By George & Josh Bate
Star Wars have collaborated with People Magazine to debut a special look at the next live-action series in a galaxy far, far away… Skeleton Crew. All sorts of details about the show, including character names, behind the scenes comments, plot descriptions, comments from series creator Jon Watts, reflections from series star Jude Law, and more, were revealed.
Keep reading for a full round-up of all the new Star Wars: Skeleton Crew details, including new images from the show….
Skeleton Crew gets a premiere date
Star Wars fans eager to set their eyes on the next live-action show now have a date to countdown to. Skeleton Crew will premiere on Tuesday December 3rd on Disney+. This announcement almost certainly confirms that Skeleton Crew will follow recent live-action Star Wars shows like Ahsoka and The Acolyte in premiering new episodes on Tuesdays at 6pm PT.
More details about the plot of Skeleton Crew
An official synopsis of the upcoming series was provided in the People Magazine first look. The show is described as follows…
“When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined”
Series star Jude Law described the series succinctly as “joyful.” This is consistent with previous discussions of the show at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022, D23 Expo 2022, nd Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 that outlined how Skeleton Crew is influenced by Amblin projects, such as The Goonies. Amblin Entertainment was the production company founded by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall in 1980. The company went on to create Gremlins, Back to the Future, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jurassic Park, Twister, and Men in Black, amongst others.
Character names revealed
Jude Law will star in the series as Jod Na Nawood. Law described the character as “someone who uses quick thinking, charm and conversation to get out of all sorts of scenarios.” The footage of Skeleton Crew shown last year at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 heavily hinted that Law’s character will be a Jedi, or at least someone who is Force sensitive.
Starring alongside Jude Law are various children actors, who will play a group of kids who find themselves maneuvering through parts of the Star Wars galaxy they shouldn’t be in. From left to right in the picture below, these characters are Wim (played b Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (played by Kyriana Kratter), Neel (played by Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong).
Notably, the adorable Neel is an Ortolan, the same species as Max Rebo. We’ve had Baby Yoda – now we have Baby Max Rebo!
Also joining the cast is Nick Frost, known for his roles in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. Frost will voice the droid SM 33 in Skeleton Crew. “He’s like a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way,” Frost explained. “The other thing about him is that he’s the first mate of a mysterious ship.”
Easter eggs and references incoming….
Series creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford and star Jude Law have revealed that Skeleton Crew will feature plenty of easter eggs and references to previous Star Wars stories and characters, including some from recent shows.
“There are great references to old films and recent episodes and series,” Law described. “If you look carefully, [we] got some Star Wars tech that dates right back, I believe, to the original film. They do [easter eggs] so well. That’s one of the joys I think of this universe for those who know there are these little details always hidden away or Easter eggs that people can find and link up.”
Jon Watts confirmed that the first episode will feature exciting references to other stories. “I mean, even in the first episode, there’s a couple really, really great references that certain fans will immediately recognize,” he remarked.
Star and (sort of) co-director and co-producer Jude Law
The article describes the bond that Jude Law developed with the children actors at the heart of Skeleton Crew. This bond was so strong that series creator Jon Watts went as far as to describe Jude Law as a kind of co-director and co-producer on the show.
“Because he’s with the kids all the time, he’s also kind of felt like the co-director, co-producer with us and he’s co-acting coach, you know, giving the kids tips, and they would look to him,” Watts reflected. “He really became sort of a mentor figure to the kids as well…And he didn’t have to do that, he just did that because it was nice and it would make things work great.”
Other details….
Unlike Andor and more like The Acolyte, it appears that Skeleton Crew will feature alien species quite prominently. Jude Law stated regarding this, “Of course, you were expecting to work with droids and alien species, but you forget that they’re brought to life in front of you by these extraordinary people who have skills, whether it’s puppets or as animatronic experts. You’re surrounded by them because they’re as much a part of the cast as those who are flesh and blood.”
Also mentioned in the article is the presence of hover bikes in the show. Hover bikes were described as “integral” to the childhood adventure story of the series, and can be seen in the image below.
Stay tuned to The HoloFiles and Star Wars Holocron for continued coverage of Skeleton Crew ahead of the series premiere on December 3.