The Last Starfighter may fly again on TV!

In 1984, The Last Starfighter chronicled the rise of Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a human teenager who was recruited by the Star League to join their intergalactic fleet and take on the malevolent Kodan Armada. The Last Starfighter was also one of the first films to embrace CGI graphics.

Screenwriter Jonathan Betuel has reclaimed the rights to The Last Starfighter and he has entered into a development deal with Surreal.tv to create The Starfighter Chronicles, a new TV series set in the same universe depicted in the feature film. However, The Starfighter Chronicles will not be a direct continuation of the movie’s storyline. Instead, the focus will fall on the Star League in its function as an “alien law enforcement.”

More intriguingly, The Starfighter Chronicles will feature a VR component that will allow anyone with a virtual reality headset “to look around and explore the inside of a spaceship or immerse themselves in an alien firefight.”

That level of VR integration hasn’t really been tried on television before, which could potentially allow The Starfighter Chronicles to break new ground if the virtual reality integration catches on.

“It’s a very interesting blend,” noted Betuel. “The otherworldliness of [The Starfighter Chronicles] lends itself to VR.”

The Starfighter Chronicles is still in the very early stages of development and it doesn’t currently have a home at a network or a streaming service. However, Surreal.tv co-founders Andy Vick and Rick Rey seem to be very enthusiastic about its chances. Rey and Vick also have extensive experience with online video. “We are doing it again, and it’s just as exciting,” said Vick.

Last Starfighter fans, do you want The Starfighter Chronicles to tie into the original film? Fire up your Gunstars and line up your quarters in the comment section below!

HT: Variety