Stargate: Continuum
Encyclopedia
Stargate: Continuum is a Canadian-American
military science fiction
film
released through MGM Home Entertainment
(MHE), written by Brad Wright
and directed by Martin Wood
. The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to Stargate SG-1
, after Stargate: The Ark of Truth
. The film features the season 10 cast of Stargate SG-1 and Richard Dean Anderson
(Seasons 1–8). It was filmed in early 2007 at Vancouver's Bridge Studios and in the Arctic. The story arc follows SG-1 in their mission to re-instate the original timeline
changed by Ba'al by infiltrating the ship, Achilles.
While SG-1 and Jack O'Neill
attend the extraction ceremony of the last Goa'uld
System Lord, Ba'al comes up with an ominous warning; he explains that he has a contingency plan in the event that something like this were to happen. In the meantime, the real Ba'al travels back in time to 1939, to create an alternate timeline in which Earth
never found their Stargate
. He then, using the knowledge gained in the original timeline, takes control of the Goa'uld Empire.
The film has garnered generally positive reviews from critics, earning both praise and criticism for its atmosphere, story, characters, and graphic content. The production budget was US$7 million and the film grossed over US$8 million USD
, less than the previous film that grossed over US$13 million. The film was released on both DVD
and Blu-ray Disc
in the US on July 29, 2008 and elsewhere in August 2008, followed by a TV premiere on Sci-Fi channel
on April 3, 2009.
(Richard Dean Anderson
) attend a Tok'ra
extraction ceremony for Ba'al (Cliff Simon
), the last of the Goa'uld
System Lords. He gloats that he is merely the last clone, and that the real Ba'al has a fail-safe
plan. The real Ba'al travels back in time to 1939 Earth and massacres the crew of the Achilles, the ship carrying the Stargate
to the United States; the captain (Mitchell's grandfather) survives long enough to keep the ship from being destroyed. In the present, people and objects disappear, starting with Vala Mal Doran
(Claudia Black
) and Teal'c
(Christopher Judge
). Jack is killed by Ba'al before Samantha Carter
(Amanda Tapping
), Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks
), and Cameron Mitchell
(Ben Browder
) manage to reach the Stargate. Carter speculates that traveling through the wormhole shields them from the changing timeline. They emerge inside the derelict Achilles, which has drifted to the Arctic — Ba'al's actions have created a timeline in which the Stargate Program never happened. After escaping from the sinking Achilles, they are rescued by a team led by Colonel Jack O'Neill. Although General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges
) believes their story, permission is denied to change the timeline. In the alternate timeline Daniel is still trying to convince people about his theories of the pyramids, Carter died in a space shuttle accident and Mitchell does not exist at all because his grandfather died saving the Achilles from Ba'al's bomb. The three are separated and given new lives to lead.
A year passes, and SG-1 is called back into action when Goa'uld scoutships appear. Ba'al has defeated the System Lords and now stands ready to conquer Earth, with Qetesh (still residing in Vala's body) as his Queen and Teal'c as his First Prime. SG-1 is brought to President Henry Hayes (William Devane
) and General George Hammond (Don S. Davis
), who inform them that, based on SG-1's accounts, they have recovered the Antarctic Stargate and are excavating the Ancient outpost. SG-1 is sent in F-15s to McMurdo to gate to Proclarush Taonas, an Ancient outpost, to retrieve a Zero Point Module (ZPM) to power the Antarctic outpost. Above Earth, Ba'al's armada arrives. To the displeasure of his lieutenants (all former System Lords), Ba'al announces that he will treat the Tau'ri leniently. Suspicious about Ba'al's knowledge of Earth, Qetesh betrays him and forces him to tell her everything. She has her ships destroy McMurdo Station
and the Ancient outpost, and she kills Ba'al after Teal'c discovers her treachery. As Teal'c escapes to an Al'kesh, Qetesh orders the fleet to bombard Earth while she goes to secure Ba'al's time machine.
