| Star Wars live-action TV series | |
|---|---|
| Format | Space opera Serial |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Directed by | James Marquand[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | George Lucas |
| Producer(s) | Rick McCallum |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original airing | TBA |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The untitled Star Wars live-action TV series is a planned space opera television series, [2] set between the events seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.[3]
The project, first announced in 2005 by Star Wars creator George Lucas,[4] is currently on hold due to budgetary concerns.
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The series will focus on the time between the prequel and original trilogies. It will not feature main characters of the films, but will match their visual style and production values.[5][6]
Though statements that the series will not center on main characters from the films[7] have remained emphatic since its original announcement in 2005, further description of the series by George Lucas and Rick McCallum has varied or evolved.
Chronologically, the series has been described by Lucas as "a little bit more adult" than the films,[8] "bare-bones and action-heavy",[9] "funny and [...] a lot more talky" and "soap opera with a bunch of personal dramas"[10] and likened to "Deadwood meets The Sopranos, in space."
McCallum has said about the show that "it is going to be much darker, much grittier, and it's much more character-based"[11] and "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.”[12]
A reference by McCallum to bounty hunters[13] and the cancellation of a book by Karen Traviss[14] lend credence to the notion that Boba Fett is one of the characters to be featured in the series.
George Lucas will write and produce the first season, and then "hand it off from there", while remaining executive producer and general overseer throughout the rest of the series. Originally, 100 one-hour-long episodes were proposed,[15] but producer Rick McCallum explained it had the potential to run for up to 400, and "it’s something that can go on for years and years. One of the ideas is that we’ll have multiple series going on in about two or three years' time."[16] Lucas echoed this, stating it will be "one show that will split into four shows, focusing on different characters."[17] In May 2011 Lucas stated 50 episodes had been written.
The series will be shot using HD cameras, with principal photography taking place all around the world. McCallum has noted Sydney as a likely base, and endorsed Prague as one of the main locations.[12]
On March 9, 2009, actress Rose Byrne, who featured in Attack of the Clones, stated that casting for the series was underway, and that some of her friends had auditioned for roles.[18] Star Wars Insider #109 (the May/June 2009 issue of the official Star Wars magazine) debunked rumors, stating scripts for the television series were not yet written and would precede any earnest casting efforts. A casting agent in Australia, Zie Rad, is conducting preliminary ground work for the project, but official casting has yet to be conducted.
According to Lucas in a 2011 interview, the series is currently on hold until there is a more cost effective way of shooting the series.[6] In June, McCallum, who would produce the series, elaborated on this, contrasting the high production costs of the series with current developments in TV production, saying "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."[12]
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