Star Wars Live Action TV Series

[ori-STUDFARM]

I suspect we'll only get Clone wars series 3 from Celebration V...which isn't a bad thing.

[Geekyfanboy]

Star Wars Live-Action TV Series Plot Details Revealed, On Hold for Another 3-4 Years

Posted on Monday, June 13th, 2011 by Angie Han

It's been six years since George Lucas first announced that he was developing a live-action Star Wars television series, and it seems we're going to be waiting a little longer yet. In an interview, producer Rick McCallum revealed that he and Lucas would be putting the show on hold for another three to four years — but that when shooting does begin, it will be shot largely in the Czech Republic, possibly in Prague. Hit the jump for more details.

Ten years is a long time for a television series to be in development, and were this another filmmaker, I might've given up hope on this project by now. But Lucas is the guy who gave us a Star Wars prequel sixteen years after his last Star Wars film, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull nineteen years after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. A decade to develop a series seems almost speedy in comparison.

If the series really does shoot in the Czech Republic, it'll be a return to the county for McCallum and Lucas, who recently shot Red Tails in the country. McCallum and Lucas also filmed scenes for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles series in Prague, back in the 1990s. In the interview with Czech Position (via Bleeding Cool), McCallum praised Czech film crews, saying he'd "absolutely" consider shooting the Star Wars television series in Prague: "This would be one of the primary places because of the talent."

As previously reported, however, the ambitious (read: expensive) scope of the series is holding up the project. Said McCallum:

    The TV series is on hold, but that has nothing to do with the Czech Republic; it has to do with [the episodes being] so ambitious... We have 50 hours of third-draft scripts, but the problem we have is there is a lot of digital animation; we don't have the technology yet to be able to do them at a price that is safe for television. Since we would be financing them, it would be suicide for us to do this [now]. So we are going to wait three or four years.

I'm guessing those "50 hours of third-draft scripts" are the same 50 hours ready to go that Lucas mentioned last month. The delay shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone who's been following coverage of the series; Lucas has been frank about the problem with trying to make feature-quality episodes on a television budget. Still, depending on how much you trust Lucas to put out a good series, it's either a grave disappointment or a huge relief to hear we may have still more years of waiting ahead.

That is, if we see the series at all. McCallum expressed his (in my opinion, not entirely reasonable) worry that there might not be a place on television for his series at all by the time it's ready to go:

    Network television and cable television as we know it are completely imploding, so we're not really sure that in five years' time we can release a dramatic one-hour episode because it is all reality TV now.

McCallum also spoke a bit about the plotline of the show, which will take place between Episodes III and IV in the Star Wars timeline — during Luke's teen years, though the series won't actually have anything to do with Luke himself.

    Basically, it is like 'The Godfather'; it's the Empire slowly building up its power base around the galaxy, what happens in Coruscant, which is the major capital, and it's [about] a group of underground bosses who live there and control drugs, prostitution.

Bleeding Cool likens McCallum's description to /Filmcast favorite The Wire, which seems apt except that I don't believe for a second that Lucas will demonstrate the same nuance and devotion to character that made the HBO series so beloved.

So to recap: In about three to five years, we can expect to see a Czech-shot live-action Star Wars television series that plays like an unsubtle, sci-fi version of The Wire — but only if Keeping Up with the Kardashians hasn't ruined American television by then.

[Geekyfanboy]

The Live Action Star Wars Series Gets a Working Title
Source: IGN
January 9, 2012

The bad news for fans eagerly anticipating the live action "Star Wars" series is that not much has changed since word broke last June that the massive production is currently on hold, awaiting costs to drop to a point that will make the FX-heavy undertaking financially feasible. Producer Rick McCallum is hoping that won't be too far off, however, and today told IGN that the show even has a working title: "Star Wars: Underworld."

"It's underneath what's going on," he reiterated about the series' focus, "It's the criminals and the gangs. The guys who are running Wall Street, basically. The guys who are running the United States."

Even if the series is a few more years away, McCallum says there's no risk in the scripts become dating and that the delay can only make the show stronger.

"They're timeless," he explains. "They take place between Episode III and Episode IV. That 20 year period when Luke is growing up. It's not about Luke, but it's about that period when the Empire is trying to take things [over]."

Read more: The Live Action Star Wars Series Gets a Working Title - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=85791#ixzz1j0UarGYH

[Bromptonboy]

It sounds great - hate to have to wait for it.

