Lucas TV Guide Interview • The Live-Action Series • September 2007

[darthpsychotic]

September 20 2007

source: TVGuide.com


LUCAS QUOTES

• "There are Storm Troopers and all that but there are no Jedis."

• " Which is we usually write a whole year first and then we'll start shooting and then we'll shoot the whole year and then once we've got we'll see where we can put it. We're going to do a hundred of them, too. [It should be] easier [to place] than the animated one because it's live-action."

• "Lucasfilm is basically acting as the production company."


LIVE-ACTION SERIES ONLY EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEW


TV Guide: What about your Star Wars live-action series for TV?

Lucas: Yes, I'm working on that. We're just going to start writing it in about a month from now, start doing scripts for it.


TV Guide: And where will that live in the Star Wars continuum relative to Clone Wars and relative to the films?

Lucas: The live-action [series] is not the movie. It's the Star Wars universe but it's characters from the saga who were minor and it follows their stories. It's set between III and IV, when the Empire has taken over. It's like Episode IV in that the Emperor and Darth Vader are heard about — people talk about them — but you never see them because it doesn't take place where they actually are. There are Storm Troopers and all that but there are no Jedis.

It's different but I think it's very exciting because I get to explore a part of that universe that I haven't been able to explore. Once you have a saga, it's got a lot of requirements because it's about a particular — in this case, Darth Vader — and so it's his story from the time he's 10 to the time he died. You really can't go off that track because that's the story. Whereas now I can make a left turn on 10th Street and go down there and see what's going on.


TV Guide: And how are you going to produce this one? Are you going to film a certain number? Are you going to have a deal with a network before you go ahead with filming?

Lucas: No, we'll do it just the same way that we're doing the animated series. Which is we usually write a whole year first and then we'll start shooting and then we'll shoot the whole year and then once we've got we'll see where we can put it. We're going to do a hundred of them, too. [It should be] easier [to place] than the animated one because it's live-action.


TV Guide: So you'll film before you get a commitment? Or how will that work?

Lucas: Well, we're doing these before we get a commitment. So we're just doing them on the faith that we're going to [sell them]. I mean, we're doing them ourselves so we can finance them. We don't need to have a commitment of any kind. We're simply going to sell them.


TV Guide: Will you be looking for a network like an HBO to say, "We'll take all hundred"?

Lucas: Yeah, but they probably won't do that. [Laughs] Somebody might but usually what they'll do is they'll take 13 or 26 and then see what happens and they'll take the next group. If that group doesn't work, then we'll move to another place. Lucasfilm is basically acting as the production company.


TV Guide: Yeah but usually a network will commission a single pilot off a script or pick, well you know the process.

Lucas: Right — but I have enough confidence that this is good and I'll make it really good. So I'm not too worried about that part of it. If worse comes to worse, I'll end up with a lot of library product. [Laughs]


TV Guide: You've loosened the shackles on what you allow people to do with Star Wars material. The Internet has given everybody a forum but there was a time when you didn't want people to do that and now, obviously you've changed your mind.

Lucas: It's not a matter of changing your mind, it's a matter of before, basically I had everything at stake with each one of those movies and I didn't want to jeopardize that. So, when these last three came out, we were much more lenient about that sort of thing. Now that they're finished, it's just part of the culture now. You can't not [let people] do it. I especially like the comedy. There's a lot of people doing funny things and parodies of Star Wars online that are just hysterical.

Lucas: That's why I'm having fun now. I mean, I love animation and I've always wanted to do this and at the same time, I've always wanted to explore other parts of the Star Wars universe that I never really got to go to. So television's going to be the perfect opportunity to do that. I can move around more freely and have more experimental time.

[Mr J in the UK]

“No jedis…”! Gadzooks! What a shocker!! I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not? Who’s he going to concentrate on? Admiral Ackbar’s granddad?

Although I have to say this comment is encouraging: “…but I have enough confidence that this is good, and I'll make it really good.”, if McCallum had said that I’m sure it would have been a half-baked series with limited Lucas involvement. But The Man wants to make it pretty special by the sound of things.

Role on Stormtroopers shooting the shit out of lesser known characters! Perhaps we will get to see some of their "accurate" shooting?!

[Cryostar]

Well, you know, no jedi is such a vague comment.

He can have force users, just not jedi. Fallen Jedi are not jedi. We know the only two jedi to survive are Yoda and Obi so this means no Obi or Yoda. Other force users may be ok, since we've seen them draw this line before.

[Hade]

Train derailment potential growing.

