Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Is Inspired By One Of The Best Crime Movies Of All Time

Somehow, Maul has returned. "Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord" has brought the villain back in animated form on Disney+, with Sam Witwer once again voicing the Sith turned crime lord in a galaxy far, far away. This time, though, Maul is at the center of the action, rather than serving as a supporting character. This is a full-on crime drama with the Force. Given that it's set in the crime genre, the creators drew inspiration from one of the best movies the genre has ever produced.

The new series takes place after the events of "The Clone Wars" on the overall "Star Wars" timeline. It centers on Maul as he plots to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire. He crosses paths with a disillusioned former Jedi Padawan, who could be the apprentice he is seeking. The show will help fill in some crucial gaps in the character's timeline, establishing what went down in the lead-up to Maul taking over the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn.

Speaking with CinemaBlend recently, series co-creator Matt Michnovetz explained that he and the team behind the latest "Star Wars" animated series were at least partially inspired by director Michael Mann's 1995 crime drama "Heat." Here's what he had to say about it:

"Heat is a good touchstone for Maul. There's a pulpy noir feel to all this, where we're going to show some of the underbelly of the galaxy and the crime syndicates. Maul is a great catalyst for all these characters coming together."

For those who haven't seen it or just need a refresher, "Heat" centers on Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), an obsessive master thief who heads up a first-rate crew. They take on a series of bold heists across the Los Angeles area. All the while, relentless detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) pursues McCauley and his crew, creating a cat-and-mouse game with increasing stakes.

Michael Mann may not consider "Heat" a crime movie, but it's absolutely a crime movie. One of the finest ever made at that. Any comparisons to it are both welcome and worth raising an eyebrow over. It's one thing to aspire to this movie's accomplishments. It's another thing to pull it off. What Mann pulled off here is nothing shy of remarkable, more than 30 years later. It's De Niro and Pacino at their finest in a sweeping cops-and-robbers epic featuring one of the greatest shootouts in cinema history.

In fairness, Matt Michnovetz isn't saying "we tried to make 'Heat' in space." He's making a broader comparison. While the show is just now getting underway, if they can truly capture even a fraction of the promise contained within a Maul-centric story by way of Michael Mann's finest hour, this could be some A-grade "Star Wars" goodness. Here's hoping.

Meanwhile, "Heat 2" is currently in development with Mann returning and Adam Driver starring. Coincidentally, Driver also had a major role in the "Star Wars" galaxy, playing Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy. For anyone playing the six degrees of separation game with these franchises, there you go.

"Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord" is streaming now on Disney+.