Emperor Palpatine Star Just Revealed the Live-Action Prequel TV Series Lucasfilm Cancelled

During a panel at Spacecon 2026, actor Ian McDiarmid, who played Emperor Palpatine, shared that a live-action series about Palpatine’s life was once planned. According to McDiarmid, George Lucas pitched the idea as a way to explore the Emperor’s ascent to power and time ruling, drawing some parallels to the story of Hitler, including a failed assassination attempt. McDiarmid said Lucas even suggested he could direct an episode, a thought that briefly overwhelmed him. Unfortunately, the project never moved forward.
