Fret not Star Wars Jocksniffers, there is a new hope.

[teedubya]

"Star Wars" Downsizes

Tue Apr 26, 3:19 PM ET
by Josh Grossberg

Got the Boba Fett blues now that George Lucas has wrapped his final Star Wars movie installment?


Fret not, Force faithful, there is a new hope.

Jedi master George turned up over the weekend at Celebration III, a mega-gathering of 30,000 Star Wars geeks in Indianapolis, where he announced plans to move his space opera to the small screen.

For his first appearance at a Star Wars convention in 17 years, Lucas made a big splash. During a Q&A session, he announced that he is going to produce a 3-D animated action series expanding on the Cartoon Network's Emmy-winning Clone Wars. Then he dropped a bigger bomb, confirming a live-action Star Wars spinoff series is in the works.

Does that mean we'll get to see Darth Vader duking it out with the Donald on the next Apprentice?

Not quite.

According to Lucas, both shows will take place during the period between the end of Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars (aka Episode IV--A New Hope), when the Emperor became all-powerful and started hunting the Jedi down.

Lucas said the live-action series is the more ambitious undertaking, attempting to translate the magic of the Star Wars universe to the small screen via supporting characters that fans have only briefly come to know from the movies. The filmmaker added that the show will also be similar in tone to the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, the TV adventures inspired by his other mega-franchise.

"We're probably not going to start that for about a year," Lucas said. "Like on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, we want to write all the stories for the entire first season all at once. I'm going to get it started and hire the showrunners and all of that, then I'll probably step away."

It is not known whether the two TV projects were the basis of a highly publicized Internet rumor a few months back speculating on future Star Wars adventures.

Lucasfilm has yet to make an official announcement on the new shows. The company doesn't even have a deal in place with a network to air either series because it's been marshalling all its minions for the hugely anticipated May 19 release of Revenge of the Sith, the final prequel.

This isn't the first occasion Lucas has packaged Star Wars for the boob tube. First, there was the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978, which Lucas has disowned. Then, after 1983's Return of the Jedi, he hatched two made-for-TV spinoffs, 1984's The Ewok Adventure and 1985's Ewoks: Battle for Endor, both of which were largely derided by Star Wars fans for focusing on the relatively tame deeds of the furry critters at the expense of action-packed escapades of cooler characters.

Lucas' infatuation with Ewoks continued with the Ewoks cartoon series, which was paired with another kiddie-themed 'toon, Droids, focusing on the mishaps of R2-D2 and C-3PO. Those shows ran from 1985 to '87.

It's expected that the new standalone animated series will showcase the same kind of epic battles as seen in the more action-oriented Clone Wars series of shorts--with the added benefit of adding potential new Star Wars enthusiasts and giving merchandisers the chance to sell even more action figures.

In some related Star Wars news, premiere fan site TheForce.net quotes Lucas telling people backstage at last weekend's confab that he's prepping yet another box set--this one will include all six films, plus a possible seventh disc featuring deleted scenes from the original trilogy. He says he doesn't expect to make any more tweaks to the films as he did with the last box set.

And lest you think you've seen the last of Darth and the gang on the big screen, think again. Lucas appeared at last month's ShoWest exhibitors convention in Las Vegas and announced that, starting in 2007, he'll rerelease all six episodes, beginning with the original Star Wars, in IMAX digital 3-D.

Meanwhile, the typically media-shy filmmaker is gearing up to make his own splash on the small screen. He's scheduled to guest star as himself on the May 12 episode of Fox's The O.C.. The plot: Lucas becomes interested in a graphic novel written by Seth (Adam Brody) and invites him to dinner to offer some sage advice. Seth is forced to choose between taking Summer to the prom or hanging with George.



Let's hope the Force will be with him.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Ever since then, a death spiral the franchise has been in, hmmmm?

Not according to Lucas' bank account.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by gochiefs

They made some shitty books about their kids.

After suffering through Splinter of the Mind's Eye, I never read any more of them.

Another direction they could go would be to go with Knights of the Old Republic-era movies. The first KOTOR game was better than all of the movies combined.

Unfortunately, the second one wasn't. What a disappointment.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by frazod

After suffering through Splinter of the Mind's Eye, I never read any more of them.

Another direction they could go would be to go with Knights of the Old Republic-era movies. The first KOTOR game was better than all of the movies combined.

