Summary
Ever sinceGalaxy Questarrived in 1999 as a beloved cult classic, there have been talks of a sequel – and even after 25 years,Galaxy Quest 2should still get made.Galaxy Questused its ingenious premise of the washed-up cast of a hit sci-fi series being beamed up to fight in a real alien battle as a vehicle for the perfectStar Trekparody. In the decades since it was met with positive reviews and a warm audience reception, there have been calls for a sequel toGalaxy Quest(and those calls sadly remain unanswered).
A sequel script was just starting to come together when tragedy struck and the great Alan Rickman passed away, enforcing a massive rewrite of the Alexander Dane-centric screenplay. AGalaxy QuestTV series has been in and out of development at various streaming platforms over the past few years. But nothing solid has ever come of this long-gestating development. After 25 years,there’s still hope forGalaxy Quest 2.
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Galaxy Quest, 25 Years Later
Galaxy Quest was a hit parody movie inspired by Star Trek in 1999, and while it remains a classic, it’s a different experience watching it today.
10Galaxy Quest’s Themes Have Become More Relevant Since The Movie Came Out
The themes thatGalaxy Questdeals with – the power of fandom and, more broadly, the power of mythic storytelling – have only gotten more relevant in the years since the movie came out. In some cases,Galaxy Questwas actually surprisingly prescient in predicting what fan culture would evolve into. It predicted the rise of fan conventions as major events and a fan base’s ability to use their influence to bring back a canceled show.
Now that social media has taken over the world, it’s become a lot easier for fans to connect with each other, and connect with the stars of their favorite shows. In a world whereThe Last Jediwas met with vicious backlash from grown adults,Galaxy Quest 2has plenty of potential. MaybeGalaxy Quest’s new studio has divided the fan base like Disney did after acquiringStar Wars.
9The Ending Of Galaxy Quest Set Up The Perfect Sequel
The ending ofGalaxy Questleaves the characters in a good place, so it could serve as a definitive ending, but it also has a great setup for a sequel. After saving the world from real-life aliens, there’s a renewed interest in theGalaxy Questfranchise. The final scene of the film shows that the series has come back in the form of a sequel show,Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues, featuring all the original cast members (and some new faces).
This ending sets up the perfect movie sequel. It even gives the filmmakers a perfect title to use for the sequel:Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues. The sequel can use the in-universe sequel series as a meta way in to explore the endless onslaught of sequels and satirize Hollywood’s penchant for continuing to beat a dead I.P.
8There Are 25 Years Of New Sci-Fi To Spoof In Galaxy Quest 2
WhenGalaxy Questfirst hit theaters in 1999, it was primarilya spoof of theStar Trekfranchise.Star Trekwas easily the biggest sci-fi property in popular culture at the time andGalaxy Questprovided a spot-on satire of both its in-universe tropes and its real-world fan base. But in the 25 years since then, the science fiction genre has expanded to include a lot of other film and television properties.
There’s a quarter of a century’s worth of sci-fi for a potentialGalaxy Questsequel to make fun of. FromArrivaltoEx MachinatoInterstellar, there are plenty of 21st-century sci-fi movies that are primed for a parody inGalaxy Quest 2. Poking fun at a whole bunch of new sci-fi films, while still maintaining the original satire ofStar Trek, could help to keep the sequel fresh.
7Galaxy Quest 2 Can Explore Toxic Fandom
The firstGalaxy Questfilm has an affinity for diehard sci-fi fans. It depicts fans of the in-universe TV show as dedicated followers who treat their favorite sci-fi franchise almost like a religion. In showing the power of fans coming together to accomplish something,Galaxy Questexplored the good side of fandom. But in the years since its release, the ugly side of fandom has reared its head.
Rian Johnson has been accused of destroying childhoods. There’s a petition to get the final season ofGame of Thronesremade. Laura Bailey received death threats based on the events of a video game. Fandom can be a great thing, but it can also be a terrible thing. It would be interesting forGalaxy Quest 2to look at the other side of the coin and explore the dark side of fandom.
6The Galaxy Quest Cast Is Too Great To Only Use Once
Galaxy Questhas one of the best casts of any comedy movie, and that cast is too great to only use once.The late, great Alan Rickman sadly won’t be returningfor any sequel, and he would be sorely missed from this ensemble, but his legendary co-stars could reunite forGalaxy Quest 2.Galaxy Quest 2could reassemble Tim Allen as the arrogant star of the show, Sigourney Weaver making fun of her own history as a sci-fi icon, Tony Shalhoub as a lonely actor who fell for an alien, and Sam Rockwell as an anxious, expendable redshirt.
