A brand-new trailer for Star Wars‘ next TV show, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, was just released, and it provides new insights into what this innovative addition to Star Wars movies and TV shows will entail. Skeleton Crew is the next to be released among Star Wars’ upcoming shows, and it’s already proven to have an intriguing premise. The show is confirmed to be set during the New Republic timeline, between Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This also means the show will run concurrently with the Mandalorian era.

Beyond Skeleton Crew’s place in the Star Wars timeline, Star Wars has confirmed that Jude Law is playing Jod Na Nawood, a character who has been referred to as a “whole new kind of Jedi” and seems to have the Force, although that has been thrown into question. Nawood will be accompanying a group of children lost in the galaxy, but little beyond that had previously been revealed. Now, with the new Skeleton Crew trailer, even more about the show has come to light.

A Group Of Children Finds An Old Republic Ship

Although it was already known that the children in Skeleton Crew were going to be lost in the galaxy alongside Jude Law’s character, the new trailer reveals that they become lost by happening upon an old ship. Although the exact history of the ship remains unknown, there are a number of hints in the trailer that this is an Old Republic ship. For one, the children find the ship hidden and clearly having been out of use for quite some time. Given the timeline for Skeleton Crew, this would almost certainly place it in the Old Republic era.

There are a number of hints in the trailer that this is an Old Republic ship.

Later in the trailer, Wim, who seems to be leading this group of children, is revealed to have Old Republic credits. Presumably, he found them on the ship, again suggesting the ship is from that era. It seems the ship may predate the Clone Wars era, however. A droid accompanies the children throughout the trailer, and it looks too old to be from the Clone Wars. If the droid is indeed found on the ship, as it seems to be, this would mean the ship may be from a period in the Old Republic era long before the Clone Wars.

Skeleton Crew’s Children Get Stranded Somewhere In The Star Wars Galaxy

After boarding this ship that seems to accidentally take off, the children become lost in the galaxy. Already, Star Wars has confirmed that they become lost somewhere in Wild Space. This will be particularly interesting because it suggests that, although Skeleton Crew is set during an imperative time for the galaxy—during the New Republic era—the characters may not encounter many familiar faces or interact all that much with the main Star Wars planets.

This also has interesting implications for Jude Law’s character. Jod Na Nawood is evidently living in Wild Space, as that is how he encounters the children. This raises questions about his status as a Jedi. If he is a Jedi, who was his master, and where was he trained? Did he have any connection to the Jedi Order, or did he become a Jedi after Order 66 somehow? It will be fascinating to see these questions answered.

If he is a Jedi, who was his master, and where was he trained?

Somehow The Children Wind Up Hunting For Lost Treasure

The brand-new Skeleton Crew trailer also reveals that Jude Law and the group of children end up hunting for lost treasure, a major change from early on in the trailer, when they just seem to be scared kids trying to get home. This likely has to do with Nawood. In the trailer, he tells the children, “I’ll get you home. We’ll make a partnership.” Presumably, the trade-off is that Nawood will help the kids find their way home, but first they must help him find treasure he is seeking (which, if true, is not a great look on Nawood’s part).

This Skeleton Crew treasure hunt may also have some major Star Wars connections. For one, it could be connected to Xim the Despot, a warlord who lived long ago. Toward the end of the trailer, a massive structure, strongly resembling Xim’s symbol, is shown. This suggests that the treasure they seek could be Xim the Despot’s own. This treasure could also connect to the new history of the galaxy revealed in Ahsoka, as images from the show have shown Peridean runes of ur-Kittât.

Jude Law And The Kids Are Being Chased By Pirates

No doubt because they begin hunting for treasure, Jude Law and the children are shown being chased and attacked by pirates in the trailer. The trailer specifically makes mention of “murderous pirates,” suggesting they will be the main antagonists to the group throughout the show. Pirates have an interesting history in Star Wars, with most of the major arcs about piracy happening off-screen.

Although there were pirates in shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Jedi and the Sith have always been front-and-center in most Star Wars movies and shows. Pirates have made much more significant adversaries in Star Wars books. This may change in Skeleton Crew. The trailer certainly seems to suggest that, whether Nawood is a Jedi or not, it will be pirates, not other Force-users, whom this group must face.

Skeleton Crew Will Have An 80s Aesthetic

The Skeleton Crew trailer also has a distinct 80s aesthetic, which is evidently very intentional. According to starwars.com, creators Jon Watts and Chris Ford drew direct inspiration from 80s movies. Among the list of influences, Watts and Ford named Predator (1987), Empire of the Sun (1987), and Flight of the Navigator (1896).

The song in the Skeleton Crew trailer, “Major Tom (Coming Home)” by Peter Schilling, is also of that era. This is certainly a new take on Star Wars, and it will be interesting to see the payoff. Undeniably, there is something about this new Skeleton Crew trailer that feels akin to the extremely popular show Stranger Things. Perhaps this is precisely the new direction Star Wars needs right now.

Skeleton Crew Has A Direct Connection To A Beloved Clone Wars Arc

The storyline of Skeleton Crew is also highly reminiscent of one fan-favorite arc from The Clone Wars. In The Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, helps rescue a group of younglings who are lost. Clearly, there are direct parallels between this story and the plot line to come in Skeleton Crew.

This connection to The Clone Wars, along with the focus on pirates, has left many fans speculating about the involvement of Hondo Ohnaka, an oddly lovable pirate who was prominently featured in The Clone Wars, including in that story arc. This would certainly make sense and no doubt please many viewers. Although that remains to be seen, this brand-new Star Wars: Skeleton Crew trailer makes it quite clear that Star Wars’ next TV show is primed to be a fascinating and truly original addition to the franchise.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will begin streaming on December 3rd on Disney+.

Source: starwars.com