the 1994 original, but not the mythology of the SG-1 and Atlantis series, with the original stars Kurt Russell and James Spader. Devlin regretting giving MGM the control over the franchise. The first movie already tapped into Egyptian mythology; the second one would have moved into other mythologies; and the third would tie together all mythologies. Brad Wright said in 2002 that "Devlin can wish to do a sequel to Stargate all he wants. MGM owns the rights, and I doubt very much that they'll ask him to do it. He knows better." No further news have been announced as of October 2007.