Amidst the massive Goa'uld attack, SG-1 is rerouted to Russia
, as the Russians had retrieved the Achilles Stargate from the ocean floor. En route, they are saved from a flight of death gliders by Russian MiG 29s. Teal'c arrives at the facility as well, seeking to use the Stargate to reach the time machine before Qetesh. The two sides form a truce and arrive together at Ba'al's time machine: a vast underground supercomputer connected to hundreds of satellites that monitor solar flare
s that could intersect the wormhole
formed by the Stargate. SG-1 must wait for the right flare with which to go to the past, but an attack by Qetesh's troops forces them to dial Earth in the year 1929 - ten years before their target date. Sam and Daniel are killed in the firefight, and only Mitchell reaches the Stargate before Teal'c, mortally wounded, destroys the time machine along with himself and Qetesh. After a decade of waiting, an older Mitchell stows away on the Achilles and kills Ba'al and his troops when they come through the Stargate. In the present of the now-restored timeline, SG-1, completely unaware of the previous events, watch the extraction proceed without incident. On Earth, Daniel wonders what Ba'al meant by his fail-safe, but they decide not to dwell on it. The final shot shows a close-up of a picture in Mitchell's locker, in which his older alternate self is shown standing alongside his grandfather.
and directed by Martin Wood
. Some scenes for this film were already shot at the end of March 2007, but the original start date was set for May 22, 2007 at Vancouver's Bridge Studios. The production budget was US$7 million. Due to the postponement of this film until the 5th season
of Stargate Atlantis
was airing, there is a continuity error with Carter and Mitchell's rank. In the ending credits they are listed as lieutenant colonels
. However when they fly the F-15s they are each wearing the rank of colonel
. This is due to the fact that during filming producers realized that the film would probably be released after Carter character had been promoted on Atlantis. In the season 5 premiere of that show, Sam, already a colonel, leaves Atlantis
to attend the extraction, thus setting this film about a year after The Ark of Truth
.
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The original draft for the film started with a view of the Tok'ra
city, but Brad Wright
eventually decided that the film should start in Stargate Command
(SGC) to show what SG-1 represented. When writing lines for the character Jack O'Neill
, Wright tried to write lines that felt "natural" and not "forced," saying it was of major importance. The inclusion of many recurring characters from the series Stargate SG-1
was decided on to make old fans feel more "welcome" to the new film. The unnamed Captain of the Achilles dead body
was originally supposed to be revealed when SG-1 traveled back to Earth
; Wright commented on the case, calling it "gross". Richard Dean Anderson
was not supposed to appear at the start of the film, where he was killed. According to Wright, he was only set to appear in the alternate timeline in Antarctica because that's what Wright "asked him to do."
Due to a scheduling conflict, actor Michael Shanks
was unavailable to shoot the scenes in the Arctic. However, Jackson was on the boat with Cameron Mitchell
and Samantha Carter
in the preceding scenes. In order to make his disappearance plausible, Wright decided that Jackson would develop frostbite after stepping in water and be unable to continue with the others. When commenting on the dialogue scenes
, Wright commented that scenes like that would be "cut off" because of the time constraints in the Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis
episodes, and further commented that they could keep these scenes since the film is "longer" than the episodes.
The film includes scenes filmed at the U.S. Navy's Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station
in the Arctic, 200 nmi (230.2 mi; 370.4 km) north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
. These scenes feature Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping and Ben Browder. They were filmed from March 23 to 29, 2007. The film also features the . The Arctic filming included scenes shot on the ice, scenes shot with the Alexandria as a backdrop, scenes shot on board the Alexandria, and shots of the Alexandria surfacing and submerging.
