Ian McDiarmid Says George Lucas Once Pitched Palpatine TV Series
McDiarmid’s account portrays Lucas’s idea as a political, biographical study of an authoritarian leader that never moved past a speculative discussion.
Overview
- The revelation came from Ian McDiarmid at a Spacecon San Antonio panel on Thursday, June 18, 2026, and was first reported via Popverse and picked up by multiple outlets.
- McDiarmid said Lucas described a live-action series that would track the Emperor’s rise and rule, likening the arc to comparisons with Hitler and mentioning an attempted assassination that would fail.
- McDiarmid added that Lucas even floated the idea that he might direct an episode, a suggestion McDiarmid recalled with surprise, but he emphasized the project was speculative and never produced.
- Reporters note the Palpatine pitch joins a long list of unmade Lucasfilm projects and that any direct link to the earlier Underworld concept is possible but unconfirmed.
- McDiarmid’s recent return as Palpatine in Obi‑Wan Kenobi reinforces his close association with the character, yet Lucasfilm and Disney have made no announcement about reviving or developing the described series.