"ABC is Talking to Lucasfilm About A Star Wars TV Show" Topic

"Television network ABC is clearly interested in fully exploiting the potential corporate synergy it enjoys as part of the larger Walt Disney Company family. Not only does it have one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of the fall in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, but now it turns out that conversations are taking place to bring live action Star Wars to the small screen on a regular basis as well.

Talking with reporters during an appearance at the Television Critics Association press tour this weekend, ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee said that ABC has "started conversations" with Lucasfilm over a potential Star Wars television series, adding "I have an inkling in my mind, but they have a lot on their plate."

The idea of a live action Star Wars TV show isn't a new one — In fact, it's one that dates back almost a decade, with rumors of a show emerging in late 2004 before an official announcement in April 2005. At the time, George Lucas said that he wanted to have the first season of the show written before production started, and suggested that the show wouldn't be seen for at least a year.

That estimate proved to be a tad optimistic. Development on the series — which was later titled Star Wars: Underworld, and took between the prequel trilogy and the original movie – continued on-and-off for a number of years, with a team of writers creating scripts for an estimated 50 hours of television (One of the writers, Stephen Scaia, has since talked about his experience during this time).

The reason these scripts went nowhere, it turns out, is because the scripts turned out to be too expensive for their own good. "We are looking for a different technology that we can use, that will make it economically feasible to shoot the show," Lucas explained in 2011. "Right now, it looks like the Star Wars features, but we have to figure out how to make it at about a tenth of the cost of the features…"
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Amicalement
Armand

"I have a bad feeling about this".

Cue the Benny Hill music when the rebels and empire have a shootout.

I'm still having nightmares from a Christmas Wookie special from the 70's.

Can't they just let this tired, overdone, overworked franchise die????

They should do Timothy Zhan's trilogy with Grand Admiral Thrawn (5 years after RotJ).

One season could cover each book which means the pacing works out naturaly. Unlike a planet of the week format you have a limited number of sets (done well) which reduces cost. It should get huge audience so they should be able to afford a Game of Thrones budget. If they did it they then couldn't rip up the established extended universe with episodes VII – IX.

Thrawn -Michael Sheen, Sean Harris
Han Solo – Gerard Butler
Leia – Maggie Gyllenaal or Christina Ricci
Mara Jade – Scarlett Johanson
Joruus C'boath – Malcolm McDowel, Christopher Walken
Lando Calrisian – Laurence Fishburne (actualy the right age)
Borsk Fey'yla – John Malcovich
Talon Karde – Clive Owen
Wedge Antilese – Damien Lewis
Luke Skywalker – Rupert Grint
Garm Bel Iblis – Ben Kingsley
Captain Pellaeon – Jurgen Prochnow

Maybe we one of the stand alone films will star Darth Maul being bad-aas before he got sliced in two.

There are some definite, excellent possibilities for decent shows, but I suspect few, if any at all will be selected as real projects.

It would most likely suck.

The Imperial Stormtroopers will not be allowed to have weapons.

Plus they will focus more on the love triangle of the Empire Commander and the Dark Jedi and the Jedi Knight.

Most of your cast list isn't bad but I can't see anyone buy Hugo Weaving as Thrawn. Paint him blue, toss a uniform on him, and stick him in a room of alien art.

Also butler is too rough for Han Solo. Needs to be someone smoother and funnier.

Your also NEVER going to see a Game of Thrones budget on network TV. No way ABC can shell out $6 USD million per episode for advertising TV. HBO has a much higher rate of return per viewer.

Talon Karde – Clive Owen

Wow. Good pick.
I always saw him is more of an Alan Rickman type…
Rupert Grint as Luke? Now you are just pulling our legs…

Hugo Weaving as Trawn?…. Not sure if I could see that… Nevermind. He'd be awesome now that I think about it.

This is no big surprise that ABC will be getting it as they have been talking about it since before the merger.

Before the buyout, Disney was enticing Lucas to come to ABC (Disney owns ABC) for his show and footing part of the bill, and then Lucas could incorporate a new ride/show at Disneyland in the old Innovations/America Sings building in Tomorrowland.
Now that Disney owns Star Wars, ABC and Marvel (where there is talk that Marvel will will have a full 'ride' in the Innovations building and Star Tours:The Adventure Continues is a major ride again in its old building), and with the Star Wars:Rebels cartoon will be going to the cable channel Disney XD, they can do most of the effects in house making it more cost efficient.

It was just a matter of time. Disney wants their investment back fast AND start some buzz for the new flick.
And in Star Wars Celebration Germany, there was some rumors of a Pre-EP1 stuff. TV,film or comic, it was not clear on which medium will be used.

Ditto what Coastal2 said…..

but it ain't gonna happen….

Olaf the hairy:
If they did it they then couldn't rip up the established extended universe with episodes VII – IX, which is their intent.

FTFY

Grint has a similar shaped face to Hamil, no idea if he could do the accent

Butler can be funny in interviews, smoother and funnier though sounds like Bradley Cooper

Alan Rickman is awesome but he's 67 which seems to old for Karde.

Weaving would also be good as Thrawn

I don't seem to have grasped the TV stations in America,

The scrolling text at the start of episode III talks about heroes on both sides, I would have loved to have seen that, after all the senate was corrupt, but instead it's just the good guys vs villains and robots, like a Saturday morning cartoon, so much for pathos

"Can't they just let this tired, overdone, overworked franchise die????"

If its still making money and people are still interested in it. Then its not overdone or overworked. hahahahah

They are doing a new Star Wars show but it will be animated, not live action.
YouTube link

Lots of 'overdone and overworked' concepts gather up the money and interest of the masses. Just saying….

I am just waiting for the Disney/StarWars/Nabisco buy out of GW, so I can watch Yoda and storm-troopers slug it out with chainswords for the rights to a new breakfast cereal….

Mickey Mouse will become a Jedi Master while Darth Vader and a company of Stormtroopers will teach my five year old about colors and shapes while explaining that sharing is nice…