George Lucas Almost Made a Star Wars Palpatine Show (& It Involved Another Sith)

by

In the expansive Star Wars saga, it was revealed that the ominous antagonist, Emperor Palpatine, was slated for his own television series. With the 20th anniversary re-release of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith,” there’s been a resurgence in discussions about this divisive film. In this movie, Ian McDiarmid portrays the enigmatic Emperor Palpatine, who plays a significant role in the background of the Original Trilogy and shockingly resurfaces in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” At one time, George Lucas, the mastermind behind Star Wars, considered creating a series focusing on Palpatine, and this hypothetical plot would have also included another well-known Sith figure from the Star Wars lore.

In a recent interview, Variety chatted with actor Ian McDiarmid, who portrayed Emperor Palpatine in “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith”. The conversation steered towards McDiarmid’s upcoming Palpatine TV show, and he was asked if any details were shared about what the Star Wars series would have covered. He then disclosed that the legendary Sith Lord Darth Plagueis would have had a significant part to play in the storyline.

As a seasoned movie reviewer, I found myself delving into the intriguing tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise in the Star Wars saga. Ian McDiarmid, who brought Palpatine to life, subtly hinted at his character’s involvement in Plagueis’ demise during his journey towards becoming the sinister emperor. However, he was quick to clarify that beyond this singular act, there were no further revelations shared with him.

Working under the watchful eye of George Lucas, these films are a labor of love and intense pressure cookers for many reasons. With George at the helm, every aspect of production required meticulous attention, leaving little room for idle chatter. The casting process is painstakingly detailed, but once the actors were in place, George preferred to let us immerse ourselves in our roles. These films take a considerable amount of time and effort to create, and George had a myriad of considerations to juggle daily, from the intricacies of the plot to the precise choices in casting.

Darth Plagueis belonged to the Muun alien species and served as Palpatine’s teacher in the dark arts of the Sith. His mastery of the Force was coupled with a longing for immortality, leading him to employ unconventional methods, including scientific research, to achieve this goal. One such experiment resulted in the creation of sentient life, similar to how Anakin Skywalker came into being. Although his story within the official canon is limited to the tale of “The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise” that Palpatine recounts to Anakin, the details of his origin were fleshed out in the 2012 novel “Star Wars: Darth Plagueis.

Later on, McDiarmid discussed the sequence in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where he assumed the role of Emperor Palpatine, and how he struggled with a sore throat that complicated filming, as well as some additional challenges, which made the process quite challenging.

For instance, consider the opera scene. Earlier that day, I had performed another scene during makeup. We attended this in the afternoon, but my voice wasn’t at its peak. This was possibly the most dialogue Palpatine had in the movie for me. Since I was a bit hoarse, I was concerned about it. The problem was compounded because four wind machines were blowing at me during the scene where he transforms into the monster. It was late on a Friday afternoon, and we did that scene around 20 times, which wasn’t ideal as everyone wanted to leave for the weekend. To make matters worse, there was a birthday party for the first assistant director, and Anthony Daniels, dressed in gold, was busy preparing champagne nearby. At one point, a mobile phone rang, and the person answered it. All these distractions were happening just outside my view. However, when under pressure, concentration can actually become even more intense. In an odd way, it might have improved the scene.

On April 25th, the movie Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith made a special return to cinemas for a week-long event. Some of the theater chains participating in this anniversary celebration include AMC, Alamo Drafthouse, B&B, Cinemark, Fandango, Galaxy, Harkins, Marcus, Megaplex, and Regal. Notably, Revenge of the Sith will be presented in various formats, including 4DX for the first time ever. As stated in a press release, the 4DX experience for this film offers “advanced motion seats that synchronize with over 21 effects,” taking viewers from the initial battle above Coruscant to the dramatic confrontation between Anakin and Obi-Wan on the lava-filled heights of Mustafar.

Read More

2025-04-28 20:43