The growing roster of Star Wars streaming content will soon be joined by Skeleton Crew, a new series created by Jon Watts, the director of the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, and his regular collaborator Christopher Ford. Although it was initially reported to be set in the High Republic era that Lucasfilm is currently rounding out, Skeleton Crew will be set in the same post-Return of the Jedi timeframe as The Mandalorian. Jude Law has been cast in the lead role of Skeleton Crew, which has been described as a riff on The Goonies set in a galaxy far, far away. Due to be released on Disney+ on an unscheduled date in 2023, Skeleton Crew is a coming-of-age adventure about a group of kids embarking on a dangerous quest.
The producers of Skeleton Crew have handpicked some truly visionary directors to tackle episodes of the show (via Empire). Some really great directors have been tapped to put their stamp on The Mandalorian, from Rick Famuyiwa to Bryce Dallas Howard to Taika Waititi to Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung. But these directors have always been required to adhere to a certain house style. Occasionally, a director stops by with a unique sense of cinematography, like Ryan Coogler’s go-to director of photography, Rachel Morrison, who helmed “Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore.” But even then, their cinematographic flair is still limited, because the incessant use of the StageCraft technology necessitates standard coverage and bland lighting. The same problem applied to Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett.
But, based on its recent hirings, Skeleton Crew might be different. The directors who have been confirmed to work on Skeleton Crew have helmed some of the greatest movies of the past few years – and the common thread between them is their unmistakable cinematic aesthetic. Audiences can’t take their eyes off the worlds that these directors have created. They’re a perfect match for the pulpy, otherworldly settings originated by George Lucas. In the hands of the filmmakers who have been tapped to bring the show to life, Skeleton Crew is shaping up to be the most visually stunning Star Wars streaming series to date.
The Daniels Will Bring Their Everything Everywhere Magic To A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert are among the filmmakers who are confirmed to have directed an episode of Skeleton Crew. Collectively known as the Daniels, Kwan and Scheinert recently took home the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for their epic multiversal dramedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. The Daniels broke out with the absurdist gem Swiss Army Man, about a lonely man marooned on an island who stumbles upon a superpowered corpse that can fart him to safety. While its shameless weirdness alienated some critics, the beauty of Swiss Army Man is that it’s not just a movie about a farting corpse; it’s a real meditation on isolation that happens to include a farting corpse in its telling of that message.
The Daniels didn’t truly become household names until their unprecedented award-winning streak with Everything Everywhere All at Once. The Academy usually ignores science fiction movies, action movies, and comedies, but they gave a boatload of awards to Everything Everywhere All at Once, despite it being all three, because it’s one of the most distinctive movies in recent years. Full of captivating visuals, Everything Everywhere All at Once strikes the perfect balance between genre spectacle and human emotion, which is a balance struck by the very best Star Wars stories. After seeing what the Daniels did with a trip across the multiverse, it’ll be a joy to see what they do with an adventure across a galaxy far, far away.
The Green Knight's David Lowery Will Provide Mind-Bending Visuals
Not only have the Daniels been confirmed to direct an episode of Skeleton Crew; David Lowery is working on the show, too. Lowery has been a widely praised director since his second feature, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. He went on to helm Pete’s Dragon, one of the most critically acclaimed live-action remakes of a Disney animated classic, proving he can tackle family-friendly fare as well as his usual darkness. Lowery reimagined Pete’s Dragon as a heartwarming E.T.-style boy-and-his-monster story. He got his real breakthrough with The Green Knight, a surreal, mind-bending take on a familiar medieval fantasy tale. If Skeleton Crew has half the gonzo visuals of The Green Knight and Everything Everywhere All at Once, then it’s in very safe hands.
Star Wars fans have cause to be dubious about original stories featuring characters they’ve never met before, so Skeleton Crew isn’t getting as much buzz as Ahsoka or the third season of The Mandalorian. But, with visionaries like Lowery and the Daniels at the helm, there is a reason to be excited about this new intergalactic story. Even if the characters aren’t compelling and the story doesn’t grab viewers, the episodes of Skeleton Crew – at least the ones directed by renowned auteurs – will be gorgeous to look at.