The latest animated series in the "Star Wars" (SW) franchise, "Star Wars: Maul/Shadow Lord" (10 episodes in total), featuring one of the most popular villains in the franchise, is currently streaming two episodes every Monday on Disney+. On May 2nd, a making-of video was released featuring rare footage of a young George Lucas discussing the concept for Darth Maul.
◇"George wanted to bring back the mall."
The protagonist of this film is Darth Maul, who first appeared as Darth Maul in "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I)" (1999). With his overwhelming combat abilities and cool appearance, he engages in a fierce battle against two Jedi, making him one of the most popular characters in the series. Although he was defeated by Obi-Wan in "The Phantom Menace" and disappeared from the story, Maul is a character that Lucas, the creator, is very attached to, so much so that he brought him back in "The Clone Wars" at Lucas's strong request.
The newly released footage shows a rare glimpse of George Lucas discussing his plans to depict Maul's "aftermath" during the production of "The Clone Wars." Lucas's protégé and executive producer of this film, Dave Filoni, enthusiastically states, "Every time Maul appears, everyone is thrilled. During the production of 'The Clone Wars,' George wanted to bring Maul back. 'Star Wars: Maul/Shadow Lord' is the sequel he created to fulfill that wish."
It is because George Lucas revived the Maul story that it continues to expand, and the latest installment is set immediately after "The Clone Wars," in the dark ages when the Jedi Order collapsed and the Galactic Empire began its rule. Sam Witwer, the voice actor who has played Maul for over 15 years since "The Clone Wars," says, "The visuals of this film are exactly how Maul sees the world. It's more dangerous and brutal, swirling with anger, fear, and hostility." The story depicts Maul, abandoned by his master, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, burning with anger and hatred for the Empire, building his own evil organization and taking young Jedi Devon as his "apprentice" as he once again works in the shadows to take revenge on the Empire.
◇The "sound" of the red lightsaber was "created using Sam's scream."
The highlight of this film is the action scenes where Maul wields his signature double-bladed red lightsaber. Not only is he shown single-handedly taking down large numbers of enemies, but in episode 4, we also see Maul engaging in another lightsaber duel against two Jedi.
Animation director Keith Kellogg stated, "The areas we particularly wanted to focus on were the ferocity and the fight scenes. We aimed for the highest level ever," and indeed, the production team made various efforts to create action sequences that rivaled the iconic scenes of "The Phantom Menace." Regarding the "sound" of Maul's lightsaber, sound effects director David W. Collins revealed their dedication to realistically portraying Maul's anger and hatred as he fights, saying, "We used Sam's screams for the sound of the lightsaber."
Furthermore, the production methods are infused with respect for Lucas. Just as he used to create models of the Millennium Falcon and X-wings for his previous films, he has created miniature models of spaceships for this film as well. In addition, he has followed the technique of matte painting, which involves combining background drawings on board with live-action footage. Filoni expresses his confidence, saying, "At times terrifying, at times dramatic, it depicts raw realism. This is Maul's story."
What kind of "dark" and "dangerous" developments will unfold in episode 9 and the final episode, episode 10? The latest animated series, "Star Wars: Maul/Shadow Lord," is streaming every Monday on Disney+. The final episode will be released at midnight on May 4th, which is "Star Wars Day."
