Battlestar Galactica: The second coming - Promo

Richard Hatch produced this as a proof of concept for his take on what a new Battlestar Galactica should be. Jay Woelfel directed. This trailer was shown to thousands of BS fans at conventions around the world and lead to the successful reboot of the series, that, while not Richard Hatch's concept, did feature him in a new role. This is the only official posting of this trailer and comes from the master picture and sound elements. Full credits are at the end to acknowledge the many others who made this possible.

[@MasterJediDude]

In today’s streaming environment, this might have gone forward. Rest In Peace, Richard Hatch.

[@purefoldnz3070]

there was a second coming just in a different way.

[@SalAveNU]

a cylon civil war, a new species of cylon. Starbuck is alive. They had the winning ideas back then.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

I nicked named this "The Search for Dirk," during production. They think they know where he is being held prisoner, They fight their way to get to his cell to find it emtpy except for a torn part of his uniform and a half smoked cigarette.

[@roberttbrockway]

Starbuck being missing and Cylons evolving were both concepts explored in Galactica 1980.

[@aaronbarlow4376]

@@roberttbrockway The episode where Starbuck was marooned on a desolate planet with a cylon buddy was my favourite episode ever. He was found by a space angel female and they had a Jesus Einstein baby that led the Galactica fleet to Earth.

[@roberttbrockway]

@@aaronbarlow4376 did you know there was going to be a follow-up episode? The script was called "Wheel of fire" and can be found online.

[@miniondave6314]

I remember when Richard was talking about this, and I was all for it. ...what could have been.

[@skoshman1]

What we got instead was amazing, and to be fair... proof that Richard Hatch could actually act. An under-rated actor for sure.

[@ColonizerGrindset]

RIP Terry Carter, Richard Hatch, and John Colicos.

[@MrAndrewAllen]

Wow. I've been a Battlestar Galactica fan for more than 4 decades, and I've never seen this until now. It's a shame it never went into production.

[@johnf.kennedy7339]

It was reviewed by studio echelons; they didn’t give it the green light and may have been underwhelmed.

[@arthurmeza8992]

In another timeline, THIS version happened!!! Too bad it didn’t come to pass 😢😢😢 I saw this at the San Diego ComicCon in the early 2000s AND got to meet Richard Hatch on the same night. THAT was a night I will never forget!!! May he Rest In Peace. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@lothre]

I met him at that same time as well. He signed his book for me. Still have it. He was a class act, and meeting him did not disappoint the little kid in me who idolized him and the rest of the cast when the original show was airing and my entire imagination fuel in the late 70s

[@TomNimitz]

"A Shame, Captain, It Would Have Been Glorious"

[@triandfit1]

Well played.

[@NeathSpadge]

What a shame that this never eventuated. To have seen some of the original actors again would have been truly wonderful.

[@jeffwenberg4321]

This had so much potential!

[@robertleedom7956]

This is a great classic battlestar galactica short 🎥 film. I've read all the Richard hatch/battlestar galactica continuation stories and 📖 books. It would have been great if this was made by universal pictures with Glen Larson connected with this. Richard hatch will always be remembered as an amazing talented actor. But as he always said: "I'm keeping the faith." I miss him and the classic original Battlestar Galactica.

[@Old_RPG_Guy]

Interesting. Very clear how this influenced the actual series that later arrived.

[@thomasmullen644]

I feel that even though many of the original cast is no longer with us this would still make a great movie especially if they stick to much of the original props but make them look more modern and have it take place 24 years after the original. I know it would be an awesome movie.

[@silvervibranium2832]

I was lucky to have met Richard Hatch. There was a small business meeting at his house. When he heard I was a fan but never seen this trailer he STOPPED the meeting. And showed this trailer to us at the biggest TV he had. And he put one of the Vipers from the show in my hands! He was a really great guy. Charismatic. IRL he was actually more like Starbuck than Apollo. And I've heard Benedict is the opposite, More like Apollo than Starbuck.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

Richard told that was the case too, as far as their personalities in real life were the opposite from theirs on the show.

