"Star Wars: Underworld Cancellation: Too Costly, Risked Overwhelming the Franchise"

I’m not gonna lie: this one stings. Star Wars prequels producer Rick McCallum recently revealed that the legendary cancelled series, Star Wars: Underworld, would’ve cost a staggering $40 million per episode to produce, ultimately sealing its fate due to budget constraints.

In an enlightening interview on the Young Indy Chronicles podcast, McCallum explained, “The problem was that each episode was bigger than the films. So the lowest I could get it down to with the tech that existed then was $40 million an episode.” He further shared that the inability to bring this ambitious project to life remains “one of the great disappointments of our lives.”

With an impressive 60 “third draft” scripts penned, Star Wars: Underworld promised to explore the Star Wars universe in ways that were “sexy, violent, dark, challenging, complicated, and wonderful,” thanks to contributions from some of the world’s most talented writers. However, the sheer cost — 60 episodes at $40 million each would surpass the $1 billion mark — proved too steep, even for George Lucas in the early 2000s.

McCallum hinted at the potential impact of the series, stating, “[It] would’ve blown up the whole Star Wars universe and Disney would’ve definitely never offered George to buy the franchise.” The project was definitively cancelled after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and George Lucas stepped away from the helm.

While McCallum did not delve into specific plot details in the interview, fans have long speculated that Star Wars: Underworld would have bridged the narrative gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. McCallum previously disclosed that the series would introduce a fresh cast of characters, significantly expand the Star Wars universe, and aim for an adult audience rather than catering to teens and children.

Star Wars: Underworld was first unveiled at Star Wars Celebration in 2005, and test footage surfaced online in 2020. Unfortunately, it appears that this ambitious project may remain just a tantalizing glimpse of what could have been.