Because of the minimal facilities, the Arctic scenes were filmed with only the three actors and a four-man crew. Director Martin Wood worked as an extra in one scene (as "Major Wood"), as did another member of the film crew. The captain of the Alexandria, Cmdr. Mike Bernacchi, and members of her crew played themselves. Barry L. Campbell, head of operations at the San Diego-based U.S. Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory, who had arranged the opportunity to film in Arctic, also appeared as a seaman. Writer Brad Wright also had a cameo appearance
, as an F-15 pilot.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Paul McCann and Anthony Huntrod, who lost their lives during an accident under the ice cap on the submarine at the time of filming. The film took 19 days to shoot, plus five days of shooting in the Arctic (they were there for seven days). The film, Continuum was placed in Guinness World Records
in the category for furthest north film shoot.
, the film will be released internationally on DVD by MGM , with distribution and domestic release handled by FOX. The film was also released on August 6, 2008 in Australia and was released in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2008 after being broadcast on the British TV channel, Sky1 on August 12. On its debut in the United Kingdom and Ireland Stargate: Continuum received 543,000 viewers, placing the film on first place in the top ten broadcasts for Sky One. The film would go on to gross over US$8 million in the United States
. The film premiered on Sci-Fi Channel
in the US on April 3, 2009.
A reviewer for Sky1 called the film a "thoroughly enjoyable romp." Nix from Sci Fi Cool said in his review, "it ends exactly the same way that most, if not all, SG1 episodes usually end: It leaves you satisfied, and wanting more." Reviewer Christopher Monfette of IGN
gave the film 7 out of 10 and said it was a decent film, but ultimately did not meet the "level of great science fiction". Don Houston from DVD Talk
commented that the "budget was too low" for the writers to "support the ideas at hand". Mark Wilson from About.com
said the film was just another way for the producers to return to some of their favorite characters, but concluded that it was a "solid" film. Darren Sumner and David Read from GateWorld
called it a "great movie", and said it was even better than Stargate: The Ark of Truth
. Dean Winkelspecht said it was "one of the better direct-to-video" releases that year.
Stargate: Continuum won the High-Def Disc Awards 2008 category for Best Nontheatrical Blu-ray. The film was nominated for 6 Constellation Awards in 2008, the results were announced on July 11, 2009. The film won one award out of six nominations. Claudia Black
received the award for "Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series" for her portrayal of Vala Mal Doran
. The film was also nominated for a total of 11 Leo Awards
in 2009. The results were announced on May 8 and 9, 2009, the film won three awards: Brad Wright
won in the category "Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama", Michael Shanks
won "Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama" for his portrayal of Daniel Jackson and the three production crew members Paul Sharpe, Iain Pattison and Graeme Hughes won "Best Overall Sound in a Feature Length Drama".
The two Stargate direct-to-DVD movies to date, Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: The Ark of Truth, were re-released in the United States as a Double-Pack DVD on March 3, 2009; the Double-Pack is also available on Blu-ray. A third Stargate SG-1
film to follow Continuum has been permanently shelved. If made, it would have reportedly center around the character of Jack O'Neill
and would be titled Stargate: Revolution.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
released through MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
(MHE), written by Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
and directed by Martin Wood
Martin Wood
Martin Wood is a Canadian television director who has been directing since the mid 1990s. Specializing in science fiction, where he is best known for his work as a director and producer on Stargate SG-1 , as well as its spin-off series Stargate Atlantis .-Career:Martin Wood began his television...
. The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, after Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...
. The film features the season 10 cast of Stargate SG-1 and Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
(Seasons 1–8). It was filmed in early 2007 at Vancouver's Bridge Studios and in the Arctic. The story arc follows SG-1 in their mission to re-instate the original timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
changed by Ba'al by infiltrating the ship, Achilles.
While SG-1 and Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
attend the extraction ceremony of the last Goa'uld
Goa'uld
The Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...
