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Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

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"Skeleton Crew (TV series)" redirects here. Not to be confused with Bones: Skeleton Crew.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Genre
Created by
Based onStar Wars
by George Lucas
Showrunners
  • Jon Watts
  • Christopher Ford
Starring
ComposerMick Giacchino
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Susan McNamara
  • John Bartnicki
Production locationLos Angeles, California
Cinematography
EditorAndrew S. Eisen
Production companyLucasfilm
Original release
NetworkDisney+
Related

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is an upcoming American science fiction television series created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise, taking place in the same time frame as the series The Mandalorian and its interconnected spin-offs after the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983). Skeleton Crew tells a coming-of-age story about four children who make a discovery on their home planet, get lost in the galaxy, and go on an adventure to get back home.

Jude Law stars in the series with Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon, and Nick Frost. Watts approached Lucasfilm about telling an Amblin Entertainment-style coming-of-age story set in the Star Wars universe, and he was developing the series with Ford by early 2022. It was officially announced that May at Star Wars Celebration, with Law revealed to be starring. Filming began by September 2022 in Los Angeles, and wrapped by late January 2023. The child actors in the series were revealed in April 2023. Kathleen Kennedy, Jon Favreau, and Dave Filoni returned from The Mandalorian as additional executive producers.

Skeleton Crew is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on December 3, 2024, with its first two episodes, and will consist of eight episodes in total.

Premise

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Four children end up on an adventure to make their way home after being lost in the galaxy following a discovery they make on their home planet.[1]

Cast

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected by [8]Written by [9]Original release date
1TBAJon WattsChristopher Ford & Jon WattsDecember 3, 2024 (2024-12-03)[3]
2TBADavid LoweryChristopher Ford & Jon WattsDecember 3, 2024 (2024-12-03)[3]
3TBADavid LoweryChristopher Ford & Jon WattsTBA
4TBADaniel Kwan and Daniel ScheinertChristopher Ford & Jon WattsTBA
5TBAJake SchreierMyung Joh WesnerTBA
6TBABryce Dallas HowardMyung Joh WesnerTBA
7TBALee Isaac ChungChristopher Ford & Jon WattsTBA
8TBAJon WattsChristopher Ford & Jon WattsTBA

Production

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Development

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In February 2022, Production Weekly revealed the existence of an upcoming, untitled Star Wars series that was being developed under the working title Grammar Rodeo.[10] Jon Watts was reportedly being considered to direct at least one episode of the series, with Jon Favreau serving as an executive producer after creating the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. The new series was reported to be set during the High Republic era, with a formal announcement planned for Star Wars Celebration in May 2022.[11][12] In mid-May, Watts and Christopher Ford were revealed to have created the series, with the pair executive producing and Ford serving as writer. The series was also revealed to be set after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983), just like The Mandalorian, and was described as a "galactic version of classic [Amblin Entertainment] coming-of-age adventure films of the '80s".[13]

During Star Wars Celebration at the end of May 2022, the series' title was revealed to be Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.[14] Dave Filoni was serving as an executive producer after doing the same on The Mandalorian and its other spin-off series alongside Favreau.[15] Another executive producer, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, explained that Watts had approached her about making a Star Wars series inspired by the Amblin film The Goonies (1985). Kennedy, who had served as an executive producer on that film and as co-founder of Amblin Entertainment, said Skeleton Crew "evolved out of that kind of enthusiasm in wanting to tell stories in this space". Favreau felt that when Watts and Ford had pitched the series to Kennedy, they were "speaking right to the person who was there and knows the 11 herbs and spices that go into it".[16][17] Ford said Kennedy told them that she never thought of Amblin's films as being for kids, but rather being stories that "just happen to be about kids, a story of a kid going on an adventure". This inspired him to develop the show for audiences of all ages.[18]

In March 2023, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, as well as David Lowery were revealed to have directed an episode each.[19][20] The following month, Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Lee Isaac Chung were announced as additional directors.[2] By August 2024, Watts and Ford were considered to be showrunners of the series.[5] Colin Wilson also executive produces, with Susan McNamara and John Bartnicki as producers.[21]

