FALL 2008

SOURCES: (csWeekly, dailytelegraph.au, darkhorizons.com, io9.com, theAustralian.au, timesOnline.uk)

VIDEO: (g4tv.com)


PRODUCTION UPDATE


PREMIERE DATE PUSHED BACK 2011 or 2012

Steve Sansweet (g4tv.com, August 14 2008): "We can look for the Live-Action Series sometime around 2011 or 2012" (video: g4tv.com @ time: 03:30)

Steve Sansweet (DragonCon, August 31 2008): "expect it in something closer to 2011 or 2012 since they were still writing it right now."


WRITERS HIRED

Lucas: "It is going ahead ", "We're in the process of writing screenplays right now", "It's going to take a while because it's really hard to do." (source: dailytelegraph.au)

Steve Sansweet: "Rick McCallum and Lucas gotten together a band of writers, some of the initial scripts have been turned in." (video: g4tv.com @ time: 03:30)


Lucas and McCallum hired three Australian non-science fiction screenwriters (source: theAustralian.au):

• Tony McNamara: Written for the Sydney Theatre Company stage-works: The Recruit, The Unlikely Prospect of Happiness, and The Great. Screenwriter and director of the feature film: The Rage in Placid Lake.

• Fiona Seres: Co-written for Australian adult dramas such as: Dangerous and Satisfaction.

• Louise Fox: Comedy Series Writer for series: Full Frontal and Comedy Inc and written for Australian children's series Round the Twist.


LOCATION

Fox Studios @ Sydney Australia

Lucas: "We're looking to shoot it in Australia" (source: dailytelegraph.au)

COST

Lucas: "This series is a test run for the live action series I'm working on. I'm trying to take Star Wars, which was a $50-million-an-hour adventure and do it for $2 million an hour. It's hard to do that and have them look the same." (source: io9.com)


PLOT UPDATE


STAR WARS UNDERWORLD

Lucas: "lower levels of life", "It has nothing to do with the Skywalker saga", "None of the Skywalkers or anything", "This is what I call a little footnote to the Skywalker saga", "It is about the lower levels of life, the lower depths." "They hear about the fact it is no longer a republic and now it's an empire, but they are from a world where none of that really means too much to them." (source: dailytelegraph.au)

GAMBLING INDUSTRY

When asked what Star Wars inhabitants do for fun, Lucas responded with Live-Action Series info:

Lucas: "They like pod races, they like gambling, they like card games. They go out and shoot at wamp rats in the canyons. There is an entertainment industry, but you won't find that out until we get to the live action show in a few years." (source: darkhorizons.com)

RETURN OF THE HUTT

Henry Gilroy - The Clone Wars writer: The entire movie plot of Jabba the Hutt's son being kidnapped, initially I had pitched a story … [Lucas] said: "Try to stay away from Jabba the Hutt, because I want to use Jabba in the live-action series."

I wrote this story about the Hutt kidnapping, and then at the next meeting he said, "Why didn't you put Jabba in it?" "You told us not to put Jabba in it!" "Oh, you gotta put Jabba in it!" George really is open to all sorts of stuff. (source: csWeekly)


EXPANDED UNIVERSE & CANON


THE FATHER - LUCAS WORLD

Lucas: “I am the father of our Star Wars movie world - the filmed entertainment, the features and now the animated film and television series and I’m going to do a live-action television series." "Those are all things I am very involved in: I set them up and I train the people and I go through them all. I’m the father; that’s my work."

THE SON - EXPANDED UNIVERSE

Lucas: "Then we have the licensing group, which does the games, toys and books, and all that other stuff. I call that the son - and the son does pretty much what he wants.” “Once in a while, they ask a question like ‘Can we kill off Yoda?’, things like that, but it’s very loose."

THE HOLY GHOST - THE FANS

Lucas: “Then we have the third group, the holy ghost, which is the bloggers and fans. They have created their own world. I worry about the father’s world. The son and holy ghost can go their own way.” (source: timesOnline.uk)

Lucas interview from timesOnline.co.uk re-iterating previous comments about the Live-Action Series, Expanded Universe: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Lucas World = Film & Television), Indiana Jones V, and Red Tails.


[hr]
LIVE-ACTION SERIES :: PRODUCTION IN 2009

Lucas has now finished with the live- action films, although the wider Star Wars universe remains very much alive. In terms of fresh storytelling, Lucas has overseen production on The Clone Wars, a 3-D animated movie, out here next month, which will launch an animated television show on the Cartoon Network this autumn; and he has already started work on a live-action Star Wars television series, which will go into production in 2009.

