'We Certainly Hope to Have a Discussion': Stargate, Independence Day Writer Wants to Reboot Doctor Who, After Report Claims He Wants to Bring Back David Tennant

Hollywood screenwriter Dean Devlin has confirmed his involvement successful rebooting Doctor Who, arsenic the BBC seeks to find a caller accumulation partner.

Devlin is known for his enactment arsenic the co-writer of Stargate and Independence Day, and arsenic the manager of Gerard Butler catastrophe movie Geostorm. Devlin besides runs LA-based accumulation institution Electric Company, which hopes to "have a discussion" with the BBC connected Doctor Who's future.

This month, a study successful The Times claimed that Electric Company had already begun talks with the BBC and was keen to bring backmost fan-favorite prima David Tennant — thing that raised eyebrows, considering the information that the broadcaster's authoritative process for uncovering a co-production spouse has not yet publically begun.

Today, successful a connection to Radio Times, Devlin denied that negotiations betwixt the BBC and Electric Company had officially started, "preliminary oregon otherwise." Still, Devlin confirmed that his institution would look to propulsion its chapeau successful the ringing "when the due clip comes [and] erstwhile they are prepared to talk with people."

The update follows an earlier station by Devlin connected Facebook, successful which helium shared an AI-generated video featuring himself and assorted different erstwhile Doctor Who actors posing connected the acceptable of the TARDIS. "So BBC is putting Doctor Who retired to tender," Devlin captioned the video. "Do you deliberation they should spouse with america astatine Electric Entertainment?"

To date, the lone different accumulation institution to person publically discussed bidding for Doctor Who has been BBC Studios — the broadcaster's commercially-funded limb that is seen arsenic the astir apt victor of the series' rights. Doctor Who was antecedently produced by Bad Wolf, the institution founded by erstwhile BBC executives that besides made His Dark Materials.

As for the instrumentality of David Tennant, narratively this would beryllium comparatively straightforward. The actor's astir caller 14th Doctor incarnation is inactive progressive and surviving connected Earth with his ain TARDIS, providing 1 imaginable way guardant for the series' communicative that avoids everything from the show's astir caller Ncuti Gatwa era.

Doctor Who aired its last occurrence to day successful May 2025, erstwhile Gatwa departed the BBC's flagship sci-fi amusement aft a mostly disappointing mates of seasons. Co-funding spouse Disney was formally confirmed arsenic having ditched the bid not agelong after, portion the era's showrunner Russell T Davies announced helium was done with the amusement backmost successful June, erstwhile it was revealed that this year's previously-confirmed Christmas Special was really not being made.

As a BBC-funded show, Doctor Who relies connected wealth from the broadcasting company's public-backed fund — which has been chopped successful existent presumption implicit the past decade, portion the costs and expectations of making large fund TV person lone grown. This is the crushed that the BBC partnered with Disney successful the archetypal spot for the Ncuti Gatwa era, and wherefore the institution is present seeking a caller co-production spouse arsenic a replacement.

A caller study that cited TV insiders claimed that Doctor Who is present improbable to instrumentality on-screen for up to 5 years portion the series' accumulation is rebuilt from the crushed up. Solving the "problems" presently plaguing Doctor Who volition instrumentality time, the series' erstwhile showrunner Chris Chibnall has besides cautioned, portion admitting that the show's astir pressing contented was "primarily astir money."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social