logo Sign In

"Lucas can't find home for Star Wars spin-off"

Author
Time
Lucas can't find a home for Star Wars spin-off

By WENN world entertainment news - Tuesday, September 25 03:50 pm

Star Wars creator George Lucas is struggling to find a home for his spin-off animated series Clone Wars.

The movie mogul admits he's struggling to get a network to pick up the 100-episode series. He has already created 40 episodes.

He tells TV Guide magazine, "People are talking about it, but so far everybody's got the same conundrum: How do we programme it? It doesn't fall into the realm of what animation typically is, which is either adult, kind of off-colour humour or kiddie stuff.

"It has to go on after nine o'clock, and it can't be on a kiddie channel."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/wenn/20070925/ten-lucas-can-t-find-a-home-for-star-war-c60bd6d.html
Author
Time
forty episodes already? that's fast.
I'd say cartoon network; I mean, they carried the original clone wars - why not this?

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

Author
Time
Lucas can't control TV stations the way he controlled movie theaters. He had the ultimate power with the PT movies in distribution and choice of which theaters he wanted cause a SW movie is a no brainer. The TV show has to have an audience for advertising (commercials), and if part of the cartoons are kiddy, and the parts are made for adults, which target audience do you go after? Most TV shows now go after 18-34 market cause that is the key audience that will spend the dollars, and I think Lucas will have to decide does he go after the 12 & under market or 18-34 market?
Author
Time
"It doesn't fall into the realm of what animation typically is, which is either adult, kind of off-colour humour or kiddie stuff."

Kind of the Howard The Duck problem - something that that seems to be aimed towards children (or family in general), but has a seedy underbelly.

There are so many flop movies that get made just because the makers don't pay any attention to the fact that there would be no audience whatsoever for the movie they want to make.

Now, this is Star Wars, so you think it would be easier, but this to me sounds like an early sign of critical flaws. If a network doesn't want to touch something Star Wars-related, what does that say about the quality of what is being submitted to them? Kind of scary.

And this is how you end up with stale computer-generated characters walking through a bland computer-generated world. Tron had more heart than the trailers I've seen for this piece of junk series.

Also - isn't it pretty ballsy to make 40 episodes of a 100-episode series before you even have a distributor?
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1113/userbar381851ln2.gif
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8653/userbar381853dp6.gif
Super Mario Bros. - The Wicked Star Story
"Ah, the proverbial sad sack with a wasted wish."
Author
Time
Originally posted by: andy_k_250


Also - isn't it pretty ballsy to make 40 episodes of a 100-episode series before you even have a distributor?



Kinda like The Emperor sitting at his throne in ROTJ thinking everything is going as planned. I am just waiting for Lucas's face to start to become deformed and then we can call him George Palpatine.
Author
Time
Originally posted by: andy_k_250
Also - isn't it pretty ballsy to make 40 episodes of a 100-episode series before you even have a distributor?


It just shows his arrogance.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time
I can't imagine that he'd have trouble finding a home for these shows, unless potential networks have had a look at them and they're crap.

Maybe he should have tried to find a home for the show sight-unseen.

Author
Time
He just wants a sweeter deal than what he's being offered, that's all.

"Now all Lucas has to do is make a cgi version of himself.  It will be better than the original and fit his original vision." - skyjedi2005

Author
Time
This article sounds like a plant. Wah Wah wah i can't find a home. Then all of a sudden there's a LFL On-Demand channel. either that or they are testing the waters attempting to attract someone who 'gets' it and wants to put it on their channel.
none295
Author
Time
Boo Hoo

I think it's more I can't get the deal I want then I can't find a network to show run my series.

This isn't 1975 anymore when Lucas couldn't find a studio to get Star Wars made. Like everything else Lucasfilm, George is probably asking for too much $

What's the conundrum? George has always said SW is aimed at and meant for 13 year olds, that's why the older fans don't like the PT. So let me save you millions in market research, that's who your audience is, the same one you keep perpetuating.... douche.

Oh well maybe the series will go straight to non-anamorphic dvd

And I'm sure the 100 episodes will soon become 80 and then 40...... "I never said 100 episodes, that was a myth created by the media. I've told the story I've wanted to tell"

Oh George, you'll always be a source of entertainment.

"Well here's a big bag of rock salt" - Patton Oswalt

Author
Time
I wonder if its money related...

You'd think that any network would kill to have this... it's probably one of the most anticipated shows

But I do wonder if the asking price is too high...

Channels that could distribute it aren't sure they want to pay the asking price because they aren't sure if the show will even fit their audience...

And Cartoon Network would show it. I mean they have DEATHCLOCK! lol... So why woudln't Cartoon Network show this?

