July 15 2007

source: Starwars.com @ Celebration Europe

McCallum speaks @ Celebration Europe on Live-Action Series.


• 400 Darker, Character-Driven Episodes.

• 2007: Writers, Concept Artists, Story Outlines process started.
• 2008: Casting June 2008 - Shooting in Sydney Australia.


SUMMARY:

• McCallum and Lucas were recently in London meeting writers for the Star Wars live action TV series.

• “We want to be able to take all this technology we’ve developed over the years and make it accessible to everybody and try to make each one of the episodes [of the live-action TV series] look like a major feature film with all the production values and visual effects that you would expect in a feature but do it for a television budget.”

• “We’ve met a whole bunch of writers from literally all over the world. We have Australia left, that’s the last place we’re going to meet some people.

We’re hoping to get a group of six or seven writers ready sometime between September and December to make the final choice, then we’ll start doing story outlines.

As I said before, it’s a much darker, much more character-based series, much more adult, and we’re hoping that it will go on for up to 400 episodes.”

• “I think if we can get [the live action Star Wars TV series] right, 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 year’s time.

• “We’re definitely going back to Sydney to shoot [the live action TV series] and probably June of next year [2008] we’ll start casting for it. I’ve had three conceptual artists working on it now for about seven months.”

[align=center][flash width=440 height=330]http://web.splashcast.net/go/p/OTMJ5860QV[/flash][/align]

If any of what he said pans out, sounds great. Both the TV series have me pretty stoked, but the live action is solidly in the lead there. 400 episodes though?

Not that I'm not going to watch everyone of them if that happens, but that's a pretty high mark to be shooting at for any TV production these days. Not to mention the sheer volume of work that represents. The entire SW series of films from start of TPM to finish of ROTJ is what, 15-17 hrs? (just a guess, okay, feel free to correct me) If they are planning to do this many, even just as a ballpark number, why not make films 7-12 like Rick joked about early on? I know that "rumor" has been "dead" for a long time, but does it make sense to tell 400 hours of story as meer "fill in" for such a much shorter main story?

But then again, it is coming from Mr McCallum. So who knows.

The entire saga runs 13 1/2 hours.

400 episodes seems a bit extreme... but nevertheless I'm starting to feel excited over the hype.

Yes, definately exciting news. Thanks for the actual numbers too. And thanks for posting the clip DP!

400 episodes is complete junk. No way a star wars series would last 16 seasons. NO WAY. Lets worry about getting season one in the can, Lucas & McCallum! Stop trying to map out a sixteen year marketing plan for keeping the franchise alive.

I think the key word there is 'hoping' - that number isn't set in stone just yet.
If it pans out and they do make more than one series, then I guess that number of episodes isn't so far fetched.

I totally agree, 400 episodes is way too long, people will get bored of it n lose interest.

If anything, this (these?) series won't be "fill-ins" any more than a random story in SW is a "fill-in" for the movies. There's multiple eras in an entire galaxy to explore with stories. Like a giant anthology work. I don't believe there will be as much as 400 hours worth of film, but it's a small possibility, given the fact that we now have four separate SW comics running at the same time, with some one-shots and quarterly comics as well, and they appear to be doing well.

Wasn't the longest running Star Trek only like six or seven seasons. At most thats like 175 episodes or something. So if you're counting on spin off series you have to take into account 400 episodes is akin to the entire total episodes of the Star Trek universe.

Now, I'm not really a Trekker, but from my recollection the MAJORITY of all those series' episodes were shit. I can't even begin to imagine 400 episodes of Star Wars without the majority being a waste of time.

This goes right to the point of whats wrong with Star Wars and the Expanded Universe lately. Its been all about the marketing plan, longevity, and quantity NOT quality.

I'd be happy with a season's worth of really good episodes as long as you could have a decent finale for the season. That would be worth it but if I was hung out to dry, like with the V series I'd be pissed for an eternity.

400 episodes? It'll be extremely lucky to last 100 episodes. I really don't want 16 seasons or whatever that's ridiculous.