Even the often/nearly always awful EU has Jedi. What makes it Star Wars without things which identify it as such?

Why would people care about the life of some Rodian in the background? Does his life story need telling?

[Cryostar]

George says yes, and YOU WILL BE INTERESTED! His pollsters say so! You love Rodians, you know you do.

[TroyObliX]

I doubt it's going to focus on background Rodians, but I get the point. Hopefully the characters involved will be ones that the audience can more closely identify with. I hope so, anyway.

As far as the "No Jedi" comment, I took that to mean that because of the time period involved there were no actual full fledged Jedi running around as an organized group. And anyone who can use the force is going to try and hide it. Han Solo claimed that he had traveled from one end of the galaxy to the other and never saw anything that made him belive in it, so I doubt "hidden Jedi" are going to be too prevalent as well. I guess I don't really know what to make out of the "No Jedi" comment after thinking about it. Before the PT, I had always thought of the Jedi as more like Shaolin monks with lightsabers. Afterward, not so much. I wonder if anyones going to point out "You wouldn't do that if the Jedi were here" along the way, somehow helping to develop the mystical, almost legendary reputation the Jedi seemed to attain only after they were destroyed.

I'd also like to see at what point Stormtroopers stopped being only all clones, and the conflict those who joined the Empirial forces must have felt once they realized what doing that meant. And how can there be no Vader? That I don't understand, cameos of him killing people seems like a must. Either way, this could be great, if they do it right.

[Biggs]

...there's a rumour floating around that JMS (J.Michael Strazynski of Babylon 5/Silver Surfer Movie/Changling fame) is being courted, or has been courted to help script/produce the Live Action Series, I've read it on a few boards...he's apparently announcing something "Big" in a couple of weeks, so could be that.

Personally, I loved B5 so that could be interesting.

Check out www.jmsnews.com but it's only speculation at this point from Forum members...

[Cryostar]

10 years ago, I would have been all kinds of stoked about this. After Legend of the Rangers and Lost Tales I'm not sure if TV is the thing for JMS. Books are great, he does some great things with Comics but I'm not so sure about TV.

[Kemper]

It will be a bunch of Kids riding around dragracing on speederbikes on Saturday night. Suzanne Summers said she would love to do a cameo.

[VT-16]

Do we really need more Jedi stories, even in an era where they were rare?

Holy fuck, the OT would never work today, because people would want Jedi up the wazoo.

[Cryostar]

It's like star wars galaxies on the small screen

[Hade]

My take was that I thought (probably more like hoped ) Lucas might go the route of touching upon everyone's life in the twenty or so year gap between Episode III and IV.

We have to figure a lot went on in those two decades.

An idea I had was to do a couple of episodes about young Luke's life on Tatooine, then we leave Luke for the rest of that season. Then we move on to say...two or three episodes of young Leia's life to contrast the very different lives of the sibs. Obviously, Bail would be pulled in here as he leads the double life of secret rebel leader while playing the loyal Empire supporter role. The Bail episodes could be some of the best; secretly meeting with Mothma and such. Maybe Mothma on the run, in hiding, a wanted woman with a price on her head. This is one idea which could pull in some of the bounty hunters for individual episodes within the same arc.

Then, we'd go to say...the day to day workings of the Empire. Episodes about life within the Empire; A few episodes on the life of a clone/stormtrooper, the life of some of the imperial officers and perhaps life at the Imperial Academy. Then you have everyday citizens and their lives under a dictatorship. And of course, the hunt for surviving Jedi.

It would sort of play like Lost. A certain character would be the main focus of that week's episode. Sometimes the story would call for that character to be the focus for two to three weeks and then we move on. Come back to them next season.

And that's not to say they can't introduce a slew of new characters participating within this construct. You have to figure that...even if you're using the same characters from the movies as main players, their lives are so important in the mythos that story potential is practically limitless.


How about you guys?

What did you think it was going to be about?
What do you think it is going to be about?
What would you like to see?

[Bandersnatch]

I want an episode about the mole on Obi-Wan's forehead, how it managed to escape and become one of Jabba the Hutt's cronies.

[Mr J in the UK]

I want to see an episode with a young-ish Greedo working in a KFC. Trying to make a little cash to buy the season’s must have Bermuda shorts.

[VT-16]

Why the obsession with Luke and Leia? I thought Lucas was clear from the beginning that it wasn't going to focus on them?

Rebel soldiers/pilots and their Imperial counterparts, sure, but a farmboy and a pampered princess? Wowee...

[ETandElliott]

There weren't even any victories for the Rebellion until just before Star Wars, right? Sounds pretty dull.