I think it's money... he's probably asking far too much for it.


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

Author
Time
I'm thinking it could be more an issue of control than one of Dollars. I mean he wants someone to sign on for 100 episodes right? What if the show doesn't draw a large enough crowd? that's a noose on the neck of a network then. Maybe this series will appear straight to DVD?

Sure they've [major networks] all made questionable moves and pulled the pin on some things they shouldn't - notably those shows that amass a large following in dvd sales. But at the end of the day running a network is running a business, and from what I've seen they generally like to toe the waters and take things slow. See whether a show is worth proceeding with. What about letting people judge a show on it's own merits and not GL's word. Whatever the situation he is arrogant as Anchorhead mentioned. They should have secured distribution/ broadcasting before going into production. Or done a short run of episodes and a sampler.

George has been in the industry for longer than a lot of us have been alive [he's more corporate machine now than man ], He can't really feign naiivity here. If they aren't keeping one particular audience / age group in mind they are digging their own hole, and it's hard to be sympathetic. The article seems kinda vague though. There are 'kiddie' channels I know of that screen more mature shows later at night when the younger kids SHOULD be in bed. I am aware that what was stated was simply a quote and not fact - They seem to be aware of what they are doing wrong and looking for anyone else to take the blame.

Author
Time
My guess is that they have shopped it to Cartoon Network (why wouldn't they, they showed the Clone Wars), but Cartoon Network is telling them it'll have to go on Adult Swim. Maybe old GL doesn't want it on that late at night. Well, that's just to bad. There's plenty of other anime that airs at that time.

Second, I think Johnny nailed the other part. They've got 40 episodes of 100 done. A regular TV series runs 22 to 23 episodes per season. That puts this cartoon at two seasons of material ready to go already, but they probably want a 5 year commitment (100 episodes) from the network. No network is going to do that, even if a show does look good. You can come in with a 5 year plan, but if they decide to cancel you in the first season or even after a few seasons, you better be able to wrap things up or get ready to send it straight to DVD.

I know of only 3 shows (well, maybe 2) that had a 5 year plan at the beginning and all of them ended up running longer. Babylon 5, which the network made a mess of by constantly playing the "you're cancelled...well, no you're not" game, X-Files, which Fox pushed 3 years beyond what Carter ever intended (and it shows), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which didn't turn out that bad (there's even a Season 8 comic ). I don't think Buffy actually had a 5 year plan, it just looked that way from the S5 finale. However, none of those shows was greenlit for 5 years at the beginning. They all had to prove themselves and get renewed each year.

I'm almost hoping this does fail to find a network. Then they'll be forced to release it on DVD. I really doubt we'll end up with an LFL network. What would they air? LFL movies and news 24/7? There's only so much of that I can take these days (about once a week is plenty).
F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335

You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.

Pissing off Rob since August 2007.
Author
Time
well enterprise had an 8 year plan and was cancelled after 4.

Lucas is probably still mad at the networks for their handling and cancelling of young indy so he wants them to guarantee him control and no cancellation or the networks from dictating story changes.

star wars has been ruined by lucas and its reputation has been tarnished by the prequels and special editions and lucas overiding greed.

Back in the 80's or during the mid 90's star wars revival any network would have killed for a cartoon or live action show based on the original trilogies characters.

i don't blame networks for not buying a series set in the prequels era and crap cgi animation.

they should have done a live action series or cartoon series with luke, han, Leia. lucas shot himself in the foot by not doing the sequel movies anyway. he should have done episode 7 and forgot the prequels.

he also should have used traditional techniques and not fake cg.

those tfn gushers will love the cgi video game crap clone war show and live action. lucas has already ruined continuity with the prequels and 2004 special editions as well as force unleashed. he even ruined the eu by his jealousy of zahn and killing off a character he did not create, the writers wanted to kill off luke so he had them kill mara instead. kinda like he made them kill anakin solo because he did not want 2 anakins in star wars because of confusion.

not only has he killed the oot and what was good in the eu and the video games, but becuase of his ruining of star wars the value of the original trilogy collectibles is now lowered. if i sold my star wars marvel issue #1 before the prequels and special editions i could have gotten 60 bucks for it easy, now i be lucky to find someone willing to pay 20 dollars for it.

The networks have a right for first refusal since he sold them a pig in a poke with star wars holiday special and young indy. he even misleadingly used john williams music on the promo he made to sell young indy to the networks. he lied they thought they were getting an action adventure series not a bad lucas rewriting of history from a dude who gots d's in school.

i will boycott force unleashed and indiana jones IV until i get the oot in anamorphic remastered and a kotor III.

i got my crappy 2006 gout and lucas is not getting another dime from me. i also boycotted the eu novels and refuse to buy any after the fiasco of sacrifice.

the legacy comics and kotor comics are also crap in comparison to what dark horse has done in the past.

time for star wars to go away for a good long while the market is saturated and it is not good, kinda overly done like trek. all Lucas has to do is make a decent dvd or HD transfer of the oot and i will keep those films in my library and remember the good old days of fandom prior to the phantom menace or crappy 1997 and 2004 trilogies.

