George Lucas talks Indy / Star Wars TV

Check out TV Guide’s 2-part interview with George Lucas on many of his upcoming ventures. Part 1 covers his thoughts on Sean Connery missing in action in the new Indiana Jones film and his appearance in a documentary based on big name directors from the San Francisco area while Part 2 covers both of the upcoming Star Wars television debuts (live-action and the 3D cartoon - The Clone Wars) and his thoughts on the evolving television industry.

Here’s an interesting clip from Part 2 about how Lucas plans to roll out the live-action Star Wars series.

TV Guide: And how are you going to produce this one? Are you going to film a certain number? Are you going to have a deal with a network before you go ahead with filming?
Lucas: No, we’ll do it just the same way that we’re doing the animated series, which is we usually write a whole year first, and then we’ll start shooting, and then we’ll shoot the whole year and then once we’ve got [something to show], we’ll see where we can put it. We’re going to do a hundred of them, too. [It should be] easier [to place] than the animated one because it’s live-action.

TV Guide: So you’ll film before you get a commitment? Or how will that work?
Lucas: Well, we’re doing these before we get a commitment, so we’re just doing them on the faith that we’re going to [sell them]. I mean, we’re doing them ourselves, so we can finance them, we don’t need to have a commitment of any kind. We’re simply going to sell them.

TV Guide: Will you be looking for a network like an HBO to say, “We’ll take all hundred”?
Lucas: Yeah, but they probably won’t do that. [Laughs] Somebody might, but usually what they’ll do is they’ll take 13 or 26 and then see what happens and they’ll take the next group.... If that group doesn’t work, then we’ll move to another place. Lucasfilm is basically acting as the production company.

TV Guide: Yeah, but usually a network will commission a single pilot off a script or pick.... Well, you know the process.
Lucas: Right — but I have enough confidence that this is good, and I’ll make it really good, so I’m not too worried about that part of it. And if worse comes to worse, I’ll end up with a lot of library product. [Laughs]

I can’t wait!