[@tinman3586]

This is a strange hybrid between the old BSG and the reimagined one.

[@wesxander4329]

Actually he pitched it as there was no Earth found season. That season never happened the network balked at that idea and canned the pilot.

[@dankylecanada]

Saw this when RH showed it at a Con in 2004. Glad it is now available to view online! Thanks!

[@jaywoelfel4780]

You're welcome Donald. There were various real low quality versions on youtube, some recorded during conventions with heads in the frame and crowd noises. I wanted to post a proper version, for Richard and especially for all those who helped us make it in the first place.

[@lonknight3197]

They need to make this real as a way to honor the orginal show and actors, I bet its sales or viewing points or whatever would make the remake series look like a fail project. Hated the remake it was took dark and all the shows were about paranoid mindset, Which one of my friends is really a cylon clone. The orginal show was all about finding hope in the worst of situations, and staying strong in your beliefs and in yourself.

[@dankylecanada]

@@lonknight3197 That won'r happen since Universal owns the rights and blocked Richard Hatch from proceeding - and he has since died, in 2017.

[@robertleedom475]

This was by far a classic Battlestar Galactica trailer and it was awesome then and it still awesome now too bad though it never got made into an actual film I would love to sing the original cast come back in the second coming as well as Richard hatch himself but I've got my books and I love my Richard hatch Battlestar Galactica books I miss that man he was a great actor

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

Robert yeh may richrd rest in peace

[@voyager202000]

This would have been epic beyond words! This was the true and logical next step for Battlestar Galactica!

[@robertnickerson8463]

I wish, that, they had made this into a movie, so I can enjoy it because it reminds me of a newer generation of Warriors being led by the classic Captain Apollo.. It will remind me of the Classic Battle Star Galactica, that I watched in the late 70's early 80's...

[@richardkoon5544]

As an original fan of the show, this would have been awesome to see the old cast reprise their roles. The new series was a bit confusing. Still, all in all, it's all good.

[@forjo]

I had the great pleasure of hanging out with Sophie and Richard at the little house he had back when this was being made. Richard was such a warm and friendly person. We even got to tour the ISS training facility together at NASA sometime after this. Sophie was also one of the nicest people I ever met. I wish I could find out what happened to her.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

Sophie moved to Vegas for several years, last I heard she had moved back to France.

[@forjo]

@@jaywoelfel9228 I hope so. Someone contacted me a couple of years ago and said she was very sick and was asking for donations. Sadly, my number for her no longer worked so I couldn't confirm anything. I hope she's doing well.

[@jimlassiter749]

aw damn.... this could have been.....???? i'm gonna go cry now....

[@ahsenkhan5386]

Gawd that was Commerical that run they do having the explosion gets to me everytime so funny

[@Cmcdaniel4879]

First time in a long time watching this. It looks good really good. Few things that I don’t like it the laser sounds. I hate that they replaced the laser pistols on the reboot with pretty much guns. Same with the lasers on the vipers. I really liked the effects on the og bsg. This one doesn’t have the same effects either. But I think this one could be very good even with a new cast and a new mission. I like the new basestars and the new cylons. The ones in the reboot do nothing for me. They seem to spend more time looking for the cylon infiltrators than they really do fighting cylons. To me the reboot could have been called starworld or something take out the bsg references and it would just be fine as a show. Bsg 1978 that is and to me will always be Battlestar Galatica. Still would like to see this as a bsg reboot.

[@borusa32]

RIP Richard Hatch

[@arndtdj]

Unpopular opinion: I wish we would have gotten a version of this vs. the new Battlestar Galactica we did get.

[@chimemasterj6233]

I'll second that!

[@scottwalker6947]

So say we all!

[@jonathanhough2203]

@@scottwalker6947Er…no we don’t. I loved the old BSG and a rebooted version would have been fun genre tv. But the reimagined BSG was one of the best tv series of the last twenty yahren in any genre.

[@scottwalker6947]

@@jonathanhough2203 One of the best TV series (any genre) in the last 25 years? Sorry, don't agree. I like the show overall (but hated the human cylon idea) but it was at best an "OK" sci fi series. Shows like The Ark, and B5 as well as others are/were better IMO.