Lucas quit caring about star wars in 1983 after his divorce the only reason he made the prequels is for money because he knows he is a one trick poney. business man sells creative soul to the devil to get rich and then prostitutes and bastardizes original creation only for profit.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time
Originally posted by: skyjedi2005
he even ruined the eu by his jealousy of zahn and killing off a character he did not create, the writers wanted to kill off luke so he had them kill mara instead.


The rest of your post is simply a rant, but I thought this needed addressing. Any writer stupid enough to even consider killing off Luke should be taken off all Star Wars projects, period. Luke is the single untouchable character. I believe his name came up for dying in Vector Prime and Lucas pretty much said "Anybody but Luke". Whether or not it's a good idea doesn't matter.

This brings up an interesting point though. The writers keep killing off these great characters to bring "realism" to Star Wars. Since when has Star Wars been about realism? It's a fantasy set in space. I should be able to read it and escape to that galaxy far away and not have to worry with every page if my favorite character is going to die.

I really doubt it had anything to do with the character not being of his creation. He let them kill off Chewy before. Zahn killed Thrawn himself. There's no reason to believe that Mara was killed off for any reason other than they felt the need, again, to eliminate another major character. Something tells me they won't be killing off anymore movie characters, no matter how much they want to.
F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335

You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.

Pissing off Rob since August 2007.
Author
Time
Lucas killed off Chewie?

“I love Darth Editous and I’m not ashamed to admit it.” ~ADigitalMan

Author
Time
couldn't he simply just sell these on a direct to DVD set... not exactly desirable... but possible none the less... people would still buy it...


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

Author
Time
Aww...poor George. Once, I might have been excited for a new Star Wars TV series. Now, I just yawn.

Originally posted by: Anchorhead
Originally posted by: andy_k_250
Also - isn't it pretty ballsy to make 40 episodes of a 100-episode series before you even have a distributor?

It just shows his arrogance.


Well, it's Star Wars. Star Wars could be placed over a program with the subtitle "Watching Grass Grow" and it would still turn out oodles of change. If the show fails...however...I don't want to hope that it will, but whatever it takes to get him to finally see that he's alienating his fans and get the OOT out there...

I know of only 3 shows (well, maybe 2) that had a 5 year plan at the beginning and all of them ended up running longer. Babylon 5, which the network made a mess of by constantly playing the "you're cancelled...well, no you're not" game, X-Files, which Fox pushed 3 years beyond what Carter ever intended (and it shows), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which didn't turn out that bad (there's even a Season 8 comic ). I don't think Buffy actually had a 5 year plan, it just looked that way from the S5 finale. However, none of those shows was greenlit for 5 years at the beginning. They all had to prove themselves and get renewed each year.


I think that everyone's hit the nail on the head here; Lucas want to do so much, and even with the Star Wars name, you can only burn the candle at both ends for so long before, well, pardon my language, but, nobody fucking cares. I think that it's his taking, even by his standards, attempts to milk the franchise, to ends that the networks don't want to to go to; I think that it's all of the mentioned factors. And to be honest, I don't give a fuck. Because I don't think that I'll be watching it anyway.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Mike O
...whatever it takes to get him to finally see that he's alienating his fans and get the OOT out there...

I don't think he's terribly concerned. There was a link on here some time ago to an interview with one of the animators on the prequels. In it, he mentioned something about worrying that his work wouldn’t please the fans or the studio. To which Lucas replied something along the lines of “you only have to worry about me liking it”.

Lucas has a child’s mentality. The Franchise is Lucas’ toy. If the other kids don’t play the way he wants to, he takes his toy and goes home. He’s severed ties with countless personnel and staff over the years – directors, writers, producers, executive producers, etc. He digs his heels in until someone comes along that wants to play with the toy so badly that they’ll let him make up the rules.

The cartoon will find a home eventually. On the off-chance that it doesn’t, he’ll release it on DVD or make it available for downloading from his site. After that, he’ll do as he’s been doing for decades – he’ll revise history and say it was what he really wanted all along. “MM!! - *stomps foot* – I didn’t want to play in your yard anyway – I’m taking my toy back to my house, stupidhead”

… you can only burn the candle at both ends for so long before, well, pardon my language, but, nobody fucking cares. I think that it's his taking, even by his standards, attempts to milk the franchise, to ends that the networks don't want to to go to


I think it’s a very real possibility there’s some of that taking place. A bit of a Star Trek situation. How many times can you tell the same story, with the same (or similar) characters? We get it – prime directive, warp speed, cloaking, no emotions, humanoid aliens as crew members, a personal journey, etc, etc. You reach a saturation point, even with the hardcore fan base.
Forum Moderator
Author
Time
Lucas said that after the PT he could spend the rest of his life making the projects he wanted to at a loss.