System Lord, Ba'al comes up with an ominous warning; he explains that he has a contingency plan in the event that something like this were to happen. In the meantime, the real Ba'al travels back in time to 1939, to create an alternate timeline in which Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
never found their Stargate
Stargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
. He then, using the knowledge gained in the original timeline, takes control of the Goa'uld Empire.
The film has garnered generally positive reviews from critics, earning both praise and criticism for its atmosphere, story, characters, and graphic content. The production budget was US$7 million and the film grossed over US$8 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, less than the previous film that grossed over US$13 million. The film was released on both DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in the US on July 29, 2008 and elsewhere in August 2008, followed by a TV premiere on Sci-Fi channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
on April 3, 2009.
Plot
SG-1 and Jack O'NeillJack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
) attend a Tok'ra
Tok'ra
The Tok'ra are a fictional alien race on the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They first appear in the season 2 episode . In the show, the Tok'ra are biologically the same species as the Goa'uld who inhabit human hosts in a symbiotic relationship, and are opposed to the evil System...
extraction ceremony for Ba'al (Cliff Simon
Cliff Simon
Cliff Simon is a South African athlete and actor, most famous for his portrayal of Ba'al in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
), the last of the Goa'uld
Goa'uld
The Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...
System Lords. He gloats that he is merely the last clone, and that the real Ba'al has a fail-safe
Fail-safe
A fail-safe or fail-secure device is one that, in the event of failure, responds in a way that will cause no harm, or at least a minimum of harm, to other devices or danger to personnel....
plan. The real Ba'al travels back in time to 1939 Earth and massacres the crew of the Achilles, the ship carrying the Stargate
Stargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
to the United States; the captain (Mitchell's grandfather) survives long enough to keep the ship from being destroyed. In the present, people and objects disappear, starting with Vala Mal Doran
Vala Mal Doran
Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by...
(Claudia Black
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
) and Teal'c
Teal'c
Teal'c is a fictional character in the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Played by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified human with an abdominal pouch that serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld...
(Christopher Judge
Christopher Judge
Douglas Christopher Judge is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and was a Pacific Ten Conference player.-Early life:Christopher Judge was...
). Jack is killed by Ba'al before Samantha Carter
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...
(Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
), Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
), and Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell (Stargate)
Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Ben Browder
Ben Browder
Robert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
) manage to reach the Stargate. Carter speculates that traveling through the wormhole shields them from the changing timeline. They emerge inside the derelict Achilles, which has drifted to the Arctic — Ba'al's actions have created a timeline in which the Stargate Program never happened. After escaping from the sinking Achilles, they are rescued by a team led by Colonel Jack O'Neill. Although General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
) believes their story, permission is denied to change the timeline. In the alternate timeline Daniel is still trying to convince people about his theories of the pyramids, Carter died in a space shuttle accident and Mitchell does not exist at all because his grandfather died saving the Achilles from Ba'al's bomb. The three are separated and given new lives to lead.
A year passes, and SG-1 is called back into action when Goa'uld scoutships appear. Ba'al has defeated the System Lords and now stands ready to conquer Earth, with Qetesh (still residing in Vala's body) as his Queen and Teal'c as his First Prime. SG-1 is brought to President Henry Hayes (William Devane
William Devane
William Joseph Devane is an American film, television and theater actor.-Life and career:Devane was born in Albany, New York in 1937 or 1939 , the son of Joseph Devane, who was Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York...
) and General George Hammond (Don S. Davis
Don S. Davis
Don Sinclair Davis PhD was an American character actor, theatre professor, painter and captain in the United States Army.-Career:He was perhaps best known for playing General George S...
