Darth Maul returns in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Via Entertainment Weekly:

“I found it funny in The Phantom Menace when Darth Maul got cut in half,” Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni says. “I thought George was definitively saying to the fans, ‘There’s no way this character is coming back. This is not a Boba Fett/Sarlacc Pit situation where, because of fan love, Boba gets out of that thing any number of ways.’ Fast-forward ten-years, and I’m the one to bring Maul back.”

(far better video thanks to King Hulk Marco)

Well, mostly. Filoni acknowledges that the order to resurrect the Sith Lord came from George Lucas himself, who became more interested in his Phantom Menace creation while developing Savage Opress for the last season of The Clone Wars. Awesome as Maul was in the movie, he barely got to do anything before the old chop-chop. When asked if Maul’s return is motivated by the feeling that he was underutilized in The Phantom Menace, Filoni says, “I think in part.”

Filoni’s biggest challenge, though, will come from the legions of fans ready to shout “No way!” at the very idea of a Maul return. But addressing the (un)believability of his survival could make for some interesting drama. “First of all, how does he survive getting cut in half?” says Filoni. “Plus, he fell! And also, don’t forget Obi-Wan Kenobi is still around, so I’m sure Maul wouldn’t be very happy with him.”

Fans will note that there is precedent for this kind of resurrection. “The Dark Side of the Force is the path to many abilities some consider to be…unnatural,” Darth Sidious says in Revenge of the Sith. Sidious and his master found a way to use the Force to cheat death—that’s how he was able to keep Vader alive after that little swan dive into a lava field. Couldn’t Maul have picked up on some of that too? Says Filoni, “He’s suffered through a lot to keep himself alive and implemented the training of his master to do so.”

Once you get beyond the plausibility issues, what’s left is actually an amazing storytelling opportunity. The Clone Wars has featured other characters from the movies, but mostly original trilogy stalwarts like Chewbacca, Tarkin, and Ackbar. Those are all characters whose fates have already been decided. “Here, we’re moving forward with Maul,” Filoni says. “He’s more than ten years older than he was in The Phantom Menace. That’s immensely satisfying, because now nobody knows what’s going to happen to him. I know, but nobody else does.”

Thanks to Robb Hammond for the tip!

10/13/11 UPDATE:

Official press release

Darth Maul, the sinister Sith Lord who amped up the dark side in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, returns to the Saga this spring in Star Wars: The Clone Wars!

Revered by fans for his striking red and black tattooed-face, graceful but lethal fighting style, and signature double-bladed lightsaber, Maul was believed killed by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of Episode I. In the Star Wars universe, however, one must never underestimate the power of the dark side!

“The decision to continue Darth Maul’s story was something that came directly from George,” says Dave Filoni, Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “We all agreed that his return needed to be unique, unexpected and revenge filled. We don’t know what his outcome will be, and as a fan – that’s exciting.”

While fans await Darth Maul’s return to The Clone Wars, they’ll soon be able to experience the excitement of his original introduction to the Star Wars Saga when Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace is released in theaters on February 10, 2012 in spectacular 3D!

The trailer for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3D will be attached to The Three Musketeers on October 21st and on select films throughout the holidays.

Savage Opress threatens the Jedi in Star Wars the Clone Wars series 3

(This one is for Marko)

The animated sequel to the second prequel Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: The Clone Wars continues to earn accolades from fans and critics alike. An explosive action-packed program, this series is surprisingly violent and often times far more articulate and developed than the big screen version if the Star Wars mythos. Currently in its third year, a new villain has been introduced that promises to change everything (and after reading some spoiler-y reviews, that is very true).

Meet Savage Opress…

Straight from Wookieepedia:

Savage Opress was a male Zabrak, during the Clone Wars, who was chosen by the Nightsisters to be transformed, by their magic, into a warrior with enhanced abilities who would be given to Count Dooku. Trained by Dooku in the ways of the dark side, he became a Dark Acolyte and part of the Separatist cause, killing Jedi and clone troopers alike.

(Director Dave Filoni and author Aaron Allston on Savage Opress via Star Wars: The Old Republic)

Filoni: “It’s important that when creating a new character that they become iconic. It was important that you don’t confuse him with Darth Maul — we couldn’t make him red and black so we made him yellow and black.”

Aron: “This whole arc was really a challenge for us. I kind of took liberty with him in anything that he did in trying to get it more cinematic, more active when he fought. Just tricks to get your heartrate up so when you watch, you’ll actually have an emotional reaction to him or feel fear. So I think the look was there already, but I always made sure he was lit in a way that was menacing — there’s no nice lighting to him. I always wanted him to be either in shadow or silhouette.

“With Savage Oppress, you really needed to keep your eye on him. There’s reasons to stay focused on him. Because of that, we’ve let the animators go the extra mile on facial expressions with him, so that when you do hear him speak, you pay attention. In Season 3, we re-did a lot of our facial rigs, to talk technically, so the animators now have a lot of freedom for getting emotion and expression. You don’t see wooden characters anymore and that’s a big leap for our show.”

Trailer I

Trailer II

Opress’s appearance will kick off the second half of series 3 in a three-part story this January. Select cities have played host to special showings of the entire story edited together as a film and the word on the street is very positive (and full of spoilers).