[Rico]

I've never really bought the "it's too expensive" to make excuse.  I mean when you see what can be done with digital effects these days I really don't see the problem.  I think it's mainly Uncle George having many things going on at once and limited time.  Blu-Ray's, Clone Wars, 3D releases, Red Tails, etc.  One guy can only watch over so much.

[Dangelus]

I don't buy it either. It doesn't have to be FX laden to be good and having loads of FX won't make it good.

It might be a timing issue with the people he wants involved are busy on other projects or he simply doesn't have the time to give it the personal attention that he thinks it needs like Rico says.

[Bryancd]

Oh, I certainly think cost plays a major role in LucasFilms consideration of doing this project. It's a business and is run as such. Just beceause we think it can be done for what we preceive as cost effective is pure speculation. GL has accountants far wiser then us and if the math isn't compelling and if it's not a passion for the CEO, it will sit on the shelf. I agree his creative plate has been very full recently and if he turns his energy towards the projecxt it would likely come to fruition, but he won't do itr if the economics can't be made to work to his benefit.

[X]

Oh, I certainly think cost plays a major role in LucasFilms consideration of doing this project. It's a business and is run as such. Just beceause we think it can be done for what we preceive as cost effective is pure speculation. GL has accountants far wiser then us and if the math isn't compelling and if it's not a passion for the CEO, it will sit on the shelf. I agree his creative plate has been very full recently and if he turns his energy towards the projecxt it would likely come to fruition, but he won't do itr if the economics can't be made to work to his benefit.

I'm not sure what the delay is, but if the guy says the cost, then I'm just going to nod and smile. After watching the latest GL interview on The Daily Show, he has a ton of good will from me and I've actually accepted his need to tinker with Star Wars. I even understand why he does it because I do it and I hate it about myself. I think that I was projecting my self anger and hindsight has been fantastic in this. I still don't agree with the changes, but boy do I understand them.

[Dangelus]

I wonder if George is cautious about television and how easily shows can fail and / or get cancelled so quickly and he doesn't want to risk part of the SW franchise being deemed a failure?

[Bryancd]

I wonder if George is cautious about television and how easily shows can fail and / or get cancelled so quickly and he doesn't want to risk part of the SW franchise being deemed a failure?

Oh, I would imagine it would be similar to the kind of deal he negotiated with cartoon Network to carry the Clone Wars. When he brings a property to market, he calls the shots, not the network. He'll get whatever deal he wants and won't be canceled after the first season.

[Dangelus]

I wonder if George is cautious about television and how easily shows can fail and / or get cancelled so quickly and he doesn't want to risk part of the SW franchise being deemed a failure?

Oh, I would imagine it would be similar to the kind of deal he negotiated with cartoon Network to carry the Clone Wars. When he brings a property to market, he calls the shots, not the network. He'll get whatever deal he wants and won't be canceled after the first season.

Well this makes sense. Considering the costs involved in making the live action show, this may still be under negotiation and hence the delay.

[Bryancd]

No, I don't think GL is really concerened with distribution. He know's networks well be knocking his door down offering multi season deals but he need it to be good enough to make it be a success and that costs $$.

[davekill]

Could this just be a case of 'cold feet' left over from the Star Wars Holiday Special?

Just do it George.!   :starwars:  ;)

[X]

No, I don't think GL is really concerened with distribution. He know's networks well be knocking his door down offering multi season deals but he need it to be good enough to make it be a success and that costs $$.

I get what you're saying, but last night on TDS, he made it clear that distribution of a project is still something that concerns him to this day. Because we are fans, we expect there to be millions of people waiting to see this, but we really don't know if that's the case. We also don't know if the person that decides to air it will turn a profit at all. Sure GL can make money off the DVDs, but is there any broadcast potential on network or basic cable? I'm not sure that the rating would support it and that's what the studios will look at when they are deciding the upfronts.

GL and the companies he has could make a killing off of the show, but how many people would put the show on knowing that the lions share of the profits will be in the DVDs and toys that they don't get a piece of?

At the end of the day, things have to be cheap enough for him to practically give away the show with the knowledge that he will make his money back through the marketing and disc sales.

[Bryancd]

I could understand that Chris. I'm sure GL still suffers from project insecurities despite all his success I bet the failures haunt him even more. But I think he would likely look at cable outlets for this project as opposed to network just so he could have some guarantee that he could lock it in for a few seasons.