[@hankmessaros6700]

This looked so good. Starbuck here we come

[@anthonyn.9228]

I would have loved to see this, but I am still happy about the new BSG that we got and how Richard Hatch played Tom Zerek.

[@zekeigtos7240]

2:35 - Crimson Tide music!

[@beyo5]

Would have been fun - in the appropriate broadcast era.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

I go into a bunch of the production details in the film section of my website. There used to be full info on Richard's own website about it but that all got dropped once the new series got going and he was into trying to get another series of his own off the ground. www.jaywoelfel.com

[@SalAveNU]

A new species of cylon, a cylon civil war, they took some ideas from here for the Sci-Fi reboot.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

Sal Avenu well richrd hacth did I later turn this concept into a series of novels

[@seanbirkett4951]

❤my gosh. ❤I'm getting too old for this. ❤

[@blazerocker1734]

It looks like this could have been a best-seller, late 90s full-motion video game.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

Blaze rocker wel thiscwas picth fkr TV show not anbfmv game

[@acerrspage4205]

That Battle Star intro, always bring the Chills...

[@michaelgarcia8602]

I would love ❤️ this. BSG 4 Life.

[@generalzod8589]

This was so very awesome.👍👍👍 This is so much better than the vulger,over dramatic, reboot.

[@TheMajorActual]

I remember watching this at a con in Plano, TX. I miss Richard Hatch.

[@Joelmonterrey]

I remember sending Mr Hatch an email asking for a continuation of the show back in the late 1990s. Believe it or not, his assistant replied and told me that he was working on it! What we got was not at all what I expected but I enjoyed it all the same. However, I feel like it could have stuck closer to the original now.

[@WalterDWormack214]

It's really great to see that this Battlestar Galactica project managed to get some of the actors from the 1978 classic series. Like George Murdock (Dr. Salik), Terry Carter (Col. Tigh), Jack Stauffer (Lt. Bojay) and even Richard Lynch (Wolf) I wonder if the producers of this Battlestar Galactica project, tried to get Herb Jefferson Jr. to reprise his role of "Lt Boomer", or Tony Swarz to come back as Flight Lt. Jolly?

[@jaywoelfel4780]

Richard tried to get Herb Jefferson in his/our project and at first he was going to do so, and we kept pushing him to get Dirk Benedict in it. There was a feeling that if you appeared in this it might ensure you DIDN'T get a chance to be in a new series. Of course what happened was Richard ended up in the new series and no one else, and that was because of Richard doing this trailer and invigorating the fan base. Early on in the new series they offered small roles to both Richard and Dirk, essentially one scene parts where they'd get killed. Neither of them cared to do that. Dirk was supposed to be the guy in the opening scene of the new show with the Cylons coming to supposedly sign a peace treaty but instead blowing everybody up.

[@VeggieManUK]

More cheese than you can possibly imagine! Just how is it possible to put more cheese into this than the original serias had, wish I was a kid again and didnt know duff acting when i saw it, BHA, love it.

[@smithcj218]

The Trailer for a Sequel Show that never was, to be fair it made for a compelling storyline, well made, original cast and so much potential - AMAZON or Netflix should pick it up...... it has a huge fan base that would support it

[@josephfilm73]

Most of the actors from the original are either a) dead or b) simply too old. This cannot be made. The old series was a lot like the first Star Wars. Models and 35mm film. The new show used computers and digital. You'll never recapture the old look of the first show fans remember. It's a bygone era. Nobody uses film or models.

[@jaywoelfel4780]

Back when we made this Amazon and Netflix didn't exist as production companies as they do now. So we didn't have them to approach.

[@chrissimpson1183]

I would love to have seen it.

[@crazyman8472]

BY YOUR COMMAND. 🤖

[@nicholasdickens2801]

BSG was and is a great concept from the original to the reimagining.

