Dark Matter Creator Joseph Mallozzi Reveals New Miniseries Pitch

John F. Trent |

Sep 20, 2021

Dark Matter creator Joseph Mallozzi has gradually been revealing his pitch for a brand new miniseries for the loved sci-fi series.

On September 10th, Mallozzi announced he had completed his first draft for a Dark Matter miniseries.

In a blog post, the creator wrote, “Huzzah! I finished the first draft of my pitch for the Dark Matter miniseries. I spent a couple of hours sourcing images to incorporate into the document, will take the weekend to review and polish, then send Jay’s way on Monday.”

He then teased he would eventually share the pitch to the blog, “I’ll eventually post it here on this blog for you all to check out before we go out with it. Ideally, I’d love to have an actor, maybe even a cast member, record an audio version of the pitch and then hire an editor to assemble visuals drawn from the original series.”

True to his word, Mallozzi announced on September 13rd that he had sent the pitch Jay’s way. It’s unclear who Jay is, but it’s possible it could be Jay Firestone, one of the original executive producers on Dark Matter.

Mallozzi updated his followers writing, “Sent the Dark Matter miniseries pitch Jay’s way this morning and included some ideas on how we can proceed. I await word on next steps.”

He again promised to share the pitch to the blog, “In the meantime, I’m thinking of uploading the written pitch for you all to check out and find out what the plan is.”

He began uploading the pitch in piecemeal beginning on September 14th. First, he provided an introduction to the mini series.

In this introduction, Mallozzi begins with asking a number of questions that the original Dark Matter series explored. The creator writes, “Are people born bad or are they products of their environment? Is redemption possible for everyone? Does remembering your past make you more or less doomed to repeat it? These were just a few of the questions at the heart of Dark Matter, a science fiction series that ran for three seasons, from 2015 to 2017 on SyFy and Netflix.”

He goes on to provide a brief synopsis of the original Dark Matter series noting it follows “the crew of The Raza, six individuals who awaken from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. They quickly discover that they are criminals – the worst of the worst – and immediately seek to forge a new path for themselves.”

Mallozzi then provides brief summaries of the first three seasons. For the first season he notes, “Our first season begins with the discovery that our crew are wanted criminals, gradually reveals their respective backstories and ends with a betrayal that sees them all hauled off to prison.”

Moving to the second season he explains, “ Our second sees the crew launch a daring escape from the Hyperion-8 Super Max after which they launch a concerted effort to put the past behind them and be better people – only to have their efforts blow up spectacularly in their faces (quite literally with the destruction of the EOS-7 space station they were seeking to protect).”

Finally, he summarizes the third season, “Our third season pits our crew against a former ally turned Big Bad, testing their bonds as well as their capacity for compassion and forgiveness.”

Mallozzi then detailed what this new miniseries will focus on, “We are proposing a six episode miniseries that would offer the existing fanbase, and new viewers alike, a self-contained story that sees our crew reassemble after a three year absence to take down this otherworldly threat.”

This otherworldly threat, an alien invasion, was introduced at the end of season 3.

While Mallozzi explains that this new miniseries will be self-contained, he does also state the door will be left open for a second miniseries that would cover the original series’ planned fifth season.

On September 16th, Mallozzi would then share what he calls the “Teaser” part of the pitch. This teaser reveals how the beginning of the miniseries would start.

This tease showcases The Raza working with the the Mikkei Combine, an influential corporation in the Dark Matter world, as they create a breech in space-time in order to rescue The Raza’s small shuttle, the Marauder.

However, it’s not a simple docking mission, The Raza and the Mikkei Combine ships are harangued by a couple of alien ships that turns into an exciting dog fight with The Raza running interference.

Fortunately, things work out and The Raza are able to secure the Marauder and reunite with one of their crew members, Six who had been trapped on the other side of the breech for three years.

On September 17th, Mallozzi would provide details on the Dark Matter world. He explains the show is set in the Milky Way galaxy 300 years into the future where corporations have extended their reach into the deepest parts of space, colonizing distant planets in order to exploit their resources.

While the corporations’ power and influence extends, the Galactic Authority does provide a check on them ensuring that law and order are maintained. However, this balance of power is thrown into chaos with the alien invasion as dozens of Black Ships have attacked the human colonies and outposts.

Not only have they attacked human colonies and outposts, but they recharge their ships by draining the galaxy’s stars, causing the extinction of numerous worlds.

While the Black Ships have been waging the war, a way of defeating them has been discovered and “the key to victory lies with a long lost member of the former Raza crew.”

On September 18th, Mallozzi laid out three of the characters of Dark Matter. Fans familiar with the series will recognize, Two, Three and Four.

Mallozzi first explains what Two has been up to in the three years since the Black Ships invaded, “She was at one time the Raza’s fearsome commander, but her priorities have since changed. Now a mother to a five year old girl, she has made her daughter a priority, abandoning her space-faring lifestyle in favor of a quiet existence on a remote world. But with the looming encroachment of the alien invaders, she rejoins her former crew-mates for one final battle, and the promise of a peaceful future for her young daughter.”

As for Three he writes, “Separated from the woman he loves for over three years, he has been on an unending mission to find her. And he will, eventually – only to discover she has changed in unexpected ways. Once a caring young woman stricken with an incurable disease, she has abandoned her human body in favor of a synthetic android form. But in so doing, she has inadvertently set them both on a dangerous and ultimately tragic path.”

And finally four, who has resumed his original identity of Ryo Ishida. Mallozzi writes, “The amnesiac former crew member once known as FOUR has forged a new path since reacquiring his old memories and identity as Ryo Ishida, Emperor of Zairon. His throne usurped, his homeworld now in shambles, he is a fugitive who roams the space ways like a wandering ronin, seeking one last shot at redemption.”

Mallozzi promised he will post the second part of the characters today, which will more than likely include Five, Six, and the Android, the other core members of The Raza crew.

What do you make of Mallozzi’s pitch for a Dark Matter miniseries so far?