Unfortunately, the second one wasn't. What a disappointment.

There will be a third.

I actually own Splinter but haven't read it. There are some great books out there, though. I reccomend the Zahn books (five in all) and the Jedi Academy series. The "Tales" series (Tales from Jabbas Palace, Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Tales of the Bounty Hunters ) are great little collections of stories about outer rim characters....there's a great little ripping yarn about IG-88 and how he came to be.

Other than that...meh. Avoid the New Jedi Order books at ALL COSTS.

[KCWolfman]

Originally Posted by frazod

After suffering through Splinter of the Mind's Eye, I never read any more of them.

Another direction they could go would be to go with Knights of the Old Republic-era movies. The first KOTOR game was better than all of the movies combined.

Unfortunately, the second one wasn't. What a disappointment.

I played KOTOR II until I finished the initial review of all planets. Then I got bored and went to X-Men Legends.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by KCWolfman

I played KOTOR II until I finished the initial review of all planets. Then I got bored and went to X-Men Legends.

I crapped out near the end of the second round. I might give it another go at some point.

OTOH, I played through the first one probably 20 times.

It would be cool if they took some of the neat extras from the second one and incorporated them into the first one. There were some things about it that were cool. But the ending absolutely sucks balls.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by frazod

But the ending absolutely sucks balls.

They slashed it to save time. There are a bunch of cool dialogue .wav's in the game directory explaining what REALLY happened.

KOTOR III better deliver.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by gochiefs

They slashed it to save time. There are a bunch of cool dialogue .wav's in the game directory explaining what REALLY happened.

KOTOR III better deliver.

Maybe they'll do an expansion pack where the story continues. The way they kept talking about Revan I started thinking that in the end you'd find him. Major fucking letdown.

[Taco John]

HEY WHOAH DICKHEAD!

Easy on the spoilers!

[beavis]

This is great news. I don't think Lucas has milked this franchise for near enough money yet.

[beavis]

Originally Posted by gochiefs

Not according to Lucas' bank account.

[Taco John]

Here is a picture of me if I owned the Star Wars franchise:

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Taco John

Here is a picture of me if I owned the Star Wars franchise:

That's you?

Well, I hope that guy's hands weren't too cold.

And regarding KOTOR II spoilers, I didn't give away how the game ends. And if you know that the ending sucks before playing it, perhaps you won't be quite so disappointed.

[Taco John]

ZING!

I have heard a lot of people say they were disappointed. I play the game pretty slowly... an hour here, and hour there... A couple on the weekend... Whenever I find some spare time, which hasn't been a lot lately. I love the fact that I've had this Starwars dialogue going since January... And so far, I've liked the story... I hated Kreia at first, but started understanding her perspective into the force a little... She's like the Ayn Rand of the force.

Currently, I've hooked up with Mandalore, and am working my way from check point to check point learning about the politics between the beast riders and the city dwellers as this planet (don't remember the name of it now) is trying to decide if it wants to succeed from the Republic or not...

I *think* I've got to be nearing the end of the game soon... Actually, I take that back... I still haven't even met a single force user, so there *must* be plenty more game left. If there's not, I'll be pissed.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by gochiefs

There will be a third.

I actually own Splinter but haven't read it. There are some great books out there, though. I reccomend the Zahn books (five in all) and the Jedi Academy series. The "Tales" series (Tales from Jabbas Palace, Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Tales of the Bounty Hunters ) are great little collections of stories about outer rim characters....there's a great little ripping yarn about IG-88 and how he came to be.

Other than that...meh. Avoid the New Jedi Order books at ALL COSTS.

I just finished the Hand of Thrawn duology and really liked it, although I liked the first Thrawn trilogy a little better. I just started the first of the bounty hunters wars books.

I liked KOTOR II (not nearly as much as the first one) but my two major complaints were that the ending sucked and by the end of the game your character is sol powerful you just mow through everyone without a challenge.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Taco John

cceed from the Republic or not...

I *think* I've got to be nearing the end of the game soon... Actually, I take that back... I still haven't even met a single force user, so there *must* be plenty more game left. If there's not, I'll be pissed.

You've got a good chunk left. Wait until you get to attack the Sith temple. Then you attack a whole army...heh. I really enjoyed that part...I felt uber-badass afterwards.

Best part of KOTOR II - Nar Shadaa.