Writing

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Myung Joh Wesner also serves as writer on the series, alongside Ford and Watts.[9] Skeleton Crew was confirmed to occur within the same time frame as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka,[15] referencing those series along with the Star Wars films.[3] Ford had described Skeleton Crew's tone as being an "adventure", desiring to make it an enjoyable series, but also containing danger. He had further gone on to say that the situation would be "extra fraught" when the kids were in danger. Jude Law had said that his character was "a lot of the world that they experience: contradictory, and at times a place of nurture and other times a place of threat" and that the series would be conveyed through the perspective of the children. Law had also concurred with Ford in agreeing that the series would also depict danger, calling the relationship between the children and adults a "goofy relationship ... And then other times it's really quite dark and quite scary".[18] He added that he and the young cast were "in constant state of confusion and jeopardy and challenge", with Skeleton Crew depicting them working together to overcome those fears.[3] Favreau had also wanted the series to convey many tones that "reflects the storyteller of the filmmaker", which had been the same method he had used when working on The Mandalorian.[17]

Design

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Louise Mingenbach serves as the costume designer.[22]

Casting

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With the February 2022 reports, it was believed the series was looking for four teenage actors and one 30-to-40-year-old actor as its series regulars.[11][12] Casting of the four teenage actors was still underway in May 2022,[13] with Law revealed to be cast in the lead role, reported to be a Force-user, at the end of the month.[14] In April 2023, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong were revealed as the series' lead children,[2][23] with Tunde Adebimpe and Kerry Condon also starring.[23] The next month, Jaleel White revealed that he would appear in the series as a pirate.[7] In July 2024, the series' key characters were revealed: Law portrays Jod Na Nawood, with Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Kratter as KB, Smith as Neel, and Armstrong as Fern. Nick Frost was also revealed to be voicing a droid in the series named SM 33.[3]

Filming

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Principal photography had been happening for "a few weeks" by early September 2022,[24] at Manhattan Beach Studios in Los Angeles County,[11] under the working title Grammar Rodeo (a reference to The Simpsons's episode "Bart on the Road").[13] Filming was previously scheduled to take place from June to December.[11] Sean Porter,[25] David Klein, and Paul Hughen served as cinematographers.[26] The series utilized the StageCraft Volume technology in addition to stop-motion animation, headed by Phil Tippett, and matte paintings with one of Industrial Light & Magic's former painters coming out of retirement to work on the paintings.[27] Lowery said his episode included a member of the Teek species from the television film Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985) who was created using a puppet; Lowery enjoyed the combination of puppetry, which he called "the most ancient technology", and the series' other cutting-edge effects.[28] Filming officially wrapped on January 22, 2023.[29]

Post-production

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Andrew S. Eisen serves as an editor on the series. Eisen previously worked on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.[30] John Knoll served as the visual effects supervisor, with Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Image Engine, Tippett Studio, BOT VFX, and Cantina Creative providing visual effects.[31]

Music

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In November 2024, Mick Giacchino was revealed to have composed the score for the series. His father, Michael Giacchino, previously composed the score for the Star Wars film Rogue One (2016) as well as Watts's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Spider-Man films. Mick wanted the main theme for Skeleton Crew to "capture that feeling of being a kid, looking out at the twin suns, and knowing that there's an adventure out there waiting for you". It consists of a simple chord sequence arranged for "harps and synths to create this kind of whimsical floating feeling". Watts associated the opening opening four chords of the theme with the four main characters.[32]

Marketing

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The first footage for the series was revealed at Star Wars Celebration London in April 2023.[2] The first official trailer and key art was released that August at Disney's D23 convention.[5]

Release

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Skeleton Crew is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on December 3, 2024, with its first two episodes,[3] and will consist of eight episodes in total.[9] The series was previously announced at Star Wars Celebration in May 2022 to be releasing in 2023,[14] with White expecting the series to be released in November or December of that year.[7] By late 2023, Skeleton Crew was revealed to be releasing in 2024,[33][34] while a filing for the first episode with the United States Copyright Office indicated an approximate release in January 2024.[35]

