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STAR Wars is heading down under with the spin-off TV series likely to be shot in Sydney.

George Lucas told reporters that he is looking to film the much-hyped programmes in Australia.

It is thought the sci-fi show will be made at Sydney’s Fox studios.

If it goes ahead, the series will be one of the most expensive TV productions made in Australia and create hundreds of acting and crew jobs for the industry there.

But eager viewers may have to wait until 2010 for the untitled spin-off shows to hit screens.

Speaking from his San Francisco ranch, George said: "It is going ahead."

"We're in the process of writing screenplays right now.

"It's going to take a while because it's really hard to do."

He said the series will have nothing to do with the Skywalker saga and focus on the lower levels of life in the Star Wars world instead.

But sci-fi fans will not have to wait long for their next Star Wars fix, with Lucas set to release his first animated feature film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars coming out in Australia this month.

The Sun