The Star Wars franchise has been on a bit of a hiatus from the big screen but, in the interim, fans have been blessed with a plethora of TV shows. The latest new offering from a galaxy far, far away to hit the small screen is the upcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. The long-gestating production is set to feature mostly child protagonists, with Jude Law playing their protector. Well, now, the first trailer has arrived, and it’s giving off all the Amblin movie vibes that were promised, and I love it. However, I still have a major question.
From the jump, it’s made clear within the trailer that our four leads are the young and precocious Wim, Fern, KB and Neel, who live on a sleepy, yet-to-be named planet. The quartet are facing major choices regarding their futures but, ahead of that, they happen to stumble upon what seems to be an old Jedi temple. But, what's more, they unravel a shuttle that launches them into space, kicking off their adventure.
What I love about this trailer is that it gives off the airy, and warm vibes that have historically been associated with Amblin movies. Even the iconography, believe it or not, is similar to what cinephiles have seen and loved about those productions over the years. The kids’ home planet even has a neighborhood that looks like a Star Wars-ized version of a community from a movie like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or Back to the Future. Quite frankly, I’m impressed with how series creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford managed to blend this classic vibe with George Lucas’ iconic franchise.
It’s also hard not to like the characters, even after seeing only a few snippets of them here. They’re just the kind of ragtag team of youngsters that you’d expect for this kind of show, and it’s great to see. Quite frankly, at this point, this seems like the closest fans might get to that long-talked about Goonies sequel.
However, I still can’t help but wonder how this ties into the larger Star Wars universe. It was previously confirmed that Skeleton Crew takes place in the same pocket of time as series like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. And, with that, its plot threads would also converge with those shows ahead of Dave Filoni’s cutting-edge movie, which will bring all of the series’ arcs to a head. As exciting as SC is, at this point, I just can’t see how these characters might intersect with the ones from the other two aforementioned series and others. It just feels so far removed from them geographically and tonally.
I suppose I shouldn’t doubt Filoni and fellow EP Jon Favreau, though, as they likely have a plan here. It’s possible that what may bring these kids into the orbits of Din Djarin, Ahsoka Tano and more is Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood, a Jedi who the kids cross paths with. Given the rising threat of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Nawood might be in the know or will become aware of what the remnants of the Galactic Empire are planning. And, if that is the case, the kids may find themselves caught in the crosshairs of all that somehow. This is all speculation, of course but, until more is revealed, that’s all fans like myself can do at this point.
Still, regardless of the unknown variables, I’m eager to see more of what the Amblin-esque Skeleton Crew has to offer. As cool as it will be to see how it ties into the larger universe, let’s just hope that it manages to be a fresh and compelling story on its own.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is set to premiere for Disney+ subscription holders on December 3 as part of the 2024 TV schedule. In the meantime, catch up on past shows set in this sci-fi franchise, and read up on upcoming Star Wars TV shows and movies.
