Checking on on the live-action show

Tagne of StarWars-Universe.com found that the Star Wars live-action show is listed as being in pre-production by the Screen Australia (Warning: PDF link) website. He contacted Lucasfilm, who said:

The live-action series is still too far off for any immediately impending announcements, but feel free to keep checking in!

Screen Australia is probably jumping the gun – we have nothing solid (only hearsay) about casting yet, and if Wikipedia is to be trusted (I know, I know,) that at least would come before pre-production began officially. But the fact is, Lucasfilm is playing things close to their chest at this point, so we just don’t know.

It’s not much, but hey: Any little bit, right?

Laga’aia talking to Lucas about live-action role?

Jay Laga’aia (Captain Typho) has told New Zealand’s Dominion Post that he has talked with George Lucas about a role in the live-action TV show which officially isn’t casting at all. Here’s a quote from the article, which appears on stuff.co.nz but not the Post’s actual web site:

“It’s one of those things that people sort of take for granted you worked on the first one, so … we’re in discussion at the moment because I’m interested in playing a couple of roles.

“You find with those sort of roles you can play different characters some are heavily made up, others aren’t.”

This whole situation is more than a little fishy, so I wouldn’t take it for granted just yet… (via)

Rumor: We have live-action sign!

MTV is reporting that the Star Wars live-action show is now casting. Weirdly enough the source is… Attack of the Clones bit player Rose Byrne?

During the junket for the Nicolas Cage thriller “Knowing,” star Rose Byrne let slip that Team Lucas is casting a wide net for actors to join the show. “A lot of my friends have been auditioning for it,” she said.

Well okay then. Our live-action news roundup does need a bit of updating, but there’s been so little news on this lately that it still hits most of the major points. But if casting really is underway, that’s about to change. (via)

UPDATE: Entertainment Weekly got hold of a Lucasfilm rep:

But EW has confirmed with a Lucasfilm rep that a casting agent in Australia is “doing some preliminary ground work, but official casting will not start until the scripts are complete.” At the earliest, the series would go into production in 2010, the rep added.

In the news: Live-action something, maybe; George; Amira Sa’id; Happy Meals; Mark Hamill

Rumorville: Perth Now is reporting that the music for a Star Wars TV series filmed in Sydney that “could have 400 half-hour episodes” (umm…) will be recorded in Perth by Malcolm Luker. Okay then! Of course, George Lucas (or a good impersonator) was spotted down under last week. I guess we’ll get the full story (or not) in November.

So what about the live-action show?

With all The Clone Wars hype lately, it’s easy to forget that it’s only the tip of the Star Wars TV iceberg – but Australia’s The Herald Sun talks to George about the upcoming live-action series. It’ll probably be filmed in Sydney (not much of a surprise) and they’re in the process of writing scripts now. Most intereting, a tidbit of new insight:

“… It is about the lower levels of life, the lower depths.

“They hear about the fact it is no longer a republic and now it’s an empire, but they are from a world where none of that really means too much to them.”

Also: Simon Pegg wants in?

NYCC ’08: Sansweet talks live-action with MTV

The new show will reveal the greasy, seamy underbelly of Star Wars,” Steve Sansweet told MTV at New York Comic Con yesterday. That lends a little more weight to the “Deadwood meets The Sopranos” rumors… Also, a bit on the production schedule:

Sansweet said the initial writers of the show have been selected and “they’ve had their first couple sessions working with George and [producer] Rick [McCallum].” So when can we expect all of this? “We’ll see it in production probably sometime in 2009. Hopefully the series will be on by 2010,” said Sansweet.

I’m just on my way out the door, but I’ll be updating our live-action roundup post later tonight.

In the news: George, Harrison, Jeremy

There are scans of a Total Film interview with George Lucas over at MillenniumFalcon.com. They hit all the standards, including Indy IV, The Clone Wars and the live action series. At one point, George says “People live in the Empire, but you don’t see Stormtroopers.” A departure indeed… There’s also an interesting bit about the EU, George’s “three pillars of Star Wars.” Nothing terribly surprising, but we’re still at the point where any crumb is thrilling.

Poll: HBO and the live-action show

Our latest sidebar poll, which asks what HBO show’s influence you’d like to see on the live-action series, expires this weekend. Get your vote in now if you haven’t already!

In the news: Wednesday morning reading list

IMAGE: Boba Fett’s first appearance, the Star Wars Holiday SpecialThe New York Post got wind of the “Deadwood meets The Sopranosrumor, and they also report that Lucas met with cable channel executives, including HBO, last year… Though that could easily have been for The Clone Wars.

On that note, Entertainment Weekly’s Dalton Ross ponders Star Wars cartoons.