Cancelled Series Star Wars: Underworld Was So Expensive, It Would've 'Blown Up' the Star Wars Universe

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: the news about the legendary cancelled Star Wars series, Star Wars: Underworld, is a real gut punch. Rick McCallum, the producer behind the Star Wars prequels, recently shared that the project would have cost an astonishing $40 million per episode. This staggering budget ultimately sealed its fate, leading to its cancellation due to financial 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 also 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 most wonderful writers in the world," Star Wars: Underworld promised to showcase the Star Wars universe in ways that were "sexy, violent, dark, challenging, complicated, and wonderful." Yet, the sheer cost—60 scripts multiplied by $40 million per episode—pushed the budget well over $1 billion, a sum even George Lucas couldn’t muster 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 axed after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and Lucas stepped away from the helm.

While McCallum didn’t divulge specific plot details in the interview, fans have speculated that Star Wars: Underworld would have explored the period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The producer had previously mentioned that the series would introduce an entirely new cast of characters, significantly expand the Star Wars universe, and target an adult audience rather than teens and children.

Star Wars: Underworld was first unveiled at Star Wars Celebration in 2005, and test footage surfaced in 2020. However, since then, there's been no further development. It's a sad reality that this ambitious series might remain forever unrealized.