“It’s completely separate from the Star Wars films,” he explains. “The Clone Wars has all of the characters everybody knows — from Yoda to Anakin to Mace Windu to Obi-Wan — they’re all there. The live-action series, meanwhile, has nobody there, because it’s after Episode III, so everybody’s dead, basically, or hiding somewhere. You hear about the emperor, just like you do in Episode IV, but it’s mostly about a whole different world. I mean, there are a million stories in the big city — you’ve only seen one of them.”

[hr]

[hr]
EXPANDED UNIVERSE

I am the father of our Star Wars movie world - the filmed entertainment, the features and now the animated film and television series,” he says. “And I’m going to do a live-action television series. Those are all things I am very involved in: I set them up and I train the people and I go through them all. I’m the father; that’s my work.

Then we have the licensing group, which does the games, toys and books, and all that other stuff. I call that the son - and the son does pretty much what he wants.” He laughs. “Once in a while, they ask a question like ‘Can we kill off Yoda?’, things like that, but it’s very loose.

“Then we have the third group, the holy ghost, which is the bloggers and fans. They have created their own world. I worry about the father’s world. The son and holy ghost can go their own way."


[hr]

[hr]
INDIANA JONES V

Lucas is also considering what to do about the fifth instalment in the Indiana Jones franchise, which he has produced from the outset. The most recent film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has taken almost $750m (£375m) at the international box office, and the whip-snapping archeologist remains in high demand, even though his own days as a whippersnapper are behind him (Harrison Ford is two years older than Lucas).

“We were hoping for box-office figures like that, which is, ultimately, with inflation, what the others have done, within 10%,” Lucas explains. “So, we squeaked up there. Really, though, it was a challenge getting the story together and getting everybody to agree on it. Indiana Jones only becomes complicated when you have another two people saying ‘I want it this way’ and ‘I want it that way’, whereas, when I first did Jones, I just said, ‘We’ll do it this way’ — and that was much easier. But now I have to accommodate everybody, because they are all big, successful guys, too, so it’s a little hard on a practical level.

“If I can come up with another idea that they like, we’ll do another. Really, with the last one, Steven wasn’t that enthusiastic. I was trying to persuade him. But now Steve is more amenable to doing another one. Yet we still have the issues about the direction we’d like to take. I’m in the future; Steven’s in the past. He’s trying to drag it back to the way they were, I’m trying to push it to a whole different place. So, still we have a sort of tension. This recent one came out of that. It’s kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we’ll see where we are able to take the next one.”

[hr]

[hr]
RED TAILS

In the meantime, Lucas is set to start production on Red Tails, which tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, an important subject for the film-maker. They might sound like distant relatives of Star Wars’ Tusken Raiders, but they were a real-life USAF squadron, the first black pilots to fight in the second world war. “I’ve had a hard time putting it together — 18 years, it’s taken me,” he concedes. Why so long? “Because the story is so great, so fantastic, but so big. There’s also an element of personal responsibility to those involved.

“I’m only going to produce Red Tails — we have a black director — but then I think I am going to direct some more, make some esoteric films that have a personal significance.” And what might they be?

[hr]

“Experimental”, “Risky” why don’t they (they being the Lucas Empire) give us what we (we being the SW majority) want? The prequels didn’t really satisfy as much as we were expecting, fair enough but to let your ego get away with you again (i.e. I’m doing what I want to even if it fails) by going up the experimental alley doesn’t exactly instill confidence. I would like the familiar but with the new mixed into a cracking, swashbuckling, exciting TV show – I don’t think we’ll get this.

Going off on a slight tangent here but I remember Terence Trent Darby in the late 80s, had hit records, a huge selling album, I think a Grammy also featured basically the world at his feet, then he messed it all up with an “experimental” second album that sunk to the bottom of the ocean even before anyone could say “My word, that’s atrocious.”. I am slightly dejected by Lucas’ angle on the TV series. Can someone reassure me that it will be better than the thoughts in my head?

THX1138 on ice? Yes, that’s my fear.

Or possibly even Neighbours (for UK and Aussie fans out there) with slugs?

Even a boring episode, let's say it's about a moody TIE mechanic stationed on a Star Destroyer out in the middle of nowhere, adequately written and developed, would be far more interesting to me than about 80% of the mental mush inspiring drivel that's broadcast currently.

