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After Ahsoka, the next big Star Wars project is a Goonies-esque show (with a Force user, of course)

The new Disney+ series has been described as an Amblin Entertainment-style "Goonies in space." Here's hoping for a Betamax release

Image credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney

I'd be willing to bet that, if asked, most Star Wars fan would tell you they began watching as kids. It makes sense, right? The doldrums of growing up just melt away next to epic tales of good vs. evil, of Star Destroyers and lightsabers, of adorable droids and alien pets. And if you were an 80s kid? By god, Star Wars was probably something akin to Nirvana.

Now, though, most of the Star Wars kids have grown up. And though they've never lost their love for the Galaxy Far, Far Away, it's a different kind of feeling. It's one thing to be a Star Wars fan, a deeper thing by far to be a Star Wars kid. And with both the franchise and the real world becoming more complicated by the day, it would be very difficult to rekindle that original, childlike adoration.

But Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is going to try.

In case you weren't aware, that's the next Star Wars miniseries on its way to Disney+ . Now that Ahsoka's wrapped up (check out Graeme McMillan's piece on Ahsoka's season 1 finale), viewers are eagerly awaiting the next show, and by all accounts, it's going to be different than what we've seen before.

Rather than focus on adult characters, Skeleton Crew will follow a lost group of children, weaving their way through danger without grownup supervision, relying on their ingenuity and loyalty to each other to survive. Sounds a bit like The Goonies, no? Well it should; the series has been officially described as such, with Amblin Entertainment cited a direct influence. The series will take place about a decade after Return of the Jedi.

The cast and crew of the show (Skeleton Cast and Skeleton Crew, I guess) are also a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Most notably, actor Jude Law is joining the bunch, as well as Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The show is spearheaded by Spider-Man: Homecoming helmer Jon Watts and screenwriter Christopher Ford.

Of course, there are some familiar faces involved in Skeleton Crew. The producers, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, are far from new to the Star Wars family, but we won't hold it against them. They were likely Star Wars kids themselves; it's hard to be mad at them for wanting to retun.

So will Skeleton Crew revive your childlike love of Star Wars? It's impossible to say. But here's what we can guarantee: those grown-up Star Wars kids will be showing this to their own children. And if it's good enough, if it's true and lovely and tells a story with meaning, then those children might become Star Wars kids themselves.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will stream exclusively on Disney+.


Want to know more about the upcoming, kid-focused Star Wars series? Check out everything we know about Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy pairing of the two. He has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama, despite their better judgement. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kelsey, and corgi, Legs.

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