Star Wars: Skeleton Crew co-creator says the show is inspired by a classic Pirates of the Caribbean-like LucasArts game
"I think we found our sweet spot"
It looks like the creators of the latest upcoming spin-off show Star Wars: Skeleton Crew were not only inspired by the legendary Star Wars franchise in making the series, but also by a highly popular '90s video game released by LucasArts.
"I'm also a big fan of Monkey Island. That's also classic Lucas," said Skeleton Crew co-creator Jon Watts when discussing his biggest inspirations for the show in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "So somewhere between Star Wars pirates and Monkey Island pirates. I think we found our sweet spot."
Monkey Island is a series of adventure games produced the Star Wars creator George Lucas’ company LucasArts, formerly known as Lucasfilm Games. The games follow a pirate named Guybrush Threepwood searching the Caribbean for treasure and trying to defeat an evil undead pirate named LeChuck in the process.
To us, that kind of sounds like Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean, which is unsurprising as the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World was actually a big inspiration for the game. We hope that doesn't mean the upcoming show will feature any creepy pirate animatronics like the Disney ride.
But there could well be, as the most exciting part about the upcoming show is that virtually anything could happen as the creators have created an entirely new world within an already pre-existing Star Wars timeline. "What's great about working at Lucasfilm is that they'll let you know if you've gone outside of the boundaries," said Watts.
One thing that is certain is that Skeleton Crew will take place during the same time frame as other Disney Plus Star Wars shows The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka, as confirmed in Entertainment Weekly's exclusive. That is in the New Republic era, after the fall of the second Death Star and before the rise of the First Order.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows a group of kids who get stranded in the Star Wars galaxy as they desperately try and find their way home, and avoid some fearsome space pirates in the process. The show stars Jude Law, Nick Frost, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kerry Condon, Tunde Adebimpe, Robert Timothy Smith, and Kyriana Kratter.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premieres on Disney Plus on December 3. While you wait, check out our guide to upcoming Star Wars shows and movies as well as how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.
I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creator Jon Watts reveals the perfect advice The Goonies director Richard Donner gave him about casting child actors: "You cast kids because of who they are"
After making pop culture history, Jude Law compares working in Star Wars with Marvel and Harry Potter: "They've all got their own particular way of making the magic happen"