Does that make you feel better? Because making people feel better isn't really my thing, I'm new at it.

They should put this show on Mexican TV. Then there would be a dance number every 5 minutes and the womens would be half nekid. Mexican TV producers are the smartest people in the world, fyi.

Really? They want to kill off Yoda? I wonder what Lucas's response to that was.

Yes, I'd buy that for a dollar. Moody Tie Mechanic should have its very own show called err Star Wars: MTM? Better than the Terminator Chronicles, Bionic Woman, BSG and Fawlty Towers? Oooh, nearly; "MTF hits the bar from 5 yards but the mid 20s-30s-40s brigade still sing its praises." Hope I haven't thrown a spanner in the works with my comments, actually that could be the title of one of the episodes!

I need to sit down.

PS If anyone's up for making this show via the modern marvel that is the camcorder then give me and Troy a ring. We charge $25,000 for each 30 minute scripted show.

Fuck, I'll do it for 1/2 that.

Australia's The Daily Telegraph on the Live-Action Series

[hr]
George Lucas to shoot Star Wars TV series at Sydney's Fox Studios

August 04, 2008 04:10pm

SYDNEY remains filmmaker George Lucas' favoured location to shoot his much-hyped Star Wars spin-off TV series.

The sci-fi TV series will likely be filmed at Sydney's FOX Studios. "We're looking to shoot it in Australia," Lucas told a press conference at his Big Rock ranch, the site for his new animation studio, north of San Francisco. If given the green light, the live action Star Wars offshoot will be one of the most expensive TV productions made in Australia and create hundreds of acting and crew jobs for the local industry.

There was speculation the as yet untitled series would begin shooting next year, but it may be pushed back to 2010.

Lucas has employed two Australian scriptwriters to pen the series and continues to work on "getting all of the technology worked out" to make the show.

The 63-year-old director, writer and producer, who revolutionised cinema with 1977's Star Wars, is no stranger to Sydney. He made 2002's Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith at Fox Studios.

"It is going ahead," Lucas confirmed. "We're in the process of writing screenplays right now. "It's going to take a while because it's really hard to do."

The series will not follow the regular Star Wars storylines, instead focusing on the "lower levels of life" of Lucas' Star Wars world. "It has nothing to do with the Skywalker saga," Lucas said.

"None of the Skywalkers or anything.", "This is what I call a little footnote to the Skywalker saga.", "... It is about the lower levels of life, the lower depths.", "They hear about the fact it is no longer a republic and now it's an empire, but they are from a world where none of that really means too much to them."

[hr]



chud.com has a interesting article where Lucas is asked about when his small arthouse films are going to come out and the Live-Action Series

[hr]
Lucas on Art Film

"I just don't have time," he said. "Opportunities present themselves. I wanted to do an animated manga TV series, so I said, 'Oooh, I want to do that.' I have about 50 projects sitting here and I have say 'Which one works now?' It makes sense to do these TV things now. I love television. It's a lot more fun than doing the giant movie things."


On the Live-Action Series

'"I've sort of moved from features to television," Lucas said.

He talked about the challenge of making a live action Star Wars TV show - the movies are 50 million dollars an hour, he said, while the show has to be 'only' two million an hour.

Listening to him talk I got the impression that the art movie represented a challenge, not an opportunity for expression. The man is an engineer first and foremost, and what gets him excited is solving problems, not telling stories.

In fact, Lucas almost said as much when answering another reporter's question:

"Art is a technological medium," he said. "All art is. A lot of it has to do with engineering; trying to figure out how to create what you imagine."

[hr]

More soap-operaish is actually very good news, since the first three movies are actually very much like soap-operas. With all the talking, the cliff hangers, the slow pace, the dramatic dialogue, the plot twists. The prequels were made based on the "idea" most people have about what Star Wars is; action and more action, while the first trilogy is actually very slow paced, and dialogue driven. I think this will hit it off much, much better with the fans of the classics. Personally, I won't miss the lightsabers. I actually didn't like the lightsaber battles much until 10-15 years after I became a fan. There's a LOT to do anyway, with just laserguns and space battles. I think this might actually become the best thing we've ever seen on TV, and finally something very similar to the original trilogy.


