The Drac are back. In terms of how we view science fiction movies today, the 1980s was easily the most influential and formative decade. But, interestingly enough, by 1983 after the release of , the massive influence of the Star Wars franchise on blockbuster sci-fi movies had morphed into a new phenomenon: the anti-Star Wars sci-fi epic.
and 1986’s are two great examples of this miniature trend, a moment where great directors like David Lynch and James Cameron attempted to wrest the storytelling themes and aesthetics of space-based sci-fi cinema away from the Star Wars mold. And sandwiched smack-dab in the middle of this moment was a cult flick that bombed in 1985, but went on to become a classic. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, was released on December 20, 1985, one year after Petersen’s fantasy classic, .
And now, the contemplative world of is coming back, thanks to Season 3 showrunner, . As revealed by , Matalas will pen a screenplay for a reboot of for 20th Century Studios. As of this writing, this is thought to be a feature film and not a TV series.
(Matalas was also recently named the showrunner of set to debut in 2026 on Disney+.) Based on a 1979 novella by Barry B. Longyear, tells the story of a human warrior named Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) who becomes stranded on a planet with a member of a hated alien species, the Drac.
However, this enemy pilot Jareeba “Jerry” Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr.), and Davidge soon form an alliance, and eventually, Davidge consider.