), who inform them that, based on SG-1's accounts, they have recovered the Antarctic Stargate and are excavating the Ancient outpost. SG-1 is sent in F-15s to McMurdo to gate to Proclarush Taonas, an Ancient outpost, to retrieve a Zero Point Module (ZPM) to power the Antarctic outpost. Above Earth, Ba'al's armada arrives. To the displeasure of his lieutenants (all former System Lords), Ba'al announces that he will treat the Tau'ri leniently. Suspicious about Ba'al's knowledge of Earth, Qetesh betrays him and forces him to tell her everything. She has her ships destroy McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National...
and the Ancient outpost, and she kills Ba'al after Teal'c discovers her treachery. As Teal'c escapes to an Al'kesh, Qetesh orders the fleet to bombard Earth while she goes to secure Ba'al's time machine.
Amidst the massive Goa'uld attack, SG-1 is rerouted to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, as the Russians had retrieved the Achilles Stargate from the ocean floor. En route, they are saved from a flight of death gliders by Russian MiG 29s. Teal'c arrives at the facility as well, seeking to use the Stargate to reach the time machine before Qetesh. The two sides form a truce and arrive together at Ba'al's time machine: a vast underground supercomputer connected to hundreds of satellites that monitor solar flare
Solar flare
A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 1025 joules of energy . The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day...
s that could intersect the wormhole
Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
formed by the Stargate. SG-1 must wait for the right flare with which to go to the past, but an attack by Qetesh's troops forces them to dial Earth in the year 1929 - ten years before their target date. Sam and Daniel are killed in the firefight, and only Mitchell reaches the Stargate before Teal'c, mortally wounded, destroys the time machine along with himself and Qetesh. After a decade of waiting, an older Mitchell stows away on the Achilles and kills Ba'al and his troops when they come through the Stargate. In the present of the now-restored timeline, SG-1, completely unaware of the previous events, watch the extraction proceed without incident. On Earth, Daniel wonders what Ba'al meant by his fail-safe, but they decide not to dwell on it. The final shot shows a close-up of a picture in Mitchell's locker, in which his older alternate self is shown standing alongside his grandfather.
Cast
- Ben BrowderBen BrowderRobert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
as ColonelColonel (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Cameron "Cam" MitchellCameron Mitchell (Stargate)Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and Mitchell's grandfather, the captain of the Achilles - Amanda TappingAmanda TappingAmanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
as ColonelColonel (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Samantha "Sam" CarterSamantha CarterSamantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien... - Christopher JudgeChristopher JudgeDouglas Christopher Judge is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and was a Pacific Ten Conference player.-Early life:Christopher Judge was...
as Teal'cTeal'cTeal'c is a fictional character in the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Played by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified human with an abdominal pouch that serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld... - Michael ShanksMichael ShanksMichael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
as Dr. Daniel Jackson - Beau BridgesBeau BridgesLloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
as Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Henry "Hank" Landry - Claudia BlackClaudia BlackClaudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
as Vala Mal DoranVala Mal DoranVala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by...
and Qetesh - Richard Dean AndersonRichard Dean AndersonRichard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
as Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
(& ColonelColonel (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
) Jonathan "Jack" O'NeillJack O'NeillJonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices... - William DevaneWilliam DevaneWilliam Joseph Devane is an American film, television and theater actor.-Life and career:Devane was born in Albany, New York in 1937 or 1939 , the son of Joseph Devane, who was Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York...
as PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Henry Hayes - Cliff SimonCliff SimonCliff Simon is a South African athlete and actor, most famous for his portrayal of Ba'al in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
as Ba'al - Don S. DavisDon S. DavisDon Sinclair Davis PhD was an American character actor, theatre professor, painter and captain in the United States Army.-Career:He was perhaps best known for playing General George S...
as Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
George Hammond
Production
Stargate: Continuum was written by Brad WrightBrad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
and directed by Martin Wood
Martin Wood
Martin Wood is a Canadian television director who has been directing since the mid 1990s. Specializing in science fiction, where he is best known for his work as a director and producer on Stargate SG-1 , as well as its spin-off series Stargate Atlantis .-Career:Martin Wood began his television...