I'm glad, and hope, they won't make more than 400 episodes. If they'd made 30 episodes, like Twin Peaks, it would also have been quite enough. Not that I don't want a lot of Star Wars. I just don't want them to go on to a point where we can't follow the plot anymore. And I think that might become a problem, unless they do a "Starskey and Hutch" and make all episodes seem like a small movie, with a start and finish. Then it could go on forever

sam witwer: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/

he plays the apprenitce in force unleashed, im just throwing it out there but he is an actor (i saw him in "the mist") and depending on his fate from the game (i have no idea if he survives or not) he could be utilised in the series, its just speculation but makes sense as he already has a leg in and from the reaction the character is getting from soul caliber he could be a cool character and as he is not A or B list yet still cheap to hire

I’m sure there will be more of a linkage to what we already know about the SW universe. There’s bound to be a few episodes that will jolt the old knowledge banks causing an oh I see, that’s why Han Solo ended up not giving a toss about anything.

I’m not sure about that Force Unleashed fella though, to me he looks a bit too made for fan movies. Personally, I’d like them to focus on a world weary chap who has seen the Republic crumble first hand and introduce other characters in and around his life. I’m not saying centre the whole show on one person but start like that.

I too enjoy some chat, some political manoeuvring but I hope it’s not too BSG in the respect. The Cylons seem to yak on for aeons about niff, naff and trivia, don’t think I’d like to see droids doing the same thing, ooh that would be duller than Dave Dull from Doncaster. Oh and don’t get me started on this whole Gods of Cobol nonsense, crikey, give me a harpoon gun! Lucas has himself said he’s going to take a risk, the prequels were a risk (to a degree) and whatever you feel about them they were incredibly successful. If he gets his target audience right, gets a handful of decent actors, improves the dialogue (especially the delivery), splashes a few $$$$ on effects (both audio & visual), I think we will be satisfied. If not...then it will be shite.

Most likely it will start off strong, then go right into the tank. Then Darth Vader will start popping up every other episode. As for "risks", the man who will no longer produce anything that doesn't have "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" in the title doesn't know the meaning of the word.

I really wish the live action series was going to be a KOTOR spin off, not necessarily sith vs jedi, but anything from KOTOR time. The mandalorians would be good subject matter, or Ulic qel Droma type stories. I may be in the minority but ever since the games I have really enjoyed stories from that era, especially the comic.

I agree. Let's start a petition! That's two of us signed up, should have 4 before the end of the year. I will compile all returns, write a magnificent letter pleading for KOTOR goodness and then mail it straight into the LucasTV shredder, cos that's where it will go. The fans have a say but don't have an impact into SW output. I know that's obvious but I just want to rant on a wet Saturday night in London to make myself feel better.

Something new on the Live Action TV Series


[spoil]
[align=left]
[hr]
www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Three Australian Writers Announced

• Tony McNamara
• Fiona Seres
• Louise Fox.

All three workd on adult drama series: Love My Way and were in the US last week attending a Star Wars convention and were restricted from comment by Lucasfilm.

[hr]
Lucas and McCallum have hired three Australian screenwriters to work on what is believed to be the first 22 episodes of a Clone Wars live-action TV series.

And in a daring creative move, Lucas has moved out of his comfort zone by hiring three Sydneysiders not known for science fiction writing: Tony McNamara, Fiona Seres and Louise Fox. The three have distinguished records in adult dramas, most particularly as co-writers on the acclaimed drama series, Love My Way.

McNamara is also known for his stage works for the Sydney Theatre Company, including The Recruit, The Unlikely Prospect of Happiness and, most recently, The Great; and as a screenwriter and director of the feature film The Rage in Placid Lake.

Seres has co-written recent adult dramas, including pay TV's Dangerous and Satisfaction. Fox has written for comedy series such as Full Frontal and Comedy Inc, as well as the acclaimed children's series Round the Twist.

Their commission hints at a Star Wars that's very different from the films and animated series. While Sydney has become known inside Hollywood as a top-class city in which to film science fiction - thanks to the expertise local crews developed on Star Wars, The Matrix and Farscape - McNamara, Seres and Fox have no obvious sci-fi experience. They're learning fast, though. All three were in the US last week attending a Star Wars convention and were restricted from comment by Lucasfilm.

The greatest criticism levelled at the Star Wars world has been its clunky dialogue, usually the work of Lucas. To be fair, a novel galaxy inhabited by robots, aliens and humans inhabited by something called the Force was not a showcase for sparkling repartee. Already there are rumours that Lucas wants a grittier, darker Star Wars for the TV series.

