Way back in 2005, seven years before LucasFilm was sold to Disney,George Lucasannounced the development of a newlive-action TV seriesentitledStar Wars: Underworld, which already had over 100 scripts written and ready to be shot. Production never happened on the series, which was set between the originalStar Warstrilogy and the prequels. Today we have a new report fromTV Line, which claims the project is currently dead, although it still may be resurrected at some point.
The site spoke with ABC presidentPaul Lee, who stated the network doesn’t have any plans for the show at the moment, since Disney and LucasFilm are so focused on theStar Warsmovie franchise at this time. The site also spoke with an unidentified LucasFilm representative, who stated that the company’s only focus in TV at this time is in animation, such as the beloved Disney XD seriesStar Wars Rebels. However, it is still possible that this series could come to fruition, at some point.
Last month, LucasFilm presidentKathleen Kennedyrevealed that they have spent a lot of time reading through the scripts that have already been written by scribes such asRonald D. Mooreand many others. Rumors also started to circulate last month thatNetflixmay pick up the series for a 2017 debut, but that was never confirmed. While no exact plot details have been released,Star Wars: Underworldreportedly revolves around the seedier side of the universe, following a group ofBounty Hunters. It was described as both a Western and a gangster epic, with producerRick McCallumdescribing it as “The GodfatherandDeadwoodin space.”
One unidentified insider toldTV Linethey think it’s “smart” that LucasFilm isn’t developing right now, stating “they’re looking to avoid the Marvel-ization of the franchise.” Another point to consider is that this show likely won’t happen withJ.J. Abrams’s involvement, since his production company Bad Robot already has a TV deal signed with Warner Bros. Still, with the growing popularity ofStar WarsfollowingStar Wars: The Force Awakens, it’s certainly possible this series could happen, in some way shape or form.
As of now, the franchise’s only presence on the small screen is Disney XD’sStar Wars Rebels, which recently returned with its midseason premiere, kicking off the back half of its second season. The show has already been renewed for a third season, but it isn’t clear how many seasons the network and LucasFilm have planned for the show. Are you disappointed thatStar Wars Undergroundappears to be dead at this time? Chime in with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more updates.
