(Source: www.starwars.com)
To steal a memorable phrase, Robot Chicken is pretty funny. Except when it isn't. Generally, the 11-minute time frame is perfect for the show's rapid-fire pop culture parodies and celebrity voices. Much more more, and the stop-motion TV series would get a little wearing.
However, on June 17, Robot Chicken will break their usual time frame when they present their epic, 30-minute parody of the grand-daddy of all summer blockbuster movies, Star Wars. It's put together by Robot Chicken's production team, Stoopid Monkey's actor/producer Seth Green (Austin Powers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Matthew Senreich. Green is directing the special, and providing many of the voices as well.
"The special is a funny and ironic take on the Star Wars universe," said Green. "We're thrilled to be able to collaborate with Lucasfilm Ltd. and to have fun with the very property that shaped our sensibilities."
"It's a cliché to say but this is a dream come true," said Senreich. "How many people can say that George Lucas let them play with his entire Star Wars universe and do Robot Chicken-like things to it?"
While Robot Chicken has featured more than its fair share of celebrity voices (past guests include Hugh Hefner, Scarlett Johansson, Bruce Campbell, Jenna Jameson, the entire cast of That 70's Show and the main cast of the Scooby-Doo movies), Star Robot Chicken Wars will feature not only the voice of Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill but also director/creator George Lucas.
Other celebrities lending their voices to the special include talk show host Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek (Dawson's Creek), Robert Smigel, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi, Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone.
"We were big fans of the work that Matt and Seth had done, so when they approached us with the idea to make a Robot Chicken episode dedicated to Star Wars we were really enthusiastic about it," says Tom Warner, Senior Director of Marketing for Lucasfilm Ltd. "They caught the human and fun side of Star Wars and put an entirely different spin on it. We think Star Wars fans are really going to enjoy it."
Anyone who has ever checked out an episode of Robot Chicken on Adult Swim will know exactly what to expect. Whether it's Abraham Lincoln in a lightsaber duel with George W. Bush, Admiral Ackbar promoting his breakfast cereal or Obi-Wan Kenobi kneeing Luke Skywalker in the crotch, Star Robot Chicken Wars takes its usual non-sequitor spin on this popcorn classic. Although the trailer definitely brought the funny, the question remains: can Green and Senreich maintain the energy and laughs over 30 minutes? We find out June 17th.
You can check out the trailer for Star Robot Chicken Wars on Quicktime by clicking here.
Fun Fact: There are no shortage of Star Wars parodies out there. Some of the best-known include the 1977 short Hardware Wars (reportedly a Lucas fave), Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (rumours keep flying around about a possible sequel called Spaceballs 3: The Search for Spaceballs 2), Troops (that also parodied "reality show" Cops) and the short George Lucas in Love, which combined Star Wars with the Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love.
