'Stargate,' 'Robocop' revivals in the works with new TV shows and movies on the way

Two of the biggest sci-fi franchises ever might get a new chance at life thanks to Amazon's landmark deal to acquire MGM. According to Deadline, Amazon has spent the last year working through existing MGM properties, looking for IP that can be resurrected to their advantage, and several big names are on the list for a potential refresh. Among the top contenders? Sprawling sci-fi adventure series Stargate, and cyborg supercop action icon RoboCop. 

RELATED: What made Stargate SG-1 great?

Deadline reports the two properties are among a slew of potential new Amazon projects stemming from the MGM catalog, alongside possible revivals of things like Legally Blonde, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven, and more. According to the report, both Stargate and RoboCop are being considered for dual film and TV reimaginings, though Stargate is more likely to get a movie first, while RoboCop is more likely to head to TV or streaming first.

Created by Dean Devlin (co-creator of SYFY's current series The Ark) and Roland Emmerich and debuting with a feature film in 1994, Stargate follows the adventures of various groups of scientists and soldiers as they use the title device -- a large portal that can transport them to various other worlds -- to explore the universe and battle various threats. The concept is elastic enough that, after the success of the film, it inspired not just a successful TV spinoff with Stargate SG-1, but several more successful TV continuations brought to you by SYFY. 

Despite the franchise's longevity, though, and a dedicated fanbase, it's been several years since the last live-action project, the web series Stargate Origins. Conversations about potentially continuing the franchise through everything from a new SG-1 story to a full-on movie reboot have continued in the intervening years, and now it sounds like Amazon is finally ready to jumpstart those concepts. With a little luck, we could maybe get a new Stargate project, or at least an official announcement, in time for the franchise's 30th birthday next year.

Then there's RoboCop. Debuting with a feature film in 1987 directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Michael Miner and Edward Neumeier, the franchise follows the adventure of the title supercop -- a once-ordinary police officer brought back to life through advanced cybernetics -- in a dangerous near-future version of Detroit. Originally a satirical take on the excesses of 1980s culture and media, the first film spawned two sequels, a live-action series (streaming now on Peacock), and an animated series, and in 2014 we got an attempt at a reboot on the big-screen. For the moment, we have no idea what Amazon's new version of the story might look like, but given the vast resources of the company, it'll be interesting to see who they draft to boot RoboCop back up. 

Looking for more space adventure in the meantime? Check out SYFY's The Ark, which airs new episodes Wednesday night and streams next-day on Peacock.