'Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord' Cast and Crew Tease a 'Roller Coaster Ride of Non-Stop Twists and Turns'

'Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord' Cast and Crew Tease a 'Roller Coaster Ride of Non-Stop Twists and Turns'

It's no secret that Maul thrives in chaos in conflict.

Set after the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020), Lucasfilm Animation's all-new original series Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord finds Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer) plotting to rebuild his criminal syndicate on Janix, a planet untouched by the Empire. There, he encounters Devon Izara (voiced by Gideon Adlon), a disillusioned Jedi Padawan ­- someone Maul believes could be the apprentice he needs to further his quest for revenge.

Created by Dave Filoni, President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm Ltd., Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord centers on a character created by Disney Legend George Lucas. The series launches Monday, April 6, with a two-episode premiere on Disney+, followed by two new episodes streaming each week leading up to the finale on Star Wars Day aka May the 4th.

"Dave Filoni pitched his idea for the show to me, and it was incredibly challenging and brilliant," executive producer Matt Michnovetz said. "When we started to flesh it out, we realized that we hadn't really explored this time period that much. To find Maul in this particular era - especially with the new characters he encounters - presents unique challenges and opportunities for his adventure. We wanted to create an adrenaline roller coaster ride of non-stop twists and turns, and it felt like we accomplish do that in this era."

Curious Characters

With projects spanning film, television, and video games, Witwer has been a steward of his character for the past 15 years. So, he was keen to dive even deeper into Maul's background.

"Maul, at one point, was one of the co-architects of the Empire until he fell away from his master," Witwer said. "And what he is seeing now is not what he thought it would be. He's looking around, saying, 'Is this what Darth Sidious had in mind? Because this is grotesque. This is so much darker than I thought it would be. Now, he is really reassessing everything."

"He's trying to decide who he is. That's the fun of this," Witwer continued. "This is the first time he's out on his own. He does not have anyone commanding him, nor does he have the directive to follow his master's training. In The Clone Wars, he was doing what he was programmed to do: create a power base, manipulate, take over planets. In Rebels, he's a man at the end of his rope and at the of his life. This is a situation where he is trying to figure out who is he. What does this world mean to him? What does he need to do to fulfill his destiny? What's really interesting about this series is how, in his own way, he is trying to reach out to Devon, someone whom he identifies as having much in common with himself."

According to Adlon, Devon - an original character created for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord - is an "old soul" who's a bit jaded. "Jedi are fearless, but Devon has also been traumatized by what she's been through - although she won't admit it. She knows of Maul's history. So, when she meets him, she understands him already, and he already understands her, too. They're part of different sides of the galaxy, yet they are both drawn to each other. Devon is a very curious person, and she lets her curiosity guide her down the path that maybe she's meant to be on - or maybe she isn't. But she wants to figure it out."

Exceptional Esthetic

Fans will immediately notice that Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord has a distinctive visual language - but also pays homage to the Lucasfilm Animation projects that came before it. "We honor the legacy through the fact that George trained Dave, and Dave in turn trained us," executive producer Athena Yvette Portillo said. "A lot of the staff have been part of that legacy now for about 20 years. We have a formula in mind of how to produce these shows, but at the same time, it's not like it's getting easier. In fact, it becomes more challenging, because we always want to push ourselves further and to break ground with newer visuals."

"In animation, we have the unique canvas to have the action and the scope and the scale," added executive producer and supervising director Brad Rau. "The sky's the limit to what we can do. If it's all one cohesive style, the suspension of disbelief can be achieved easier."

For Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, the creative team first reworked the character rigs to make "the body mechanics more fluid," Portillo said. In doing so, she explained, "We were able to elevate the bandwidth on the animation for the fight sequences and the facial performance. We also went back to classic techniques, like oil on canvas, matte paintings, and practical model building. We used paintbrush strokes on glass panes and then photographed and composited them. That was fun, but it was also challenging. If we didn't have the same team from previous shows, we wouldn't know how to have that kind of language with each other. We're like a family maneuvering through the process together."

To find Maul in this particular era - especially with the new characters he encounters - presents unique challenges and opportunities for his adventure. We wanted to create an adrenaline roller coaster ride of non-stop twists and turns, and it felt like we accomplish do that in this era.

Standalone Story

Whether audiences are familiar with the former Sith Lord or they are meeting him for the first time, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is a self-contained story for audiences of all ages.

Michnovetz said, "We wanted to create a show that serves fans and non-fans alike. You can come into this series knowing absolutely nothing and find the characters - particularly Maul - relatable and interesting. You'll be able to roll right into it. We also wanted to provide a meaningful experience for people who have high expectations as Star Wars fans."

"We're very excited having created a show that is accessible to absolutely everyone. You don't need to have seen Star Wars. You don't have to know who Darth Maul is," Witwer added. "This show is completely standalone. It'll teach you everything you need to know."

"If you are a Star Wars fan," Witwer said with a laugh, "you will know even more."

Find more series and films coming to Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu this month at Explore Disney+.