I officially don't believe anything McCallum says anymore. Period.

I think Matt Stover should be a writer. He's written the darker of all the star wars novels so he'd be great.

If stargate can last 215, why can't starwars last 400? Still, that seems like a lot. I'm stoked if it is though.

Let's keep a level head for now.

Looks like they wanna compete with Simpsons, what is ridiculous.

400 is overkill. I'd give anything for even 10 hours of real SW action goodness.

I'd be happy with four seasons with 10-12 episodes each; pure meat, no filler. I think that'd be the stronger way to go personally.

Probably because people never got bored with Stargate SG-1. With Star Wars you could probably end up killing the TV series if you over kill it.

especially with so finite a concept.

How is it a finite concept? There's a whole galaxy, with billions of stories? Who says we have to stay with the same major characters every season?

One team of soldiers vs. a galaxy's worth of people (I know, there's probably only going to be a few hundreds in the whole run), and you think the former is less finite than the latter? Come on...

I think it's the whole 1 team of soldiers vs everyone idea. If you switched around, followed SGC for a while, then the Tok'ra for a while, maybe someone else, that could be a series.

If someone had told me before that the new BSG series was going to have at least 400 episodes...I think my eyebrows would have dropped off into my bowl of tepid soup. I agree that they should just focus on the first season and forget the cash-cow long-term plan, well at least keep it quiet - I'm beginning to think that McCallum should be dropped from a Tie Bomber right in the middle of Trafalgar Sq.

Now, why would you want to do that to Trafalgar sqr? What has it done to deserve that?

You have a point but it would pull in quite an exceptional crowd all armed with digital cameras and bottles of champagne.

I rendered an image of the crowd using my ronto 1138x desktop mainframe: exec-comms.com crowd_cheering_med.jpg

Similar reaction in Japan: lioncslubs.org cheering_crowd.jpg

Note that McCallum said hoping to do 400 episodes not making 400 episodes. The 400 number could just be hyperbole by McCallum. The 400 episode number could also be interpreted as 100 episodes per series as McCallum and Lucas are suggesting different stories and arcs.


The good news here is production on the Live-Action Series has started. Concept Artists have been working on the series already for seven months, the writer hiring process has begun (in fact it's why Lucas and McCallum couldn't attend Celebration IV), and story outlines will be drafted this fall! Casting will even begin next summer to boot.

Yes, but if concept artists have been hired, where's the concept art? We need leaks here *cackle*

I agree, leak all over me ummm...so to speak.

Starwars.com recently updated with news about the Reunion II in France. Nothing exciting really, however just seeing stuff like "early pre-production on the live-action Star Wars television series" from an official source is I think.

Hopefully, since the event is in late October something substantive will be revealed by McCallum other than a F-bomb. Sansweet will probably just re-run the Clone Wars 2008 trailer again.


[hr]
August 31 2007

Rick McCallum at Star Wars Réunion II



Mark your calendars for October 27 and 28 (the first weekend of the autumn school holiday tied to All Saints Day). Star Wars Réunion II will be held at the iconic cinema, Le Grand Rex in Paris.

Guests at Réunion II

Rick McCallum will share his insights and experiences on the Star Wars saga and other Lucasfilm endeavors. He served as producer for all three Star Wars prequels and is currently in early pre-production on the live-action Star Wars television series, as well as the non-Star Wars feature film Red Tails which Lucas will Executive Produce.

Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm's Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations, will also discuss the company's future projects, including the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

[hr]

Thanks for the update but I have to agree with ya. They'll probably just chuck on the trailer and McCallum will bang on about things like "400 hours of star wars TV" and "the Clone Wars having animation unlike anything you've seen before". What a wanker! Now I wish I'd thrown a tin of Heinz Spaghetti at his head when he strolled through Leicester Sq (like Lord Nelson) for the Sith premiere.

Is anyone interested in Red Tails? Wasn't that Sonic the Hedgehog's mate?