References

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  1. ^ "'Star Wars' Celebration Offers Breaking Movie News, Cast Reveals, and Major Announcements" (Press release). The Walt Disney Company. April 7, 2023. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Moreau, Jordan; Warmann, Amon (April 7, 2023). "'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew' Announces Cast, Reveals First Look at Star Wars Celebration". Variety. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mitovich, Matt Webb (November 1, 2024). "New Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Trailer Is Superfun, Merges The Goonies With 'Major Tom'". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Baver, Kristin (November 1, 2024). "With Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Jon Watts and Chris Ford are Ready for Their Own Pirate Adventure". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Skeleton Crew Official Trailer and Key Art Revealed". StarWars.com. August 10, 2024. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Ross, Dalton (September 18, 2024). "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew exclusive photos reveal Jaleel White as a space pirate". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Lawrence, Daniel David (May 11, 2023). "Jaleel White Is Headed to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Drops 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew' Release Window". Collider. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (November 19, 2024). "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Confirms Its Directors (Get Excited for Episode 4)". ComicBook.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Skeleton Crew". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  10. ^ "Production Weekly – Issue 1285 – Thursday, February 10, 2022 / 205 Listings – 47 Pages". Production Weekly. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d Fisher, Jacob (February 19, 2022). "Jon Watts in Talks to Direct New Star Wars Series for Disney+ (Exclusive)". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Lovitt, Maggie (February 19, 2022). "Untitled 'Star Wars' Series Eyeing Jon Watts to Direct". Collider. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Breznican, Anthony (February 19, 2022). "Star Wars: The Rebellion Will Be Televised". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Otterson, Joe (May 26, 2022). "'Star Wars' Sets New Disney+ Series 'Skeleton Crew,' Jude Law to Star". Variety. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "SWCA 2022: 20 Highlights from Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase". StarWars.com. May 27, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  16. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (May 26, 2022). "New Star Wars Series Skeleton Crew Is Inspired by The Goonies (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Ross, Dalton (May 3, 2023). "Jon Favreau on how the kid-focused Skeleton Crew fits into the Star Wars aesthetic". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Ross, Dalton (June 29, 2023). "Jude Law and Chris Ford drop Star Wars: Skeleton Crew teases". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  19. ^ Codega, Linda (March 21, 2023). "Don't Worry, the Daniels Aren't Being Subsumed by Star Wars". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  20. ^ Couch, Aaron (March 30, 2023). "'Star Wars' Series 'Skeleton Crew' Enlists 'Green Knight' Director David Lowery". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  21. ^ "Skeleton Crew Project Profile 7-24-24" (PDF). The Walt Disney Company. July 24, 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  22. ^ "Heather Quesada Resume". heatherquesada.com. April 18, 2024. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Busch, Jenna (April 7, 2023). "Skeleton Crew Will Give Young Star Wars Fans A New Entry Point To The Franchise". /Film. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  24. ^ Chapman, Wilson; Malkin, Marc (September 9, 2022). "'Skeleton Crew' First Look Sees Jude Law Make 'Star Wars' Debut". Variety. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  25. ^ "Sean Porter Resume" (PDF). Innovative Artists. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  26. ^ "Sean Porter Resume - Square Space". Square Space. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  27. ^ McPherson, Chris (May 5, 2024). "'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew' Uses Stop-Motion by Phil Tippett and Old School Matte Paintings [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  28. ^ Travis, Ben (October 21, 2024). "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Will Bring Back The Teek From Ewok Movie The Battle For Endor". Empire Magazine. Archived from the original on October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Tinoco, Armando (January 22, 2023). "'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew': Disney+ Series Starring Jude Law Wraps Filming". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  30. ^ "Andrew S. Eisner Resume" (PDF). Murthas Kouras. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  31. ^ Frei, Vincent (August 11, 2024). "Skeleton Crew". Art of VFX. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  32. ^ "Composer Mick Giacchino Joins Star Wars: Skeleton Crew - Reveal". StarWars.com. November 11, 2024. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  33. ^ Bate, Josh (November 26, 2023). "Five New Star Wars Shows Are Reportedly Debuting on Disney+ in 2024". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  34. ^ Lussier, Germain (December 4, 2023). "The Marvel and Star Wars Shows Coming to Disney+ in 2024". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  35. ^ "Skeleton Crew "Episode 101" (101)". United States Copyright Office. July 3, 2023. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
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