Star Wars Addiction

July 18, 2007

Today, Warwick Davis welcomed prequel producer Rick McCallum to the Celebrity Stage at Celebration Europe for an update on projects he?s been involved with lately, such as the Star Wars live-action TV series, the Young Indiana Jones DVD series, and the yet-to-be-started Star Wars saga in 3-D.

Check out the audio presentation above (edited for brevity) or read the list of highlights below.

The Live Action Series:

* 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 and 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 we?ll start casting for it?I?ve had three conceptual artists working on it now for about seven months.?

Young Indy on DVD:

* ?October 13th, the first [Young Indiana Jones DVD] comes out. We?ve spent about three and a half years making 100 documentaries to go with each episode of the Chronicles. So the first set comes out in mid-October, and then [a second batch] in January and [a third] just right after Indy IV.?

Star Wars in 3-D:

* ?We?re planning to take all six films and turn them into 3-D. The problem is there?s not enough digital theaters in the world now to do that, and the process of turning 2-D material into 3-D is very expensive. So we?re waiting for the companies out there that are developing this technology to bring it down to a cost level that makes it worthwhile for everybody, then we?ll convert the films into 3-D.?
* ?I think 2009 is going to be a big year for 3-D. That?s when Jim Cameron is coming out with his first feature, Avatar, that will be completely shot in 3-D. I think that will start the movement, and once we get about ten thousand screens around the world, it will be possible for us?to push this so we can finally have digital dominance in all the theaters around the world.?


	Jiff_Gorda July 18, 2007 Comment 1 Good stuff, good stuff. Still not sure why they are so gung-ho about bringing Star Wars to 3-D. We already returned to the theaters to see the original trilogy when it went Special. Besides, isn't 3-D exclusive to I-MAX theaters? As for the TV series...I hate being a pessimist when it comes to everything Star Wars these days, but can anyone say 'Star Trek'? Let us hope Star Wars is not struck by the same curse of repetitive episodes and discontinuity. Dalamar July 19, 2007 Comment 2 "...we?re hoping that it will go on for up to 400 episodes" Are they all going to be three minutes long? 400 episodes would be enough for two series to make 25 episodes per year for 8 years. And all of this is supposed to have "production values and visual effects that you would expect in a feature [film]". Methinks they overestimate the demand. Star Wars is big, but this show would have to be a huge hit to get the funding to create two shows in three years and still have the kind of FX that give Lucas a hardon. In an era where "reality" TV is the highest rated crap out there, TV networks are going to be more reluctant to spend money on major projects like this, especially since the prequels are the most recent Star Wars memories most people have. Everyone knows this won't be Luke Skywalker and Han, so unless people are willing to give it a chance and find out whether or not it is Jarjar and Grievous all over again, this show may not have the legs it needs to justify its budget. Again, assuming it's anywhere near as full of effects as the recent movies. He also says "it will be possible for us?to push this so we can finally have digital dominance in all the theaters around the world". I certainly hope not, at least until the technology improves. I've seen only one digitally projected movie, but I didn't care for the experience. There was grain obvious throughout the movie, and in several scenes it was so bad I couldn't believe that they were actually mass marketing the concept. JediJef July 19, 2007 Comment 3 QUOTE(Dalamar @ July 19 2007, 02:07 AM) Methinks they overestimate the demand. Star Wars is big, but this show would have to be a huge hit to get the funding to create two shows in three years and still have the kind of FX that give Lucas a hardon. In an era where "reality" TV is the highest rated crap out there, TV networks are going to be more reluctant to spend money on major projects like this, especially since the prequels are the most recent Star Wars memories most people have. Not necessarily. Remember that Lucas financed the prequel trilogy with his personal fortune. He covered all of the production costs (reportedly between 125-200mil per film), while Fox handled the distribution and advertising of the finished product. Its true that nothing can compete with reality tv in terms of cost-effectiveness, but if anyone can buck the current system and come up with a new business model, its Lucas and his bottomless pit of merchandising money. If Lucas has his way, the network that picks up his show will be nothing more than a conduit, and lucky recipient of the advertising windfall, just like Fox was for the films. DarthDan July 19, 2007 Comment 4 QUOTE(Dalamar @ July 19 2007, 03:07 AM) 400 episodes would be enough for two series to make 25 episodes per year for 8 years. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> /endorianwoody Oevin July 19, 2007 Comment 5 QUOTE(JediJef @ July 19 2007, 08:15 AM) If Lucas has his way, the network that picks up his show will be nothing more than a conduit, and lucky recipient of the advertising windfall, just like Fox was for the films. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Of course, if there are any Nemoidians in the show, lucky will be the last word I'd use, but there'll still be a lot of money made regardless because it's Star Wars. Sinclair July 19, 2007 Comment 6 400 is a serious statement, though - and I hope right here and now that they're making a stab at that number because they have a story planned that will stretch over it. The Simpsons and Star Trek barely went over that amount. LOST, which springs to mind as occupying a similar "speculative fiction" slot (and which also requires some degree of special effects) will wrap up in 2010 with just under 110 episodes in total. 400 is HUGE. I am fitting a Skepticrystal into my rantsaber for this one. JediJef July 19, 2007 Comment 7 At least I can see some hope in the intimation that it will be darker and targeted at an adult audience. Personally I couldn't sit through 400 Episode I's, so whatever the final number is, I'm more concerned with the maturity level and the story quality. DarthDan July 19, 2007 Comment 8 QUOTE(Sinclair @ July 19 2007, 02:09 PM) I am fitting a Skepticrystal into my rantsaber for this one. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> lmao, awesome line. Am I the only non-skeptic on SWAC?? QUOTE(JediJef @ July 19 2007, 02:50 PM) Personally I couldn't sit through 400 Episode I's <{POST_SNAPBACK}> "Now 'dere are 400 of 'dem." "We should not have made this bargain." Hehe, in all seriousness, if they're saying dark, I think we can expect something that will be majority dark, like RotS was. That's not to say that there won't be humor in it or light-hearted aspects, such as Grievous, the baby-squawking droid fighters, Artoo squirting the battle droids with oil, etc. They didn't claim that TPM would be dark. They said that AotC would hint at Anakin's coming darkness, which it did, and they promised that RotS would be dark, which it was. McCallum is claiming the same things now that he said back in '05 about this television story: that it will be a mature , dark character-driven story. While anything could happen, my credits are on McCallum's claims. As far as it actually spanning 400 1-hour episodes, I actually am a bit skeptical of that. Forgive me if that would just be too good to be true. I'll be happy with whatever I get as long as its Star Wars, Lucas is involved, and they stick to their blasters on their claims of tone and mood. While I enjoyed TPM unlike every SW fan I know except Jasper, I could certainly sink my teeth into more chapters like RotS and TESB with an undying endorian woody.