Long before The Mandalorian, back when the Lucasfilm acquisition was still a twinkle in Bob Iger’s eye, George Lucas announced plans to bring the Star Wars saga to the small screen with a live-action series entitled Star Wars: Underworld.
The project, planned as 100 hours of television and announced in 2005, would have been set in the period between the Prequel and Sequel trilogies, taking place mainly among the scum and villainy of the Coruscant underworld.
During the development stage, Lucasfilm explored various technological innovations in an effort to make it economically feasible to produce cinema-quality visuals at vastly reduced cost. And we’ve now got a look at some of that technology in action, thanks to a leaked proof-of-concept reel from VFX studio Stargate Studios (Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, The Orville), shot using their real-time rendering Virtual Backlot Live technology. Check out the footage here…
Despite having over fifty scripts completed, Lucasfilm ultimately decided to put Star Wars: Underworld on hold due to budgetary concerns in 2010, with Disney later shelving it completely. The franchise has of course since expanded into live-action television with last year’s The Mandalorian,; a second season is in production now, while Lucasfilm also has Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cassian Andor series in development for the Disney+ streaming service.
What do you make of the Star Wars: Underworld test footage? Are you disappointed that the series never saw the light of day? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