. Some scenes for this film were already shot at the end of March 2007, but the original start date was set for May 22, 2007 at Vancouver's Bridge Studios. The production budget was US$7 million. Due to the postponement of this film until the 5th season
Stargate Atlantis (season 5)
The fifth season of the military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 11, 2008, concluded on the same channel on January 9, 2009, and contained 20 episodes. The show itself is a spin off of its sister show, Stargate...
of Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
was airing, there is a continuity error with Carter and Mitchell's rank. In the ending credits they are listed as lieutenant colonels
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
. However when they fly the F-15s they are each wearing the rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
. This is due to the fact that during filming producers realized that the film would probably be released after Carter character had been promoted on Atlantis. In the season 5 premiere of that show, Sam, already a colonel, leaves Atlantis
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
to attend the extraction, thus setting this film about a year after The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...
.
Tok'ra
The Tok'ra are a fictional alien race on the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They first appear in the season 2 episode . In the show, the Tok'ra are biologically the same species as the Goa'uld who inhabit human hosts in a symbiotic relationship, and are opposed to the evil System...
city, but Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
eventually decided that the film should start in Stargate Command
Stargate Command
The Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command , based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(SGC) to show what SG-1 represented. When writing lines for the character Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
, Wright tried to write lines that felt "natural" and not "forced," saying it was of major importance. The inclusion of many recurring characters from the series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
was decided on to make old fans feel more "welcome" to the new film. The unnamed Captain of the Achilles dead body
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
was originally supposed to be revealed when SG-1 traveled back to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
; Wright commented on the case, calling it "gross". Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
was not supposed to appear at the start of the film, where he was killed. According to Wright, he was only set to appear in the alternate timeline in Antarctica because that's what Wright "asked him to do."
Due to a scheduling conflict, actor Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
was unavailable to shoot the scenes in the Arctic. However, Jackson was on the boat with Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell (Stargate)
Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and Samantha Carter
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...
in the preceding scenes. In order to make his disappearance plausible, Wright decided that Jackson would develop frostbite after stepping in water and be unable to continue with the others. When commenting on the dialogue scenes
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
, Wright commented that scenes like that would be "cut off" because of the time constraints in the Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
episodes, and further commented that they could keep these scenes since the film is "longer" than the episodes.
The film includes scenes filmed at the U.S. Navy's Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station
Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station
The Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station 2007 is an U.S.A. and Japanese laboratory dedicated to the study of global climate change, located about 300km south of the Arctic Circle, Alaska on the West Ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.- Background and purpose :Citing the home...
in the Arctic, 200 nmi (230.2 mi; 370.4 km) north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Prudhoe Bay or Sagavanirktok is a census-designated place located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people; however, at any given time several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay oil field...
. These scenes feature Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping and Ben Browder. They were filmed from March 23 to 29, 2007. The film also features the . The Arctic filming included scenes shot on the ice, scenes shot with the Alexandria as a backdrop, scenes shot on board the Alexandria, and shots of the Alexandria surfacing and submerging.
Because of the minimal facilities, the Arctic scenes were filmed with only the three actors and a four-man crew. Director Martin Wood worked as an extra in one scene (as "Major Wood"), as did another member of the film crew. The captain of the Alexandria, Cmdr. Mike Bernacchi, and members of her crew played themselves. Barry L. Campbell, head of operations at the San Diego-based U.S. Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory, who had arranged the opportunity to film in Arctic, also appeared as a seaman. Writer Brad Wright also had a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
, as an F-15 pilot.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Paul McCann and Anthony Huntrod, who lost their lives during an accident under the ice cap on the submarine at the time of filming. The film took 19 days to shoot, plus five days of shooting in the Arctic (they were there for seven days). The film, Continuum was placed in Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
in the category for furthest north film shoot.
