Tripwire Takes A Look Back At Sci-fi Cult Comedy Galaxy Quest 25 Years On

Still Out Of This World

In recent years, there have been unfounded rumours about a spin off or remake of 1999’s cult sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest. It is a much-loved guilty pleasure for many science fiction fans. For this reason, given twenty-five years’ worth of hindsight, Tripwire’s contributing writer Paul Neal decided to have a look back at this modern classic with a fresh pair of eyes.…

What was Galaxy Quest?

Galaxy Quest was a popular 1999 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. To many it is a parody or a homage to various science-fiction films and series, most notably Star Trek and its fandom. The film depicts the cast of a fictional cult television series, Galaxy Quest, who are drawn into a real interstellar conflict by actual aliens who think that the series is an accurate documentary. It stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell.

The film was a modest box office success making ninety million dollars from a budget of forty-five million. It was generally well received by critics winning the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Nebula Award for Best Script. It was also nominated for 10 Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Director for Parisot, Best Actress for Weaver, and Best Supporting Actor for Rickman, with Allen winning Best Actor.

Galaxy Quest eventually achieved cult status, and respect, unexpectedly from Star Trek fans for its affectionate parody. It is remembered by more mainstream audiences as an effective comedy film in its own right. Tripwire too, officially has a soft for this modern classic.

Over the years, several Star Trek cast and crew members have offered their praise. Patrick Stewart told the BBC, “I had originally not wanted to see (Galaxy Quest) because I heard that it was making fun of ‘Star Trek’ and then Jonathan Frakes rang me up and said, ‘You must not miss this movie! See it on a Saturday night in a full theatre.’ And I did and of course I found it was brilliant. No one laughed louder or longer. The idea that the ship was saved and all of our heroes in that movie were saved simply by the fact that there were fans who did understand the scientific principles on which the ship worked was absolutely wonderful.”

Also, Will Weaton, famous for playing a boy genius on Next Generation, said on WilWheaton.net “I thought it was brilliant satire, not only of ‘Trek,’ but of fandom in general, The only thing I wish they had done was cast me in it and have me play a freaky fanboy who keeps screaming at the actor who played ‘the kid’ about how awful it was that there was a kid on the spaceship. Alas.”

In 2013, at the world’s biggest Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, fans voted it the seventh best Star Trek film of all time.

During preproduction, names considered for the lead role included Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Kevin Kline. As is often the case, these initial casting ideas were not to be, and the lead instead went to an actor known largely, though not exclusively, for his work in television.

The Cast

It might be interesting to look back at the main cast of Galaxy Quest. Where did they start and where are they now?

Tim Allen

Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith, who is described as a rather smug attention-seeking actor, and an unreliable and unprofessional party animal.

Nesmith played Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, commander of the NSEA Protector and main character of the fictional series.

Tim Allen initially became a household name for his lead role in the comedy Home Improvement between 1991- 99. In addition, Allen starred as the lead in ABC/Fox’s very similar offering Last Man Standing from 2011 -2021. Despite more than two decades playing two almost identical characters, surely his wider legacy will be seen as providing the voice of Buzz Lightyear for the 4 Toy Story movies.

 Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver as Gwen DeMarco, an actress who wishes her character on the fictional show had been further developed beyond being eye candy.

Demarco played Lieutenant Tawny Madison, the ship’s communications officer, the crewmember who could give orders to the ship’s computer, the obvious sex object needed to make the show commercial.

Sigourney Weaver is of course a legend within the film industry. This would obviously be thanks to her role in the first four film in the Alien franchise. Galaxy Quest was a rare opportunity for fans of the actress to see her flex her skills as a comedy performer again as she did so memorably in Ghostbusters. Online rumours suggest the popular actress may be returning to her roots in a role currently shrouded in secrecy for the Star Wars franchise.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane, a slightly stuffy Shakesperean actor who had become profoundly resentful of his character, the prosthetic make-up involved and significantly a lengthy catchphrase he loathes to repeat for the Questies, the show’s autograph hunters

Dane played Dr. Lazarus, the ship’s science officer who was also a member of the Mak’tar. This alien species were known for their super intelligence and psionic powers.

Alan Rickman ventured from his previous life as a stage actor to Hollywood quite late in his career but to widespread popularity as Hans Gruber in Die Hard in 1988. Proving this was no fluke, he followed this up with a star turn as another villain as The Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. With Galaxy Quest, he proved was willing to openly mock his own profession. For the younger generation, it is surely the case now that the actor will simply be remembered as Professor Severus Snape – another ominous albeit pseudo villain who delivered multiple barbed putdowns and the occasional potion in the direction of the upstart magician Harry Potter and his friends.
Alan Rickman sadly passed away aged 69 in January 2016.

Tony Shalhoub

Tony Shalhoub as Fred Kwan, who by the end of the film, found love in the unlikeliest of places.