[Ascovel]

The thing I'd wish for aloud, is to be surprised with fresh ideas and new takes on familiar things, but deep down I also want it to be very similar in atmosphere to A New Hope. I'd like to see a lot of the "Force-less" galaxy that Han Solo was talking about.

[Bandersnatch]

Right. Because Han Solo's dialogue in the original film didn't already say that? That point was obvious even to we Star Wars virgins at the time.

I'd rather just ignore this whole enterprise, as I did with the Holiday Special, as well as those gay Ewok, Droid and Clone Wars cartoons.

[darthpsychotic]

If ones wants to see Original Trilogy characters you have multiple formats to view them at your leisure. There are the Original Trilogy DVDs, the Original Unaltered Trilogy Bonus Discs, and then you have the Original Trilogy in High Definition. Not to mention IPOD or the DVDRips variants MF made available. The Original Trilogy is over and I say bring on the new stuff.

The Dark Times - the time period between Episode III & IV - seems to me a more interesting era. While there will be no Jedi, Lucas and McCallum have been pretty consistant in interviews when it comes to what characters the Live-Action Series will feature: X-Wing Pilots, Tie-Fighter Pilots, Stormtroopers and Bounty Hunters. Presumably Smugglers also.

X-Wing Pilots and Smugglers versus Tie-Fighter Pilots, Stormtroopers, and Bounty Hunters. I forsee (hope) McQuarrie concepts and Original Trilogy deleted scenes coming to life on the Live-Action Series in some form or another.

The only concern I see is Star Wars fatigue. In the TVGuide.com interview, Lucas confirms McCallum's recent statements about having multiple Live-Action Series: one initial television series - then spinoff series. The goal of all television series is to get 100 episodes for syndication. So with "four or five" Live-Action series, one gets the 400 episodes of Star Wars McCallum spoke of.

That's a lot of fuckin Star Wars

[Cryostar]

We could have star wars across the board.

1 show on Disney Channel
1 show on HBO
1 show on Prime Time
1 show on USA

Hell let's have a World Series of Sabacc on ESPN 8! The Ocho covers everything!

[Ascovel]

Right. Because Han Solo's dialogue in the original film didn't already say that? That point was obvious even to we Star Wars virgins at the time.

What point? I wasn't talking about how the TV series should be for the sake of consistency with the saga. I was describing what kind of star wars feel I'd enjoy for it.

[Kemper]

I'll take just about anything as long as it is adult in nature. I really want this to feel like Star Wars even if the Jedi aren't really involved I don't want THIS IS THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 3 and 4 and then not be able to tell that I'm looking at a STAR WARS show.

[VT-16]

There weren't even any victories for the Rebellion until just before Star Wars, right?

Not really, for the Rebel Alliance. But before that, there were separate rebel groups (hence the "Alliance" part), so I'm sure something interesting happened.

[Hade]

I want an episode about the mole on Obi-Wan's forehead, how it managed to escape and become one of Jabba the Hutt's cronies.

I want to see an episode with a young-ish Greedo working in a KFC. Trying to make a little cash to buy the season’s must have Bermuda shorts.

I've heard worse. If I can sit through Binks, I can sit through just about anything.

The Dark Times - the time period between Episode III & IV - seems to me a more interesting era. While there will be no Jedi, Lucas and McCallum have been pretty consistant in interviews when it comes to what characters the Live-Action Series will feature: X-Wing Pilots, Tie-Fighter Pilots, Stormtroopers and Bounty Hunters. Presumably Smugglers also.

But this probably means you'd need Vader and the Emperor, DP. Maybe Tarkin.

X-Wing pilots? Is the Rebellion that far along to be already fighting Imperial forces? Personally, I'd rather see a gradual movement toward this with some good stories rather than a bunch of things just coming at us. My hope is that it won't just be action for the sake of action.

I'll take just about anything as long as it is adult in nature. I really want this to feel like Star Wars even if the Jedi aren't really involved...I don't want...THIS IS THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 3 and 4...and then not be able to tell that I'm looking at a STAR WARS show.

Yeah, I'd say that's my biggest concern as well. Will it feel like Star Wars on will it be some crap Sci-Fi show that just has Star Wars in the title? It could go either way.

[Mr J in the UK]

As some of you already know my EU knowledge is a tad weak but aren’t we forgetting about the surviving Jedi? Vader aint wiped them all out yet has he or was he busy last night while I was watching Death Proof? Isn’t Master Vos still out there? Perhaps not a traditional Jedi after the events of Sith but perhaps he’s taken on some dark powers ala Force Unleashed. The Vos rumours were rife when the TV series was first mooted, why have they gone dead now (er even though Lucas said there wouldn't be any Jedi)? Something in the comics?

