Lucasfilm Developing Live-Action Star Wars Series For Thrawn

The advent of Disney Plus means Lucasfilm can create a wide range of new big budget live-action Star Wars content exclusively for TV. The Mandalorian is right around the corner, and it’ll soon be joined by a procession of other small screen series that can fill in gaps in the saga’s timeline that have yet to be touched on in the movies. For instance, the studio might just be working on a show for one of the most notorious SW villains not from the films.

According to our sources – the same ones who told us Ewan McGregor was returning as Obi-Wan back in May, and that Rey and Palpatine have a “special connection” in Rise, which the reliable Making Star Wars recently confirmed – Lucasfilm is developing a series all about Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Originally created as part of the now-defunct Legends universe, the character has previously been brought into modern canon in Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels animated series, where he was voiced by Sherlock star Lars Mikkelsen. We Got This Covered has heard that this Disney Plus project would feature Thrawn’s live-action debut, but as of yet, it’s unclear who’d play him.

What we do know is that the show is set to be based on Heir to the Empire, the 1991 novel by Timothy Zahn which served as the character’s first appearance and the first installment in the Thrawn trilogy. As the title suggests, it’s set five years after the fall of the Empire, with Thrawn regrouping leftover Imperial forces in an attempt to squash the fledgling new Republic.

Presumably, the book would be the basis of the first season or so with elements from the two sequels introduced if the show continued past its debut run. Given that The Mandalorian takes place at a similar point in Star Wars history, it’s possible some crossover could happen between the two. Maybe the Thrawn series will even be set up in season 1 of the Pedro Pascal-starring production? Time will tell, but as soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to let you know.