Battlestar Galactica is getting a reboot for NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service from Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot. It has been reported Esmail will executive produce the straight-to-series drama and is currently searching for a writer for the project. At this time, no other details are known about the reboot, but it will reportedly feature an "updated, more modern look at the world as told through the lens of the sci-fi favorite." It will also be inspired by the Syfy TV series from 2004 more so than the original series from 1978.

Created by Glen A. Larson, Battlestar Galactica first premiered on television in 1978. It starred Lorne Green, Richard Hatch, and Dirk Benedict, telling the story of a battlestar ship called the Galactica and its inhabitants searching for a new home after humanity was defeated by an army of warrior robots called the Cylons. The show was axed after just a single season, though a write-in campaign led to the spin-off series Galactica 1980. In that show, the Galactica and its fleet of ships reach Earth in the year 1980, only to find that the planet is incapable of defending itself from the oncoming Cylons. The show ran for a total of ten episodes, also consisting of a single season.

In the years to follow the original series, Battlestar Galactica had grown a large cult following. Talks of doing a new movie or revival series began in the late '90s, and at one point Fox TV nearly developed a new version with many cast members reprising their roles. Ultimately, this project would fall through, leading to the total reboot series which aired on Syfy from writer Ron Moore and producer David Eick. Its cast notably includes Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Grace Park. Originally airing as a three-hour miniseries for the network, Moore and Eick's Battlestar Galactica turned out to be a hit, leading to a series order to make the show an ongoing series. This time, the show had a much more successful run, spanning 76 episodes overall across four seasons.

Syfy's Battlestar Galactica franchise has expanded upon its story following the end of the show. The movie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan reimagines the battle between the Cylons and the twelve colonies of mankind. The prequel series Caprica later debuted on Syfy in 2010, although it ended its run after a single season due to low ratings. Moore would then be approached by the network to develop another Battlestar Galactica spin-off series, although Syfy later opted not to move forward with the project. It later evolved into the web-series Blood & Chrome, which later aired as a TV movie on Syfy.

The Battlestar Galactica reboot will be the second Sam Esmail series for Peacock, joining the limited series Angelyne which stars Emmy Rossum (Shameless). The Syfy version of Battlestar Galactica will be available to stream on Peacock as well. The streaming service from NBCUniversal is set to launch in April 2020. News of the Battlestar Galactica revival comes to us from The Hollywood Reporter.