For the last two years, George Lucas has been developing a live-action Star Wars television series. I think it was originally stated that they would not begin production until they had the first 50 scripts in hand, and I’ve heard about a bunch of screenwriters around Hollywood have been working on the series. 2009 was originally announced as the show’s targeted premiere (see the sign above), but Lucasfilm has since been quoted as saying 2010, and later 2011. With a lack of news leaking, I was beginning to believe that it might never actually happen. But MTV reports that casting is already underway. Rose Byrne, who played Dorme in Attack of the Clones, let it slip at the Knowing junket that a lot of her friends have been auditioning for the series.

Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the show has been described by Lucas as “Deadwood meets The Sopranos in space”. Told from the perspective of minor characters from the Star Wars galaxy (rumored to be a family in the underworld), the darker, grittier, more character-based story might also feature appearances and cameos from several major Star Wars characters, but not the heavy like Darth Vader.And now that the show has entered the casting stage, I’m sure we’ll start to learn more about the story and the characters.