Scrapped Star Wars TV Series Would Have Shown the Rise of Emperor Palpatine 'Like Hitler's'
George Lucas had a bold vision for a scrapped Star Wars TV series that would explore the rise of Emperor Palpatine "like Hitler's," according to actor Ian McDiarmid, who portrayed the iconic villain in the original trilogy. McDiarmid recently shared details about the project during a talk at Spacecon 2026, revealing that Lucas had approached him directly with the idea. Although the series never made it to production, the concept remains an intriguing glimpse into what could have been.
According to McDiarmid, Lucas envisioned a show that would follow Palpatine's transformation into the Galactic Emperor in a way that mirrored the rise of Adolf Hitler. "He said, 'I've got this idea, and I hope you might want to be involved. We could sort of follow the Emperor's progress, like Hitler's, some of that. There might be an assassination attempt, and of course it wouldn't succeed,'" McDiarmid recalled. The idea was described as "very speculative" at the time, and the actor was excited about the possibility of being involved. "He also said that maybe you could direct one, and then I fainted," McDiarmid added, highlighting the sheer scale of the project.
The Lost Star Wars Underworld Project
While McDiarmid didn't name the series directly, the project likely refers to George Lucas' long-gestating Star Wars Underworld idea. This ambitious series would have filled the gap between Star Wars: Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode 4: A New Hope, with at least 60 episodes planned. Lucas spent years developing the concept, writing numerous scripts that have never been produced. The only real look at the show comes from a leaked test footage clip, which showcased a gritty, detailed version of Coruscant — the galactic capital.
Lucas' vision for Star Wars Underworld was grand, but it was ultimately abandoned when he sold the franchise to Disney. Producer Rick McCallum, who worked on the prequel films, later described the loss of the project as "one of the great disappointments of our lives." He noted that Lucas' ambitions for the series were so vast that individual episodes would have rivaled the scale of full Star Wars movies, potentially costing up to $40 million per episode at the time.
The Current State of Star Wars TV
Since Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise, the series has seen a resurgence with multiple TV shows, but recent high-budget projects have struggled. The Acolyte and The Book of Boba Fett were criticized for their high costs and underwhelming reception. As a result, spending on Star Wars TV content has been significantly reduced. Currently, only one Star Wars series is in production: the second and likely final season of Ahsoka, which is set to premiere next year.
On the movie front, The Mandalorian and Grogu faced challenges at the box office, but Lucasfilm is optimistic about the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, which is expected to be released next year and may help revive the franchise's fortunes.
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