Club Jade

Rick McCallum talked to IGN about – what else – the live-action series. He reiterates the cost and technical issues with doing the series, saying, “They’re so complicated. Each hour has more visual effects, digital animation, than any of the films we’ve done.” He also clarifies his previous comments on ‘underworld,‘ saying that while the term has plenty of meaning for the series, it’s not a working title. Also: A Star Wars theme park and Joe Johnston’s hopes to helm a Boba Fett movie, and what’s on the horizon for George Lucas. And the interview ends when ’1313′ is brought up. Curious! (via)

Sam Witwer stopped by Today to show Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb some lightsaber moves. Sounds like a recipe for a wine-soaked disaster, no?

The Science Channel’s Prophets of Science Fiction will air an episode devoted to George Lucas on March 7. Here’s the description:

From Luke Skywalker’s light sabre to Darth Vader’s Death Star, the Star Wars franchise is one of the defining science fiction works of the later 20th century. George Lucas’ prolific imagination has already inspired two generations of scientists and engineers to push the envelope of technology. By introducing computers into the filmmaking process, he changed the way movies are made, and the way we all see the future.

(It’s lightsaber. Sigh.) Most of the subjects of the show are science fiction authors (Mary Shelley, Issac Asimov) so Lucas appears to be a controversial choice in the comments. Still, you can’t deny that Star Wars has had a lot of influence over the genre.

Addressing the latest round of the ‘gays in Star Wars‘ controversy last night, Conan O’Brien found some other characters that might benefit.

I’d like to take this opportunity to link (again) Todd Alcott’s post on Darth Vader and Boba Fett in ESB. OTP!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a silly rumor about the Star Wars live-action series to giggle over, but thankfully there’s Ain’t It Cool News to get things going. Today: Time travel! No, really:

Daniel tells us that one of the series’ first episodes will involve a group of bandits acquiring the capability of time travel, and using it to travel back in time to stop Darth Vader from ever existing.

Sounds like someone’s been watching a bit too much Terminator! Thanks, AICN. Glad to know you’re there when we need a laugh. (via)

P.S.: It’s Expanded Universe. Not Extended. Expanded.

This appears to be a tease of sorts for this year’s Super Bowl commercial, if not the commercial itself. Mysterious!

Entertainment Weekly caught up with Rick McCallum at last night’s Red Tails premiere to follow up on the IGN interview. McCallum confirmed that ‘Underworld’ is indeed the show’s working title (read: not likely to make the final cut,) and reiterated the show’s theme of “smugglers, gangsters, bounty hunters, and a few Wall Street-type power brokers.”

More revealing was his talk of the technological factors, and how it’s likely even further off than the “three or four years” he said back in June.

When I asked McCallum if the show is still three or four years off, he said, “Even longer. Because I think we don’t have the technology yet to be able to do it for the level of money that it would have to be done. Plus, the world of television is imploding. No one knows whether you should make a network show or a cable show. I’m really excited about it though, and I hope George does do it. I really do.”

As for Seth Green’s comedy show:

Closer on the horizon is Seth Green’s Star Wars comedy series. “That’s coming along great,” McCallum says. “I’ve seen a few of their little skits. They’re great.”

‘Skits’ is quite revealing, implying that the show’s format may indeed resemble the Robot Chicken specials. McCallum said we may see that one as soon as 2013.

In this interview today, Rick McCallum told IGN that the live-action show’s working title is Star Wars: Underworld. He goes on to talk in some detail about the reasons that the series is on hold (“Each one-hour episode is bigger than the prequels were.”) which is rather fascinating in and of itself.

(You’re very lucky that I’m too tired to photoshop anyone’s head onto Kate Beckinsdale’s body.)

Continuing our review of the year that was, we have a glimpse back at how Star Wars has been lighting up the video screens – mostly our televisions in 2011, with an epic year for The Clone Wars, and the Blu-ray release of the Star Wars saga.

(more…)

Listage. Lane over at Roqoo Depot gives the regular folks of the GFFA their due with his list of the top ten non-Force sensitive Expanded Universe characters.

Fate of the Jedi. Lightsaber Rattling reports on Troy Denning’s comments about the likely Apocalypse page count.

Short stories. Get a peek – though not a particularly readable one – at Matthew Stover’s Insider short story, ‘The Tenebrous Way.’

Interview. Writer John Ostrander talks Agent of the Empire with Nerd World News.

Artists. Five contributers to Star Wars Art: Comics share their thoughts on the franchise and comics at CBR.

Excerpts. Two more from Darth Plagueis – a mini on Facebook, and a larger one at Random House’s online catalog.

Pretties.Concept art from Genndy Tartakovsky’s traditionally animated Clone Wars cartoon. It graced Cartoon Network in the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and I’m sad to hear that the DVDs have apparently gone out of print, because it was an amazing series of shorts.