Radio Dramas for the Prequel Trilogy

Years ago, National Public Radio (NPR) produced radio dramas for the Original Trilogy. It had great production values (actual Star Wars music and sound effects) and quality voice actors (Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, John Lithgow, Perry King, and more).

Are there any plans for a radio drama series for the Prequel Trilogy from NPR or Lucasfilm? From what I remember, The NPR series runs were a huge success (So good, I even bought the CDs years afterwards for nostalgia), and I'm sure a series for the Prequel Trilogy would be a similar success.

8^B

 

Steve Sansweet commented on this a while ago. I don't have the quote, but he essentially said that LFL has no plans for this, but the possibility hasn't been ruled out.

Personally, I would love it if this were to happen. I'm a huge fan of the original radio dramas (in fact I've been listening to them during my morning commute for the past couple weeks). However, since Brain Daley died a few years ago, I don't know who would make a suitable writer for these.

 

I bet John Lithgow would do Yoda again. Maybe Mark Hammil could do Anakin.

That would be weird.

 

John Lithgow did Yoda?

I must hear this.

Who did Vader?

 

Who did Vader?

Brock Peters

 

Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels also reprised their roles.

Maybe by the time they make these Jake Lloyd could do the voice for Anakin in Episodes 2 & 3, that would be cool!

 

Nightowl, a few years back, wrote a radioplay adaptation of TPM that's still on the TIME TALES section of the main page. He missed the radio plays as well, and did a bang-up job of adapting (if memory serves he also did adaptations for the DARK EMPIRE series).

Check them out if you get a chance.

 

CBright7831 posted on 4/18/05 11:32pm

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John Lithgow did Yoda?

I must hear this.
[hr][/blockquote]
It's actually very very good. And I've heard (though I don't remember if it related to the OT or the PT) that if for some reason Frank Oz was ever not able to provide the voice, Lithgow would have taken the part over.

I, too, would love to see PT radio adaptations, but they'd have to be very well-done to take on new material as opposed to simply retelling what other media have established. (Think of the scenes with Leia andn her father on Alderaan in ANH, actually most of non-Luke stuff that takes place prior to the film's opening, to my knowledge that had never been treated before the radio drama.) But I'd enjoy it.

There are a few SW stories that have full-cast adaptations of their own -- Dark Empire and Kyle Katarn's story, I believe. Never heard them, though.

-Paul

 

Yes, the non-film content of the radio dramas were pretty neat (I guess you would classify it as EU?). I actually wore out my cassette tape constantly replaying the rebel convoy ambush from one of the ESB episodes! It was that well produced!

Rebel Pilot: Scissor Right! Scissor Right!

8^B

 

I personally think Lithgow's Yoda is deplorable. It sounds like garbage. I have no idea why they did not get Mark Hamill to do it... I've heard his Yoda impression and it sounds just like Frank.

 

Well I thought whoever did the voices of Anakin and Obi in the clone wars cartoons did a good job so I'd use them .

Who did Yoda in the CW cartoon ?

g

 

Brian Daley was AMAZING at adaptations. His Robotech novels (esp. the Macross saga), written with another author under the pseudonym Jack McKinney, were so good I could not watch the animated series the same way again.

It's too bad he died and never got the mainstream recognition he deserved.

 

I personally think Lithgow's Yoda is deplorable. It sounds like garbage. I have no idea why they did not get Mark Hamill to do it... I've heard his Yoda impression and it sounds just like Frank.

I disagree. John Lithgow's Yoda was awesome.

Steve Sansweet commented on this a while ago. I don't have the quote, but he essentially said that LFL has no plans for this, but the possibility hasn't been ruled out.

Personally, I would love it if this were to happen. I'm a huge fan of the original radio dramas (in fact I've been listening to them during my morning commute for the past couple weeks). However, since Brain Daley died a few years ago, I don't know who would make a suitable writer for these.

EDIT: Here is what Steve Sansweet has said about PTRDs.

Are there any plans for adapting Episodes I and/or II into radio plays? I quite enjoyed the adaptations of the original trilogy.

So did all of us. The Star Wars movies are particularly well-suited to the theater of the mind's eye. The radio dramatizations allow for more story points and action to be included, while sticking to the main points of the movies. The radio dramas for the classic trilogy were superbly written by the late Brian Daley and first aired on National Public Radio stations. Some members of the original cast were used, with such unusual additional casting as veteran actor Ed Asner as Jabba the Hutt. All three series were later released on tape and CD.

As for adapting, airing, and making available dramatizations of the Star Wars prequels, that is something that Lucasfilm has looked into over the past few years. But it is a very complicated business, creative and personnel process to get all of the planets to line up just right. So while it is accurate to say we remain interested in such a project, there is nothing currently on the schedule or close to happening. If that changes, you'll get the news here first.

Basically they are not ruling anything out, but no definet commitments have been made.

I, too, would love to see PT radio adaptations, but they'd have to be very well-done to take on new material as opposed to simply retelling what other media have established. (Think of the scenes with Leia andn her father on Alderaan in ANH, actually most of non-Luke stuff that takes place prior to the film's opening, to my knowledge that had never been treated before the radio drama.) But I'd enjoy it.

So far as I am aware there were no scenes of Bail planned for the movie, so it was kind of cool to get to meet him the SWRD. If they decide to do PT radio plays is do what they did with the OTRDs which was to base them more on the movie novels, rather then just the screen plays. As for Jake Llody reprising the role of Anakin, that would work really well for AOTC and ROTS, but how would it work for TPM.

 

Up!

 

Thanks for upping this...I was in Europe when this topic started.

I agree with Strilo....Lithgow's Yoda is detestable. Virtually anyone could do a better job.

 

Yah... *I* do a better Yoda than Lithgow.