Lucas is under no illusions that scripting a live action series will be a doddle. "It's going to take a while because it's really hard to do," he says.

[hr]



[hr]
Lucas: "We didn't want to do photorealistic — photorealistic is what live action movies are. Animation is art. This is an art discussion – either you like photorealistic art, or you like something that tries to find the truth behind the realism. To me animation is about design and style. Our goal wasn't photorealism — we wanted to use computers as paintbrushes."

Lucas: "This series is a test run for the live action series I'm working on. I'm trying to take Star Wars, which was a $50-million-an-hour adventure, and do it for $2 million an hour. It's hard to do that and have them look the same."

[hr]
[/align]
[/spoil]


www.theaustralian.news.com.au

From the article Mike Droideka linked above:



Now that's interesting. Maybe that's old news, but I haven't read it anywhere before. I've only seen statements from Lucas claiming the movie came about because the animators were doing such great work. Hmm.

FYI: A new thread with the original post updated featuring all Live-Action Series news revealed during Lucas & Co's The Clone Wars Summer press tour. The Live-Action series apparently has been pushed backed to "2011 or 2012".

While The Clone Wars 2008 and now Live-Action Series 2011 follows LucasFilm's three-year wait (1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011) that is a seven year fuckin wait after Revenge Of The Sith.



Below is video from Steve Sansweet's August 14 2008 appearance on Attack Of The Show, revealing the delayed news around the 3:30 mark:

[flash width=480 height=418]http://www.g4tv.com/lv3/27803[/flash]

From the same show - host Olivia Munn and breastse juggling:

[flash width=480 height=418]http://www.g4tv.com/lv3/27852[/flash]

So much for both series being on at the same time. Still at least it's still coming.

I guess it was too much to ask for G4 to have recorded the whole 1st episode of the Clone Wars series that was shown @ dragon*con as well.

i want to do disgusting naughty unthinkable things to Olivia Munn.

get in line

There has been some minor news on the Live-Action Series news front. Lucas was/is in Australia where the local news is reporting on potential series score recording and studio scouting.

[hr]
PerthNow
September 10 2008

STAR Wars is coming to WA. Music for a massive TV series of the popular space opera will be recorded in Perth by a local orchestra. The movers and shakers behind the initiative are tight-lipped, but Perthnow has learned the deal will be announced in November.

World-renowned scoring mixer Malcolm Luker is the project’s driving force. Mr Luker has worked on many big-budget Hollywood productions, including Shrek the Third, Team America: World Police, and Black Hawk Down.

“As far as any Star Wars announcement is concerned, that would come from Lucasfilm,” he said.

“We’re not at liberty to discuss that right now.”

Perthnow has discovered planning for the Star Wars work is well-advanced: Mr Luker’s company Rook Park has received substantial State Government support. A spokesman for caretaker Industry and Enterprise Minister Fran Logan said the Government has been developing an opportunity to establish a film scoring and mixing studio in WA.

“The Government has made available an industry assistance program worth up to $300,000,” the spokesman said.

Mr Luker’s musicians are the WA Philharmonic Orchestra, a collection of around half a dozen local musicians and 50 more from interstate. They will record the music for the Star Wars TV series either in the State Government-funded new studio or at the ABC in East Perth. Mr Luker said his State Government money is being used to buy microphone stands, headphones and lighting for the studio, which will be in Mt Lawley.

The TV series, which could have 400 half-hour episodes, will be made at Fox Studios in Sydney. Mr Luker said the Philharmonic usually used the same principal players.

...

Mr Luker first asked the WA Symphony Orchestra to record the Star Wars music when he was trying to get the project off the ground.

“We were approached, but we didn’t have the time to do it,” said WASO chief executive officer Keith Venning.

“We are committed to our own program of opera, ballet and main stage performances.”

[hr]


[hr]
news.com.au
September 01 2008



THERE was a tremor in the Force yesterday when a man bearing a striking resemblance to Star Wars creator George Lucas was spotted enjoying a coffee in a Surry Hills cafe.

...

Writers have begun working on a live action Star Wars TV series to be shot at the Moore Park studios, so Lucas may be here to surprise them.

[hr]

So instead of 2010 they've pushed it back yet another fucking year to 2011? Well at least they're starting filming now.

Seems like it's taking forever for the ball to move on this. Glad I haven't been following the reports for the last three and half years.