Jon Favreau talks about how the upcoming SKELETON CREW series will fit into the STAR WARS aesthetic

Jon Favreau AND Dave Filoni they are building an epic empire in the Star Wars universe. The couple teamed up to take us The Mandalorianand the universe expanded to the Outer Rim to include him Boba Fett’s bookAND Ahsoka (which debuts in August). But while those three shows have all swapped characters, some of them have appeared in animated form for the first time The Clone Wars AND Star Wars Rebels – back and forth to create an interconnected universe that will culminate in a theatrical film, there is also another seemingly completely new concept that will soon hit our screens.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew “It will chronicle the adventure of four children trying to find their way home in the big bad galaxy.” Information about the show is scarce at this point, but footage shown to attendees of the Star Wars celebration in April caught a glimpse of a Jude Law using the Force as what appeared to be a Jedi. The series — which was created by Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, with Favreau and Filoni as executive producers – also takes place in the same post-Return of the Jedi time frame like The Mandalorian, AhsokaAND THE Boba Fett bookwith characters from those shows expected to meet in an upcoming feature film.

But how does a show about four kids fit in with those other shows? Fans should expect a dramatic tonal shift for Skeleton crew? Entertainment Weekly asked Favreau when he and Filoni stopped by EW Dagobah Expedition podcasts.

Favreau said:

“One of the things we really like about what the shows we’ve worked on have turned into is that the tone of each episode – and in some cases, each series – really reflects the director’s storyteller. So in The Mandalorian you may have many different tones. Even if the writing is consistent with each other, different filmmakers will bring different perspectives. And so each episode is hopefully different, even if they should be right next to each other.”

Favreau says the same philosophy extends to the most recent series:

“With Skeleton crewI would go even further because it’s Watts and Ford and a whole host of wonderful directors – some have worked with us before, some haven’t. And so every episode has its own vibe.”

Those wonderful directors include Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (just off his Oscar glory for Everything everywhere all at once) as well as Bryce Dallas Howard, Lee Isaac Chung, David Lowery and Jake Schreier. But the key of the tone of Skeleton crew It doesn’t just come from the directors and creators, it also comes from the very top, in the form of the president of Lucasfilm… who was also a founder of Amblin Entertainment.

Favreau continued:

“With Kathy Kennedy running Lucasfilm, when John Watts and Chris Ford come in and talk about wanting to do something that feels like an Amblin film and has that tone, it’s like you’re talking directly to the person who was there and knows the 11 herbs and spices that go into it. So it’s interesting to hear them throw it and how it reacts to that.”

While the director agrees Skeleton crew “it must feel like Star Wars”, also notes that“ when people think of Star Wars as a genre, it’s really a number of sub-genres within the Star Wars type. Because those were [George Lucas’] influences, so it might feel like a western, it might feel like a WWII movie, it might feel like a samurai movie. And so you could push yourself beyond the limits.”

Favreau points to one of Filoni’s animated series as an example of overcoming these limitations:

“Especially up The Clone Warsthey deviated into many different [genres] — to thrillers and noirs and different kinds of adventures and different tones. So that’s what keeps us engaged and the reason I’m continuing my collaboration here, is because it’s never like I’m just doing one thing. There’s always room.”

Finally, Favreau explains that while Skeleton crew he may not want to The Mandalorianboth shows can feel like part of the same galaxy.

“As long as you adhere to a certain aesthetic, and we can all agree it looks like it is Star Wars, there’s plenty of room for how you can move. It is also interesting, as you see al [Star Wars Celebration] panel and these amazing trailers, how different they are. But they all sit together. You would never lump them together, but thanks to the world George has created, they all seem to share a common aesthetic.”

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will premiere on Disney+ later in 2023. Can’t wait?