Like Ascovel said, I’d also like the series to be "fresh" and go in different, "unexpected directions" but sticking in Vos or some other (ex) Jedi who slipped under the radar after Sith would be good for half a dozen shows I fancy. Ok, Lucas won't stick any bog-standard Jedis in, it would be pointless but maybe a handful of messed up Jedis (need another name for these fellas) is a possibility. The force must flow through this series one way or another...

As for shows focusing on X-Wing/Tie pilots I couldn't give a monkeys. In the background? Yeah. Character development of opposing pilots meeting at the annual Empire ball? Er nope.

[Kemper]

I think there should be Jedi I mean they all weren't killed in the initial purge. They could have been killed in the 20 years since in between. Or, as a technicality, they were officially no longer Jedi and Yoda and Obi-wan only considered Luke to be what he ended up being.

[VT-16]

Well, I for one love the concept of taking no-name background characters, grunts and flyboys and give them some actual backgrounds. The movies never bothered showing us the big consequences for the average Joe in the galaxy, whenever something big happened, it was always a few quick shots and some random line, nothing more. If this can actually give more info on what the Republic vis-a-vis Empire was like to more ordinary people, I'd appreciate that.

A bunch of warrior-monks coming from a pseudo-privileged background? Not so much.

[Mr J in the UK]

... showing us the big consequences for the average Joe in the galaxy...

Why don't you go down to your local shopping centre if you want to see some average Joes? Fair enough there could be a few episodes which focuses on these people you speak of but come on, surely it's about seeing some more dynamic, exciting characters in the SW universe?! If you did a MF Pol today on what characters members would most like to see you'd get a Fett return of about 60%, the average Joes wouldn't hardly register on the rickter scale.

[TroyObliX]

I hope they mix it up. In between some 'done-in-one' self contained episodes of people we are vaguely familiar with, showing some 'average joes', whose lives wouldn't really seem average by our Earthbound standards, could be interesting. In fact, if they wanted to do a whole series of self contained episodes, that might work also. The bigger background story is so well established, there wouldn't really need to be an interconnectivity between shows in the series. I don't know how audiences would react to that though, wether or not they'd tune in weekly since modern TV has us hooked on the 'cliffhanger' ending. But it's Star Wars, it might not need to rely on that storytelling device to get people to tune in the next week. I know I wouldn't need it to keep my interest. But then again I'd watch it no matter what. Unless my eyeballs unexplicably jump out of my skull before it hits the air.

I'd like to see more Fett also, though, if that poll ever comes out. Whatever it's about, it's going to be great to see.

[darthpsychotic]

We try to post the pretty much any and all news items about the television series in the new MF dedicated televison forums, however this probaby isn't worthy of a new thread so here it goes:


[hr]
Oct 12 2007

source: hollywoodinsider.ew.com

Is Lucas' Star Wars TV series preparing for takeoff?
by Lynette Rice

ARTICLE:

Multiple sources have confirmed to EW.com that George Lucas is coming to Los Angeles next week to meet with writers for his long-gestating live-action Star War series. According to one agent familiar with the project, Lucas' plan is to recruit several freelancers - aka "writers of real significance" - to spend a week at the Skywalker Ranch in November to come up with story ideas for the series. The agent also said that Lucas has indicated a desire to hire writers from other countries. The scribes would then disperse and write the 13 episodes that would be produced and financed by Lucas.

When Lucas first began recruiting Hollywood writers for the project as early as February 2006, according to the agent, his original intent was to produce 26 episodes before he went on the lookout for a network partner.

The news put fans in the frenzy as speculation swirled that the live-action series would take place between Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars IV: A New Hope, though the agent believes those rumors are unfounded. Plot points for the series, as a result, remain sketchy.


COMMENTS EXCERPT:

alanna Sun, Oct 14, 2007 at 10:23 AM EST

This report is a little behind the times and $10 short. TV GUIDE had an interview with Lucas in its magazine, with more on its website, a couple of weeks ago, in which Lucas confirmed the series takes place between III and IV and talked about the characters, and that writing was commencing.

[hr]

At first glance, the EW.com article has some promising news about the Live-Action Series. Then towards then end the article mentions a "agent" presumabley one of the sources saying the "rumors" of the series Episode III to Episode IV setting are "unfounded".

As you can see in the EW.com comments section, alanna set EW.com straight.