Even then-unknown actors who made their film debut in supporting roles, like Justin Long as fanboy Brandon or Rainn Wilson as the alien Lahnk, have gone on to become huge stars. The actors all shared terrific chemistry with each other. The cast ofGalaxy Questhas too many great actors not to be reassembled for a sequel.
5It’s Been A While Since There Was A Great Star Trek Movie
Star Trekfans namedGalaxy Questas the seventh bestStar Trekmovie ever made at a convention in Las Vegas (viaIGN). Of course, it’s not actually an officialStar Trekmovie, but the fan poll determined thatGalaxy Questcaptures the spirit ofTrekmuch more effectively than most of the official movies – similar to howThe Incrediblesis often dubbed the bestFantastic Fourmovie. In the late ‘90s, the originalGalaxy Questarrived as the perfect antidote to disappointingStar Trekfilms likeStar Trek: InsurrectionandStar Trek Generations.
It’s been 15 years since the last truly greatStar Trekmovie: J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot. Audiences need a similar antidote to the recent slew of lacklusterStar Trekfilms.Galaxy Quest 2is the perfect movie to fill that void.
4Galaxy Quest Appeals To Audiences Of All Ages
Hollywood’s most prized projects are the four-quadrant movies. Four-quadrant movies appeal to all four major demographics: males over 25, females over 25, males under 25, and females under 25.Star Trekand its associated properties tend to skew more male viewers than female viewers, but there are plenty of femaleStar Trekfans.Galaxy Questappeals to audiences of all ages; in spite of its references to a franchise from the ‘60s, its jokes landed with both adult audiences and younger viewers.
Science fiction isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, so that’s a factor to take into consideration, but crowd-pleasing comedies tend to draw big crowds. There’s a high chance thatGalaxy Quest 2would appeal to multiple demographics. It doesn’t just make sense from a fan’s perspective; it makes sense from a business perspective, too.
3Fan Culture Has Changed A Lot Since The First Galaxy Quest
FromKick-Ass 2toGhostbusters II, comedy sequels rarely have anything new to add to the original movie. They often rehash old jokes, retread old plot points, and put their characters through the same arc they underwent in the first one. ButGalaxy Quest 2would actually have a lot to add to the satire and characterization of the original movie. First and foremost, it’s an affectionate parody of fan culture – and fan culture has changed a lot since 1999.
The message of the originalGalaxy Questwas that fans deserve a voice. But since earning that voice, fans have become much more entitled. They hate any franchise installment that doesn’t match their headcanon and they make their negative opinions known. This tumultuous new fan culture is tailor-made for aGalaxy Questsequel, exploring the negative side effects of what happened in the first film.
2Galaxy Quest Has Become A Cult Classic Over The Past 2 Decades
While it wasn’t a box office bomb,Galaxy Questdidn’t have the best commercial performance in its initial theatrical run. But in the years since then, it’s become a beloved cult classic. If anything, it makes more sense to do a sequel to a cult classic than a regular classic, because cult classics have more dedicated fans. Fans of a movie likeGalaxy Questdon’t just like it; they really, really love it.
Sequels to cult classics don’t always do well at the box office – John Turturro’sBig Lebowskispin-offThe Jesus Rollswas a notorious bomb – but more often than not, they pull in their loyal fan base for an impressive box office run.Super Troopers 2was a commercial success in spite of its negative reviews.Galaxy Quest 2could replicate that success.
1Galaxy Quest 2 Has More Potential Than The Average Belated Comedy Sequel
Comedy sequels rarely live up to the original, especially if they arrive decades after the first one, because a joke is never as funny the second time around.Zoolander 2,Dumb and Dumber To, andAnchorman 2: The Legend Continuesare nowhere near as great as their predecessors (and, in some cases, even tarnished the original film’s legacy). This track record would seem to suggest thatGalaxy Quest 2is a bad idea that’s destined to fail.
But that’s not necessarily the case. A sequel toGalaxy Questhas a lot more potential than the average belated comedy sequel. For starters, the satirical target of the original hasn’t become outdated; it’s only gotten more prevalent. The cast hasn’t lost their touch – they’re all still great in everything they do – and the possibilities for a modern sci-fi spoof are endless.
