Star Wars TV Coming in 2009
New Television Series Planned by George Lucas and Rick McCallum
Feb 9, 2008
George Lucas is bringing the Star Wars universe to television. In 2009*, sci-fi fans will get a chance to see the result: Star Wars TV. The question is...Will a Star Wars live action TV series succeed? Is Star Wars suitable to TV in the same way it worked for the movies?
The Rise of Star Wars
When George Lucas released Star Wars: A New Hope in theaters in 1977, few people (except Lucas himself) foresaw the worldwide pop phenomenon that it would become. Star Wars remains the most successful film franchise of all time.
It initially spawned two sequels, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, but quickly fueled an entire industry of books, comics, action figures, games, and more.
Nine Star Wars Movies Envisioned
With the success of Star Wars: A New Hope, there were visions of as many as nine Star Wars films. Three prequel films and three sequel films to the original trilogy were part of this vision.
A prequel trilogy was indeed filmed and released. That trilogy included:
- Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Episode 2 - The Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith
By the late 1990s, any plans to film another set of Star Wars films (a sequel trilogy) for the Big Screen were shelved.
In fact, Lucas clearly distanced himself from such notions, arguing in a 1999 Vanity Fair interview, that the story "really ends with Part Six."
What's more, in recent years, Lucas has expressed misgivings about the future of big-budget films. "The market forces that exist today make it unrealistic to spend $200 million on a movie," says Lucas. "Those movies can't make their money back anymore."
Lucas cites the changing nature of filmmaking technology, the rise of the Internet, and other market forces, which have reshaped the motion picture industry.
Star Wars TV
While Star Wars may have run its course on the Big Screen, the Small Screen is something entirely different. George Lucas first brought Star Wars to TV with two Ewok movies in the 1980s and then some animated tales that appeared on video and TV.
Lucas is now working on an animated Star Wars series, and planning his live action series as well. It's the live action Star Wars TV series, though, that has everyone talking the most. This Star Wars TV series is poised to dominate television like few other projects.
The TV series will follow events between Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. But don't expect any big-name characters. As Lucas told The Los Angeles Times, "the Skywalkers aren't in it." Instead, it will feature some minor characters from the films and new characters developed by Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, and a stable of screenwriters.
Lucasfilm is planning to launch a new online multiplayer game to coincide with the new television series. This new game will be Star Wars' second online game -- the first being Star Wars Galaxies.
Those wishing to keep informed on the planned Star Wars television series should stay tuned to StarWars.com and Lucasfilm Ltd.
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*Addendum/Update (May 10, 2009):
Sorry, fans, but 2009 ain't happening! While Lucas' animated series The Clone Wars can now be seen on cable, fans will have to wait longer for the live-action series.
Lucasfilm's official website identifies the planned Star Wars live-action series as still being in "pre-production," and Entertainment Weekly recently quoted a Lucasfilm rep as saying that 2010 is the "earliest" the show would be produced.
