Corporate Press Release Theater: There Are Many Copies

The more Battlestar Galactica dies, the more it stays alive. Sci Fi today announced another BSG prequel movie, to air next year—and this is not the already-planned two-hour prequel movie that has a good shot at becoming a full-fledged prequel series. Details after the jump:

New York, NY – August 7, 2008 - SCI FI Channel today announced an all-new Battlestar Galactica special event, set to air in 2009 following the conclusion of the series and then released on DVD by Universal Studios Home Entertainment shortly thereafter. Directed by series star Edward James Olmos and written by Battlestar Galactica's Jane Espenson, the two-hour event will begin shooting in Vancouver at the end of this summer. The cast includes Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas and Dean Stockwell, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Starting before the events of the miniseries, our story focuses on familiar characters including Cylon Number One, known as Cavil (Stockwell), Resistance Leader Sam T. Anders (Trucco) and Chief Galen Tyrol (Douglas). In the beginning, the Cylons had a plan, but it didn't account for one thing: survivors. During the chaotic aftermath of the destruction, two powerful Cylon agents struggle with plots and priorities on the human ships that got away, and among the resistance fighters who were left behind.

On the one hand, I liked the recent two-hour "Razor" movie. On the other hand—as with the prequel series—I'm not sure how much interest I'll have in the fleshing out of backstory after we know how the front-story ends. Execution is everything, but at what point do you start getting into Silmarillion territory?

[Ducks to avoid silmarils heaved by Tolkien-prequel fans.]