Summary
- Director Lee Isaac Chung gives his seal of approval to Disney+ series Skeleton Crew in upcoming interview with Inside Total Film.
- Show, starring Jude Law, set in Star Wars universe aims to attract families with its coming-of-age adventure story.
- An impressive roster of directors, including Chung, are helming episodes for the show with emphasis on childlike perspective.
The Star Wars live action series Skeleton Crew doesn’t premiere on Disney+ until later this year, but Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung has already given the series his seal of approval. In a new interview with the Inside Total Film Podcast, the Twisters director discussed his involvement with the series, and the “beautiful perspective” series co-creator Jon Watts is bringing to the series.
Chung earned two Academy Award nominations for his 2020 masterpiece Minari, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He followed that up by directing a season three episode of The Mandalorian. His latest film, the sequel/reboot Twisters, has earned surprisingly strong reviews, and his next directorial effort is an episode of Skeleton Crew, starring Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes). The show is described as a coming-of-age adventure, with a group of children at the core of the story. Chung hopes the series attracts families to follow the story, something the newer, more mature Star Wars hasn’t done in a while:
What I hope is that it’s really going to touch families, and families are going to want to spend a lot of time with the show.
With Jon Watts (The MCU Spider-Man Trilogy) and Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian) serving as executive producers, Chung joins an impressive slate of directors helming episodes of the series. David Lowery (The Green Knight, Pete’s Dragon), Jake Schreier (Beef, Marvel’s Thunderbolts), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Mandalorian), and the Oscar-winning team of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everywhere Everything All at Once) are all directing episodes of the series. Chung had nothing but praise for Watts’ approach to the series, and believes it will be the show’s greatest appeal:
I can’t wait for people to see this thing. It’s got a lot of Jon Watts in it, and anyone who’s a fan of what Jon Watts does – he’s very childlike in a beautiful way, in the way that he tells stories, and how he captures a childlike perspective in things.
He brings that beautiful perspective to this story of young people in the
Star Wars
universe.
In an encouraging statement, Chung said the show’s original concept and cast convinced him to sign on to direct. With criticism of recent Star Wars content over pointless fan service and underwhelming storylines, Chung’s enthusiasm for the show should give disappointed fans hope. He said:
I felt like I hadn’t seen this. When I read all of the scripts, and when I was looking at the design of what he was designing – he asked if I would be on board. It was a no-brainer for me once I saw what he was working on. And then, also, working with him on that show, and with Jude and all the incredible actors who we have – it was a lot of fun. We were just having fun all the time. The kids were incredible and great.
What is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew About?
For a series due out in just a few months, Lucasfilm has been surprisingly quiet about Skeleton Crew. An official description was released last year, and states “In the first episode of Skeleton Crew, we are introduced to four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet and 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.”
Related
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s Kerry Condon Teases Upcoming Series as ‘So Innocent and Playful and Lovely’
Kerry Condon dishes on the tone of the Disney+ series, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and she calls the show “really adventurous,” too.
In addition to Jude Law, who has been confirmed to play a Jedi, the cast includes Kerry Condon (Better Call Saul), who described the series as “innocent and playful and lovely.” Tunde Adebimpe (Twisters) also stars, and playing the rag-tag group of kids are Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, and Ravi Cabot-Conyers. Family Matters star Jaleel White is also a confirmed cast member, and will play a pirate.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
does not yet have a release date.