[@rjpx947]

There was a time that Richard Hatch had this reel tightly in his grip, and showed it on the con circuit. Before the revised Battlestar Galactica series came to be. He got a lot of interest in it. Like everything, it eventually made its way to the internet. If there hadn't been an original Battlestar Galactica in the 70s, the new series would have held up on its own. It comes up as a worthy successor, there were no weak links in the cast. But it wasn't our Battlestar. This is what many of us wanted to see. The fact that he got other actors on board with it could have gotten it going.

[@iraludtke2406]

I wish I had a chance at deserved. If only they gave it proper promotion.. that's the way you make a proper teaser trailer.

[@littlegp18]

Wish they showed a better view of the Imperious Leader

[@allanfifield8256]

2:40 Big, Big Miss! The right answer to his question is NOT 'Yes', but 'So Say We All!"

[@alangrayer7055]

This could have been bigger than Star Wars. Apollo was the best.

[@milesmayhem5440]

That’s a stretch.

[@tracywaters6484]

This is the Battlestar we need

[@dougc190]

Man this is the Battlestar Galactica we needed. Not that everybody's a cylon everybody's bad no hope. This had hope. Also watching the Galactica open up with her forward cannons was great

[@jaywoelfel9228]

I'm not one for self promotion--but that was my idea! I'd always wanted to see Galactica have some big main "guns" and use them!!! Mike Mcadams who designed the Galactica we used, got on board with that idea. I also wanted the ship to have some areas where repair work was being done, some visible new panels and so forth--that's in there but probably too subtle to be seen. But I really really insisted on the Galactica having, like a battleship big obvious guns and I wanted the recoil on them to emphasis that. Does it make sense in "real space" probably not for those who are into hard science fiction---which Galactica isn't. Thanks for noticing.

[@dougc190]

@@jaywoelfel9228 thanks for replying.much appreciated

[@lonknight3197]

​@@jaywoelfel9228 Any hope that this will get green lighted a new series based in the orginal universe , sad that some of the orginal cast is no longer with us , but good script writers could still pull it off.

[@mrbubetube]

wow, I heard of this but this was the first time I've seen it. Why was this never put into production? He clearly had the right idea.

[@iraludtke2406]

What could have been it would have been as good as Star Trek next generation I think.

[@blackphoenix2502]

RIP Original Colonel Tigh actor, Terry Carter.

[@davidcarrasco876]

I'm a fan of both renditions of BSG.... However having read original book and seen original as it aired I'd like to go back to original story. The Cylons, their war(s) with the 12 Colonies, their destruction by their creations, 12 Colonies own internal feuds & wars, their unification. And so on. I think that today THAT framing of story(s) can be done.

[@benjaminwigley4132]

this would have magnificent...

[@jeffreymiller6847]

RIP Richard Hatch but what we got was 10 times Superior to even the original and Richard knew it that's why he signed on.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

Richard liked the new character they created for him to play and thought it, his character, was well written. But, he didn't understand why they did a reimagined show and not a follow up series, or like the way the characters from the original series were changed either. That's what he told me pretty much word for word. I think he just played the new character and divorced himself from any idea that this was whe he thought Battlestar should be about. He played it as a whole new role. He told me he never was told where his character was going as far as in the whole series or even when they'd use him again, or if they would use him again, so he did it day by day. He said he just played the character as someone who believed in what he was saying and doing, but he had no idea if ultimately he'd be a villain or a hero in the role.

[@protorhinocerator142]

The sets and the CGI look like Babylon 5.

[@DavidWilliams-el4zt]

Shame the Original Battlestar Galactica doesn't come back as a continuation at a more hard edged level. What ever happened to the Galactica's Sister Ship, the Battlestar Pegasus ? Last i remember it was on a Suicide Mission fighting a number of enemy ships.

[@mikecrabtree8200]

It's a pity this didn't go somewhere

[@oliverschloter]

Das Raumschiff bei 0:22 ist aus Hypernauts - The Space Rangers. Ein Fabrikschiff der Triad.

[@rudolfrothemund2269]

Nice. I remember talking to Richard about this. He REALLY wanted to make this movie. It's too bad a lot of these people in this trailer are dead.