Release and reception
The film premiered at San Diego Comic-Con International on July 25, 2008, attended by the cast. The film was released on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc on July 29, 2008. According to Robert C. CooperRobert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
, the film will be released internationally on DVD by MGM , with distribution and domestic release handled by FOX. The film was also released on August 6, 2008 in Australia and was released in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2008 after being broadcast on the British TV channel, Sky1 on August 12. On its debut in the United Kingdom and Ireland Stargate: Continuum received 543,000 viewers, placing the film on first place in the top ten broadcasts for Sky One. The film would go on to gross over US$8 million in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The film premiered on Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
in the US on April 3, 2009.
A reviewer for Sky1 called the film a "thoroughly enjoyable romp." Nix from Sci Fi Cool said in his review, "it ends exactly the same way that most, if not all, SG1 episodes usually end: It leaves you satisfied, and wanting more." Reviewer Christopher Monfette of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the film 7 out of 10 and said it was a decent film, but ultimately did not meet the "level of great science fiction". Don Houston from DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
commented that the "budget was too low" for the writers to "support the ideas at hand". Mark Wilson from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said the film was just another way for the producers to return to some of their favorite characters, but concluded that it was a "solid" film. Darren Sumner and David Read from GateWorld
GateWorld
Stargate fandom is a community of people actively interested in the military science fiction film Stargate and the television shows Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Infinity , Stargate Atlantis , Stargate Universe and their spin offs...
called it a "great movie", and said it was even better than Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...
. Dean Winkelspecht said it was "one of the better direct-to-video" releases that year.
Stargate: Continuum won the High-Def Disc Awards 2008 category for Best Nontheatrical Blu-ray. The film was nominated for 6 Constellation Awards in 2008, the results were announced on July 11, 2009. The film won one award out of six nominations. Claudia Black
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
received the award for "Best Female Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series" for her portrayal of Vala Mal Doran
Vala Mal Doran
Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by...
. The film was also nominated for a total of 11 Leo Awards
Leo Awards
The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry, celebrating excellence in artistic achievement. Held each May in Vancouver, Canada, the Leo Awards honour nominees and winners in 13 program categories and up to 19 craft categories...
in 2009. The results were announced on May 8 and 9, 2009, the film won three awards: Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
won in the category "Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama", Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
won "Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama" for his portrayal of Daniel Jackson and the three production crew members Paul Sharpe, Iain Pattison and Graeme Hughes won "Best Overall Sound in a Feature Length Drama".
The two Stargate direct-to-DVD movies to date, Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: The Ark of Truth, were re-released in the United States as a Double-Pack DVD on March 3, 2009; the Double-Pack is also available on Blu-ray. A third Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
film to follow Continuum has been permanently shelved. If made, it would have reportedly center around the character of Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and would be titled Stargate: Revolution.
Awards
In 2009, Stargate: Continuum was nominated for 11 Leo awards and won three of them.| Award | Category | Winner/Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama | Michael Shanks Michael Shanks Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:... |
|
| Best Overall Sound in a Feature Length Drama | Paul A. Sharpe, Iain Pattison, Graeme Hughes | ||
| Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama | Brad Wright Brad Wright Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe... |
||
| Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Drama | Peter F. Woeste | ||
| Best Costume Design in a Feature Length Drama | Christina McQuarrie | ||
| Best Direction in a Feature Length Drama | Martin Wood | ||
| Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Amanda Tapping Amanda Tapping Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis... |
||
| Best Picture Editing in a Feature Length Drama | Brad Rines | ||
| Best Production Design in a Feature Length Drama | James Robbins , Mark Davidson, Robert Davidson | ||
| Best Sound Editing in a Feature Length Drama | Jay Cheetham | ||
| Best Visual Effects in a Feature Length Drama | Michelle Comens, Stephen Bahr, Christopher Stewart, Krista McLean, James Kawano |
External links
at mgm.com- Stargate: Continuum at GateWorldGateWorldStargate fandom is a community of people actively interested in the military science fiction film Stargate and the television shows Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Infinity , Stargate Atlantis , Stargate Universe and their spin offs...
- Stargate: Continuum at The Numbers