Don't Expect Any Live-Action STAR WARS TV Series Anytime Soon
Last month we learned that ABC was having conversations about developing that live-action Star Wars: Underworld series that George Lucas was developing before he sold his life's work to Disney.
As you've probably already heard, there are said to be over 100 completed scripts of a 400 episode series that are ready to rock and roll when and if Lucasfilm ever decided to develop them further. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy previously talked about these scripts saying they are "gold" and that she does, in fact, want to "develop those things further."
It seems like it's going to be a very long time before that ever happens. In a recent interview with THR, Ben Sherwood, the President of Disney-ABC Television Group, said that fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a live-action series anytime soon. He also says that as of right now, they are more focused on the next animated Star Wars series being developed:
"The live-action Star Wars plan rests in the hands of [Walt Disney Studios chairman] Alan Horn, [Lucasfilm president] Kathy Kennedy and the great folks at Lucasfilm. Somewhere we hope in a galaxy not too far away there will be a television show that will air on one of our networks. But I wouldn’t get anybody’s hopes up too high. They have a lot of movies to make between now and then. We are deep into a very productive relationship with Lucasfilm making [Disney XD’s] Star Wars Rebels. And we are in ongoing conversations with them on what is the next Star Warsanimated show."
To be honest, if a live-action Star Wars series like Underworld ever did happen, I'd like to see it developed for a streaming service like Netflix. It would allow for them to take the Star Wars universe to a darker place like Marvel does with their Netflix series.
I think Lucasfilm is currently getting all of their movies planned out and organized. Once those is in full swing there's a better chance that they will start to focus on a live-action Star Wars series.
The Underworld series was to be set in the Coruscant underworld between Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. It was going to be a gangster drama that was likened to Deadwood and The Godfather in space. It was also described as being The Empire Strikes Back on steroids. Lucasfilm producer Rick McCallum previously discussed the project:
Basically, it is like The Godfather; it’s the Empire slowly building up its power base around the galaxy, what happens in Coruscant, which is the major capital, and it’s a group of underground bosses who live there and control drugs, prostitution.
Hopefully, one day this happen because I really want to see it!