[@BrotherDerrick3X]

Sadly, including Richard himself.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@BrotherDerrick3X didn't like richrd have a fight with universal over the funds for this and that's was why it was scrapper

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

Rudolf so did Richard send you a copy of this film or was the the only copy ever made of this film beuce wasnt this relsed later on as DVD extra on one of the bsg 2004 DVD sets

[@rudolfrothemund2269]

@@zacharyjochumsen9677 NO Richard never sent me a copy of anything.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@rudolfrothemund2269 yeh richrd did return in the 2004bbsg series which did acthully borrow some ideas from this rejected concept pitch

[@blitzkrieg2142k]

Galatica to Hans Zimmer would have been cool. Never saw the orginal but piece here and there. Loved the Re8magined series.

[@christopherramsay5517]

To bad it never happened. Richard Hatch was epic.

[@macIain]

Would have been great always loved the original BSG the best. Actually really liked Blood & Chrome aswell apart from the crazy lens flares it was the best balance between the classic and the reimagined version.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

There was a much longer version of this trailer - allegedly about 20 minutes - that, to my knowledge, no one has ever seen. I knew a couple of the CGI guys that worked on it. They never saw the full thing either, but that there were sequences they did that aren’t in this one

[@jaywoelfel9228]

I co directed this. The long version runs about 35 minutes, if finished with all the special effects it would require it would probably run about 45 minutes or so, basically the same length as an hour long television show without commercials. You can read more about it at my website jaywoelfel.com just look up Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming, there are photos there and a whole fuller history of Hatche's who attempt to bring back the show.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

@@jaywoelfel9228 Wow! Pleased to meet you, and thank you for replying! That’s fascinating! I will go check it out now! I’ve wondered about this for decades! Sorry for all the Exclamation Marks, but I’m just really excited!

[@timfurnier7061]

What I don't understand is where the longer version is. I had heard that this is just a snippet of a much longer piece which originally aired at a Comicon. I've never been able to find anything but this. Someone should put together a "making of" of this film. It would be cool to see out-takes and unused footage. You know there has to be some.

[@jaywoelfel4780]

Hey Tim: If it's not clear I'm the co-director of this and the principal production crew were essentially "my" crew from various features I did around that time. I've posted it here on my channel, there is a short clip of behind the scenes stuff posted to my channel as well. Richard moved on from this after he got his part on the new series and spent his energy on another original sci fi series of his own that I was briefly involved with. He worked on that off and on the rest of his life but it was never finished. He was approached about finishing his Galactica version which does exist as a 30 minute edit which with completed FX would basically stand as a pilot episode for his new series. Richard said he'd support that effort as long as he didn't have to put more money into it. Unfortunately that was shortly before he died. Various people came forward interested in finishing it then, but various complications among various parties in and around Richard meant it didn't happen at that time. It could still happen at some point, I have the script and much of the material that would be needed.

[@jaywoelfel4780]

Tim: I didn't answer part of your post. This is the only version that ever showed at any conventions. Richard at Comicon that year did show some pages from a Battlestar Comic book he was involved with, but this is/was the only trailer that showed at various conventions he went to. It was last shown at the Egyptian theatre as part of a memorial night shortly after his death.

[@derrickthompson4146]

Terry carter too

[@BreizhSharkFR]

Coïncidence, I just learnt today Richard Hatch died from pancreas cancer at 71yo. My dad died from pancreas cancer last month at 71yo. Anw, anyone has noticed Hatch is running away a planet explosion at 1:21 ?! 😂

[@jamesms4]

It would have been beautiful.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

So Jay did you ever like talk to Richard abou this

[@slushedpuppy8044]

100% would've preferred this over the reboot.

[@AlexeyFilippenkoPlummet]

Look, it's Tom Zarek in a viper!

[@owenrichards1418]

How did they turn down John Colicos?

[@jaywoelfel4780]

He may have actually died before the new series got up and running. The last thing he said to me when we finished working with him was. "This had better bloody well go!" Meaning the new series.

[@bluedale6563]

Hatch payed for this promo out of his own pocket,,,,,,,

[@AlternicityBlogspot]

What year would this have aired, roughly, if it had been made?

