I’m not going to sugarcoat it: this news is a gut punch for Star Wars fans. Rick McCallum, the producer behind the Star Wars prequels, recently disclosed on the Young Indy Chronicles podcast that the ambitious, now-canceled series, Star Wars: Underworld, would have required a staggering $40 million per episode to produce. This astronomical budget ultimately led to its demise due to financial constraints.
“The problem was that each episode was bigger than the films,” McCallum explained. “So the lowest I could get it down to with the tech that existed then was $40 million an episode.” He further expressed that the inability to bring this project to life remains “one of the great disappointments of our lives.”
With 60 “third draft” scripts penned by some of the world's most talented writers, the series promised to explore the Star Wars universe in ways described as “sexy, violent, dark, challenging, complicated, and wonderful.” However, the sheer cost—potentially reaching into the billions—proved too much even for George Lucas in the early 2000s.
McCallum noted, “[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 officially scrapped after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and Lucas stepped away from the helm.
While McCallum kept plot details under wraps during the interview, fans have speculated that Star Wars: Underworld would have depicted the period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. McCallum had previously mentioned that the series would introduce a fresh cast of characters, significantly expand the Star Wars universe, and cater to an adult audience rather than teens and children.
Star Wars: Underworld was first announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2005, and test footage surfaced in 2020. Unfortunately, it appears that this ambitious project will remain just a dream for fans.