Consider this project #1.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
Author
Time
Originally posted by: skyjedi2005Lucas is probably still mad at the networks for their handling and cancelling of young indy so he wants them to guarantee him control and no cancellation or the networks from dictating story changes.


I am sure Lucas wants more money, but I think this is probably closest to the point: Lucas demands control, and that is the one thing networks hate to surrender. Read the history of just about any television series and you will find all sorts of instances of network "meddling" with the direction of a series.

Irresistable force of Lucas's need for control with unmoveable object of network desire to oversee the product.

The solution, as has been effective on several series, is to find someone the network can delegate, full-time, to that show who is agreeable to the show's producer.
Author
Time
Originally posted by: Anchorhead
… you can only burn the candle at both ends for so long before, well, pardon my language, but, nobody fucking cares. I think that it's his taking, even by his standards, attempts to milk the franchise, to ends that the networks don't want to to go to


I think it’s a very real possibility there’s some of that taking place. A bit of a Star Trek situation. How many times can you tell the same story, with the same (or similar) characters? We get it – prime directive, warp speed, cloaking, no emotions, humanoid aliens as crew members, a personal journey, etc, etc. You reach a saturation point, even with the hardcore fan base.


Actually, Star Trek did reach a sort of saturation point. Nemesis and ENT both did rather mediocre business, leaving little to celebrate the anniversary with. I think that, after 40 years, even hardcore fans were kind of, well, just sick of it.

Which, I hate to be calous, is what I hope will happen with Star Wars. Let it rest and speak for itself. Hopefully, if enough products bomb, maybe he'll turn to the OOT as a last resort. I can dream.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

Author
Time
There's a lesson to be learned from Star Trek: Nemesis, and that is what happens when you put the WRONG people in control, People who just don't understand what an audience wants [John Logan / Stuart Baird / Brent Spiner's ego]. There are so many interesting plots and themes explored in star trek and yet in this big screen adaptation we get a mindless action flick that recycles previous plot lines without anything new or interesting to say. Even a great actor like Patrick Stewart struggles to make this film entertaining.

This may well be the case for Clone Wars, there was talk early on about how George was starting to become more involved in production that he had planned to, I wasn't suprised by this and actually a little worried. History has dictated that the less control George has over his own project the better the outcome.

George is still the same guy he always was, It takes a lot of revisions, compromises and collaborations to transform his hack writing and stolen ideas into something interesting. without all that you have something akin to the prequel trilogy. I hope the series is good, or at least watchable, But I have my doubts. and I'm sure the network execs do as well.
Author
Time
the only things this series really had going for it were good writers Like Haden Blackman from dark horse who wrote a lot of the republic comics set in the clone wars era that were superior in almost every way to the prequels.

plus rob coleman and animators working on something like this is what they should have been doing in the first place. more of the prequels should have been shot live action and traditionally than cgi fakery.


the artists and animators who worked on the prequels did phenomenal work, it is not their fault that lucas is a terrible writer. the storyboard artists were clearly inspired by mcquarrie even though by episode II were working in an entirely digital medium.

some of the more inspired concepts did not make it into the films because of either budgetry constraints or they were simply too sci fi and unlike star wars.

the story for instance in the first kotor game was better than the prequels were. lucas cannot write but terribly yet he is surrounded by friends and employees who are clearly wonderful writers. they should have been writing the prequels.

the novelizations of the prequels while not perfect have a humanity to them that the films do not. Terry Brooks tryed his damndest to get the original trilogy flavor in episode 1 novel and while mostly failed did a better job than lucas, he was able to connect anakins story to lukes in a way lucas could not.

i have a feeling that had joseph campbell lived even he would have seen the prequels as nothing but video games. computers clealrly allowed lucas to get lazy something he could not get away with in 1973 when he first put pencil to paper.

if the prequels are more like lucas original concept for star wars than what he ended up with as he says then had he been able to make those movies back then (the oot) with todays technology they would have been flops.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time
Originally posted by: ADigitalMan
Lucas said that after the PT he could spend the rest of his life making the projects he wanted to at a loss.

Consider this project #1.


He also said he wanted to move on from Star Wars and do other, smaller projects. I guess he changed his mind.
F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335

You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.

Pissing off Rob since August 2007.