[@James-lh7rj]

I would have watch this happily! then..... I would gladly watch now if someone was to get a kickstart going

[@fgdj2000]

This trailer is more 1990s than the 1990s

[@derrickthompson4146]

Richard hatch dirk benidict and John colicos? Would've been wonderful!!

[@dankylecanada]

No Dirk. He did not participate, nor would he do a sequel series.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@dankylecanada did you ever wacth the 200ps bsg series

[@dankylecanada]

@@zacharyjochumsen9677 Yes, it was not the same experience for me though as I was 25 years older, though it WAS a much more adult-oriented show, so.....

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

Jay wre did you get a co Y if this from nueces thee was think few VHS copy that word wre lrinted wit convecthions with one if imagine singed by rifhard

[@ashontahuddleston6663]

It was a missed opportunity for everyone.

[@majorlagg9321]

Adama's a force ghost?

[@johnmarcucci1719]

Ah, what might have been.

[@lepetitpecheuralamouchejea7579]

Battlestar Galactica:😮💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@priruss357]

So I take it that Hatch couldn't get Dirk Benedict to make a cameo in this? It would have been so cool to see an aged Starbuck, but alas.

[@aaronbarlow4376]

Love the OG BG designs returning. I always preferred the original series to the remake. Starbuck is meant to be an ambrosia swillling, cigar smoking, womanising, hotshot MALE pilot. Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict were an awesome team.

[@Arcade-fix]

This would have been much better than the reboot.

[@oliverschloter]

So hätte die Serie weitergehen sollen.

[@user-xg7iz4ok5z]

This is a lost classic that never was !

[@danielmassey4428]

Better idea, but the graphics looked poor

[@robwebnoid5763]

This was proof of concept, made in the late 1990's.

[@grousedog88]

Sure hope Hatch’s evolution wasn’t them having sex with humans, like the reboot.

[@mortarmopp3919]

The way it should've been.

[@ski8799]

Too bad the theme background score is from the movie "Crimson Tide"

[@jaywoelfel4780]

I kind of mentioned this to another comment. There are two pieces of music from the original Battlestar series and a piece from ID 4 as well. Most trailers use music from other sources, I wanted to use more Battlestar Music in the trailer but Richard wanted Crimson Tide--a cool piece of music but one that, at the time, I felt was overused in trailers.

[@aaronleverton4221]

Probably my favourite Zimmer soundtrack, so no complaints here.

[@redskys8984]

😢 now it would have great to bad it was never make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

And the music is from indepnce day

[@jaywoelfel4780]

One part is yes, but the music is from various other things including the original TV series as well.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@jaywoelfel4780 you ever herd of Bryan singer's aborted battelstar glactic pitch

[@canadianperson4830]

I enjoyed the original, but I'm SOOOOOOO GLAD the went the other way in the re-imagined version.

[@_-Wade-_]

BSG to Crimson Tide thematic!!!

[@woodshed_moments]

Richard Hatch, I think Battlestar Galactica went to his head a little bit, but he was the best actor for that role... And I dare say, he would be literally ashamed of Battlestar Galactica 2005, it was literally horrible. I love the chemistry between Apollo, Boomer and Starbuck, there was just a great relationship... and they covered each other's asses too.

[@paulietteburnett7270]

Princess Terrica

[@unkle_Enkil]

Mmm, love turkey.

[@kmoecub]

I still can't understand why he would pour so much time and money into a project that he didn't own the intellectual rights to.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

Richard told me that he go permission from someone at Universal to shoot a proof of concept piece--which is what this is. Richard showed the trailer around the world and made good money from doing so as a convention guest. The trailer got raves at those conventions and that fan interest is what got the series brought back. Ultimately Richard was hired by that show for multiple episodes playing a character. So his goal to bring back the show himself didn't work out, but he did bring the series back in some form and made good money off of being on that show and from conventions. I think those are more than enough reasons for him to have done it.

[@sid2112]

Pretty normal for Hollywood, especially at the time. Make a trailer, maybe a pilot. I used to be on the list for pilots. They'd send VHS tapes of various shows and we'd send in our responses.