A TV series based on the 1999 sci-fi comedy movie Galaxy Quest is reportedly in the works at Paramount+.
About the potential Galaxy Quest TV series
The potential Galaxy Quest television show is a collaboration between Paramount+ and its studio counterpart Paramount Television Studios. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the project is still in the early stages of development and a search is underway for a writer to pair with the film’s producer Mark Johnson. Best known for his behind-the-scenes work on AMC’s Breaking Bad, Johnson executive produced the original Galaxy Quest movie and is attached to exec produce the potential TV series via his Gran Via Productions.
Johnson currently has an overall deal with AMC Studios and is overseeing the cable network’s Anne Rice franchise. Repped by Ziffren Brittenham, his credits include AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, Mayfair Witches, Lucky Hank, the abovementioned Breaking Bad, its companion series Better Call Saul, and Halt and Catch Fire.
Past attempts to bring Galaxy Quest to TV
Paramount+’s potential Galaxy Quest TV show is not the first attempt of Paramount TV Studios to give the beloved movie the TV treatment. The Paramount Television Studios first developed a new take on the beloved pic back in 2015. That incarnation, which was supposed to be a sequel to the movie, was sold to Amazon with the film’s writer, Robert Gordon, attached to pen the script. Johnson and the movie’s director, Dean Parisot, were also involved in the project. But it was ultimately thrown into chaos after the 2016 death of Alan Rickman, one of the three lead actors in the original movie.
“We were ready to sign up, and [then] Alan Rickman passed away and Tim Allen wasn’t available — he [had Last Man Standing] — and everybody’s schedule was all weird. It was going to shoot, like, right now. And how do you fill that void of Alan Rickman? That’s a hard void to fill,” original star Sam Rockwell said in an interview in April 2016, just three months after Rickman died of cancer.
Shortly after, Allen opened up about the Galaxy Quest revival in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Galaxy Quest is really close to being resurrected in a very creative way. It’s closer than I can tell you, but I can’t say more than that,” said Allen. “The real kicker is that Alan now has to be left out. It’s been a big shock on many levels.”
Fast forward to 2017, Paul Scheer took over writing the script from Gordon for Paramount TV Studios and Amazon. But according to TheWrap, that take was once again thrown into development hell after Amy Powell vacated her position as the president of Paramount Television.
According to Deadline, there was also a version of Amazon’s Galaxy Quest TV show from Simon Pegg and Succession writer Georgia Pritchett. Unfortunately, that incarnation didn’t go beyond the development stages.
In 2021, Allen revealed that conversations were happening about a possible sequel. “It’s a fabulous script,” Allen said at the time.
What is the Galaxy Quest movie about?
Directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon, 1999’s Galaxy Quest is a parody of and homage to sci-fi movies and series, especially Star Trek and its fandom. The movie depicts the cast members of a fictional cult television series, Galaxy Quest, who are drawn into a real interstellar conflict by actual aliens who think the series is an accurate documentary.
Galaxy Quest performed well at the box office, earning more than $90.6 million worldwide from a budget of $45 million. It was also well-received by critics, having won both the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation as well as the Nebula Award for Best Script.
The movie, which was nominated for 10 Saturn Awards, has gained a more significant following after it was particularly praised by Trekkies who voted it as one of the best Star Trek films of all time in 2013, despite not being an official part of the beloved sci-fi franchise.
Who are in Galaxy Quest?

Galaxy Quest starred Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith, Sigourney Weaver as Gwen DeMarco, Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane, Tony Shalhoub as Fred Kwan, Sam Rockwell as Guy Fleegman, and Daryl Mitchell as Tommy Webber. It’s currently unknown whether any surviving members of the cast will return for the Paramount+ series.
What did William Shatner think of Galaxy Quest?
William Shatner, who played James T. Kirk on Star Trek: The Original Series, said in a chat with StarTrek.com back in 2001 that he thought Galaxy Quest was “very funny”.
“I thought the audience that they portrayed was totally real, but the actors that they were pretending to be were totally unrecognizable,” Shatner added. “Certainly, I don’t know what Tim was doing. He seemed to be the head of a group of actors, and for the life of me I was trying to understand who he was imitating. The only one I recognized was the girl playing Nichelle Nichols.”
Which streaming service has Galaxy Quest?
Originally released in December 1999, Galaxy Quest is currently available for streaming on Paramount+ and Netflix.
Is Galaxy Quest OK for kids to watch?
Galaxy Quest is rated PG, which means that some material in the original film may not be suitable for children. Parents are advised to determine whether the content is appropriate for their child. According to Common Sense Media, the movie features one sad death and some violence, like shooting, fighting, and cartoonish gore involving aliens. The rating though is just a general guideline, and parents should use their discretion in deciding whether a Galaxy Quest is suitable for their kids.
According to Galaxy Quest executive producer Lindsey Collins, the film originally received an “R” rating. The film was edited and cut to bring the rating to a “PG” because DreamWorks Pictures needed a film to go up against Columbia Pictures’ Stuart Little.