The revelation from Star Wars prequels producer Rick McCallum about the cancelled series Star Wars: Underworld has left fans reeling. The project, which would have cost a staggering $40 million per episode, was ultimately doomed due to budget constraints. In an 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 added 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 by some of the world's most talented writers, Star Wars: Underworld promised to explore the Star Wars universe in "sexy, violent, dark, challenging, complicated, and wonderful" ways. However, the sheer cost of production—potentially reaching into the billions—proved too much even for George Lucas to fund 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 series was ultimately cancelled after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and Lucas stepped away from the helm.
While McCallum did not disclose specific plot details in the interview, it's widely speculated that Star Wars: Underworld would have been set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The producer had previously mentioned that the show would introduce a fresh cast of characters, significantly expand the Star Wars universe, and target an adult audience rather than teens and children.
First announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2005, and with test footage leaking in 2020, Star Wars: Underworld seemed poised to redefine the franchise. Unfortunately, it appears that the series may remain a tantalizing "what if" in the annals of Star Wars history.
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