Apple TV+’s upcoming sci-fi series Metropolis plans to make use of the same high tech sound stage technology pioneered by Lucasfilm for The Mandalorian. Based on the iconic 1927 silent film directed by cinematic visionary Fritz Lang, the eight-part Metropolis series is set to be written and directed by Mr. Robot’s Sam Esmail. Filming on the show is expected to begin in early 2023.
Considered one of the greatest films of the silent era, Metropolis is also one of the first-ever feature-length science fiction movies ever made. Set in a dystopian future, the futuristic city of Metropolis is ruled by a wealthy elite who luxuriate in elaborate pleasure gardens and other trappings, while the city’s workers toil in dangerous conditions to keep the machinery necessary to power the city going. When Freder, the wealthy son of the city’s master, witnesses an explosion that kills numerous workers, he takes it upon himself to serve as a mediator and bring the workers together with his father.
A new report by Variety suggests that in order to bring the production of Metropolis to Australia, the Victorian State Government is supporting the construction of a large, state-of-the-art "LED volume," which allows high definition digital backgrounds to be rendered real-time in-camera, thereby avoiding expensive post-production processes. The LED Volume technology was first pioneered by Lucasfilm for their groundbreaking Star Wars spinoff series The Mandalorian.
Prior to George Lucas selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, he had spent considerable time attempting to develop his own live-action Star Wars television series dubbed Star Wars: Underworld. Despite having scripts for over 50 episodes already written, Lucas had a great deal of difficulty in finding cost-effective means to deliver the sort of production values the show would demand. When Jon Favreau was later tasked with heading up his own live-action Star Wars series for Disney+, The Mandalorian, it was a problem he was able to resolve with the help of massive wrap around LED screens which shifted perspective in sync with camera movements. This allowed for a seamless result to be directly captured by cameras when filming The Mandalorian.
It is somewhat ironic that the technology pioneered for use in the Star Wars universe is now set to help bring the Metropolis series to life, given the silent film’s own influences on Lucas’ creation. When creating the character of C-3PO, Lucas famously turned to Metropolis’s own robot Maschinenmensch for inspiration. Even after the evolution of his design from early concept art, the two still strongly resemble one another. So perhaps it is only fitting that Star Wars can now give something back to the story of Metropolis, and help its transformation from a classic film of the silent era into a modern masterpiece being made with the most up-to-date film technology.
Source: Variety