Kwan played Tech Sergeant Chen, the ship’s stony faced chief engineer.

Tony Shalhoub is a highly respected character actor. Few may recall his role in the sitcom Wings in the 1990s. He is surely best best known for his multiword winning portrayal as Adrian Monk for the USA Network 2002 to 2009. This is not to suggest the actor lacks big- screen credits. He has an impressive filmography that includes most notably The Siege (1998) and Pain and Gain (2013) and his voice work on Pixar’s Cars trilogy.

Sam Rockwell

Sam Rockwell as Guy Fleegman, the cast’s handler at conventions. He also played “Crewman #6” (a short-lived minor character) in a single episode. In the revival at the end of the film, he gains a part as Security Chief “Roc” Ingersol.

Sam Rockwell was a relative unknown as an actor back in 1999. But in the following year, his star continued to climb, an ascent which continued over the next decade and beyond. He was practically unrecognisable as George W Bush in Adam McCay’s scathing political satire VICE in 2018. To genre fans, he was the standout character in 2005’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as Zaphod Beeblebrox. Add to this his sparkling turn as Justin Hammer and as the notorious weapons developer in Marvel’s Iron Man 2.

Daryl Mitchell

Daryl Mitchell plays Tommy Webber, now an adult who reflects fondly upon his child stardom but wishes it had amounted to greater fame.

Webber played Lieutenant Laredo, a precocious and arguably rather annoying child pilot in the original series.

Daryl Mitchell’s career can be split into two halves. As a young talented comic actor, he appeared alongside the likes of Steve Martin and Chris Rock. Tragically after Galaxy Quest, he was paralysed from the waist down because of a motorcycle accident. This setback did not entirely derail his appearances on screen as most recently he has been seen as the resident computer guru Patton Plame in the spin off series from NCIS, NCIS New Orleans.

The Director, Dean Parisot

Dean Parisot went on to direct the Bruce Willis film RED 2 and the long-awaited 2020 film sequel Bill and Ted Face The Music.

The Screenwriter, Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon also wrote the screenplay for Addicted to Love in 1997, Men in Black 2 back in 2002 and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow in 2004

Rumours of a Sequel
In over two decades since the original movie was released, fans are still looking for any Galaxy Quest 2 news.

It was reported back in April 2023 (via THR) that a Galaxy Quest television series was being developed for the Paramount Pus streaming service. The concept was far enough along that Mark Johnson would be involved. It is unclear if the show could work in conjunction with any proposed sequel or if it would simply replace it. At this point, no Galaxy Quest 2 release date has been announced, nor has there been any word about the show’s release.

While the original cast may be quoted from a handful of interviews that they may be interested or even will take part in a continuation of Galaxy Quest either on the big screen or the small screen, no firm news currently exists. Anything online currently is just rumour and speculation.

In Tripwire’s experience, until the cameras roll on any project, any and all internet speculation should be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Galaxy Quest Comics

For a continuation of the adventures of the Galaxy Quest crew IDW Comics produced a wealth of comics featuring Commander Taggart, Lieutenant Tawny Madison and their colleagues, beginning back in 2008. The comics were generally deemed to be faithful to the spirit of the film, while lacking the requisite humour of the source material and overall recommended for only for the most loyal of followers.

Galaxy Quest: The Inside Story

In 2021, Eaglemoss Publication released Galaxy Quest The inside Story.

It received positive reviews on Amazon: “Featuring over 60 new interviews with Galaxy Quest’s cast and crew, including Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, and Dean Parisot, and unseen photos and concept art, this is the ultimate guide to the funniest movie in the Galaxy.

Charting the story from concept to script, filming and release, with chapters looking at the casting, the sets, the costumes and makeup and the ship design and the visual effects, this guide is packed with hundreds of fascinating production photos, concept art and rare behind-the-scenes images.”

Galaxy Quest Novels

For the completist fan, there is also the novelisation of the screenplay by Terry Bisson plus, the Junior Novelization by Ellen Weiss.

The Legacy of Galaxy Quest

Galaxy Quest is a beloved example of a science fiction film that can mock itself while still revering the genre as a whole at the same time.

As many filmmakers may have learned in recent years, Galaxy Quest was not all special effects and CGI. Like Jurassic Park had proved six years previously, the production combined the talents of ILM for computer-generated effects with the practical effect of Stan Winston and his team, and this may have added to the charm of the whole enterprise (pun intended.)

Arguably too, the voyages of NSEA Protectorate may have influenced the creation of Seth Macfarlane’s series The Orville. Often fans of franchises such as Star Wars and Star Trek take themselves a little too seriously, so the fact that these same fans can love this film proves fans simply enjoy a good, well-made and enjoyable adventure. It goes to show that there is a broader audience for science fiction beyond some of the more po-faced existing franchises.

Tripwire says it would be marvellous to see more Galaxy Quest stories.
Never Give Up, Never Surrender.
As ever comments and feedback are very welcome.