With their lineup of Marvel programming, ABC already has their finger on the pulse of one of the most prolific entertainment brands in the world, and the network is looking to put those Disney connections to use to land yet another pop culture behemoth with Star Wars. While the animated Star Wars series have thrived, especially in recent years, a live-action Star Wars series has been rumored for a long, long time with little to no progress, but it sounds like those plans might finally be on the path to realization.

During ABC's presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour, the network's newly hired president Channing Dungey revealed that they are in active conversations with Lucasfilm to bring the Star Wars universe life on TV with a live-action series.

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Image via Lucasfilm

Speaking with the press, Dungey said,

Oh, as a fan, I would absolutely love to say ‘yes.’ The conversations with Lucas, we have had conversations with them and will continue to have conversations with them. I think it would be wonderful if we could find a way to extend that brand into our programming.


While the fact that any network would "absolutely love" a Star Wars TV show falls under "no shit" territory, it's an interesting comment because it's a bit of 180 since the network's last official comments on the matter. Back in January, former ABC Boss Paul Lee told reporters, "we don’t have any plans at the moment," and stated that their focus would remain on the animated universe.

But don't expect the show to actualize in the near future. Following the ABC presentation, Dungey told The Wrap,

“It’s all a little bit hush, hush...That company [Lucasfilm] exists under a huge banner of secrecy. If you thought Marvel was secretive, Lucas takes it to a whole other level… We don’t have an official timeline yet.”

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Image via Lucasfilm

As you might expect for one of the most profitable, widely-loved franchises in entertainment history, a live-action Star Wars series has been in the works for quite some time. Back in 2005, George Lucas himself was developing a series called Star Wars: Underworld, which was planned as an hour-long drama and passed through the hands of many writers, including Outlander showrunner Ron Moore. Of course, with how much has changed in the Star Wars universe since then, it's pretty likely that a new series would be built from the ground up.


The big question, of course, is if ABC is the right network to bring the long-awaited series to screens. So far their Marvel content has been a mixed bag at best, and one that's very removed from the cinematic universe. I'm not opposed to narratives that exist outside the central stories of the films, but you do end up in the Agents of SHIELD predicament where you have to always work around that central narrative without ever becoming a part of it. Then there's the matter of production value, which is almost always indisputably higher at other (read: cable) networks.

What do you guys think? Are you ready for a live-action Star Wars series? Or are you just fine with the animated series, thank you very much. Would you want it to tie-in with the cinematic narrative or stand on its own? ABC or another network? Sound off in the comments.

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Image via LucasFilm