Galaxy Quest took what could have been a throwaway parody — washed-up actors from a cult sci-fi show getting roped into a genuine space adventure by aliens who think it’s all real — and turned it into something truly special. Balancing sharp comedy, thrilling action, and genuine heart, the film also boasted a flawless cast: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, and more. There has been talk of a Galaxy Quest sequel for many years, but Rickman’s tragic death at 69 put those plans on pause. However, Weaver recently told Josh Horowitz at New York Comic-Con (via People) that at one point, there was plans for Benedict Cumberbatch to take over as “a version” of Rickman’s Galaxy Quest character.
“They were absolutely going to do it and they had a very funny story,” Weaver said. “I think it would’ve happened by now. At a certain point, they talked about Benedict Cumberbatch playing a version of Alan [Rickman]’s part. It’s very hard to come back to it without Alan there.“
Indeed it would be. I find it hard to believe that Cumberbatch would have straight up replaced Rickman as Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus, so Weaver’s mention of “a version” leads me to believe that he would have been a new actor stepping into the role of Dr. Lazarus. Or perhaps another character of the same species.
Weaver added that she connects more with her Galaxy Quest character than that of her other iconic sci-fi role, Ellen Ripley. “I am much closer to Tawny and Gwen than I am to Ripley,” she said. “I related to Gwen because she was a woman in Hollywood who was constantly being judged and evaluated by how she looked all the time, and how she moved and how she looked in her costume. I thought that was very accurate. So I really enjoyed playing her.“
There have also been rumblings of a Galaxy Quest TV series. That project has gone through multiple iternations, with folks such as Paul Scheer and Simon Pegg taking a crack at the script. Will it happen? I don’t know. But part of me believes that Galaxy Quest should be left alone at this point, with or without Benedict Cumberbatch giving his best rendition of “By Grabthar’s Hammer!”
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