Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is an upcoming adventure television series set in the universe created by George Lucas. The series was created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford and is expected to premiere sometime in 2024. Ahead of the show’s release, Watts spoke about crafting a new experience in the Star Wars world through the series.
At the same time, Watts also shed light on the show’s use of practical effects. Therefore, it is likely that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will be closer in visual style to the earlier films in the franchise, which fans hold dear even today. Meanwhile, the series might also avoid the criticism aimed at the more recent entries in the franchise, which fans hate for overreliance on one particular technique.
Jon Watts Talks Using Practical Effects in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
During a recent appearance at the CCXP in Mexico City, director Jon Watts opened up about his upcoming Star Wars series Skeleton Crew. Watts spoke to Collider about the visual treatment for the series, which includes a mix of modern technology and practical effects.
Watts explained that the visual effects for the series were created using technology such as motion capture, pre-visualization, and Volume technology, which are a staple of the modern entries in the Star Wars franchise. However, Watts was most excited to use some of the older practical techniques.
“But the most fun part was we also used all the old-school techniques as well. We got Phil Tippett to do stop-motion. We did matte paintings, like real old-fashioned matte paintings. We got an ILM painter out of retirement to come out and do that.”
Watts made the above statement explaining how the series was using modern visual effects techniques alongside practical effects for Skeleton Crew. Watts’ approach mirrors that of franchise creator George Lucas, whose original trilogy, also relied on practical effects as much as possible. Therefore, fans should be optimistic about the visual style of Skeleton Crew.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Likely To Shut Down CGI Criticism the Franchise Has Faced For Decades
Ever since George Lucas returned to Star Wars, directing 1999’s The Phantom Menace, kickstarting the prequels era, the franchise’s reliance on CGI has gradually increased, to the point of bordering on overuse of the technology.
The Phantom Menace was criticized for its CGI at the time of release and continues to receive flack from fans for the same even today. Moreover, the Volume technology popularized by The Mandalorian has also resulted in a bland visual style across the Disney+ shows, including the upcoming The Acolyte, which faced criticism for its overreliance on CGI and Volume.
However, by relying on a combination of practical effects and modern technology, Watts’ Skeleton Crew is likely to escape the same fate as some of the other Disney-produced entries in the franchise. Moreover, Lucas’ original vision for the franchise could only be achieved with a semblance of CGI and practical effects, which should serve as a blueprint for other filmmakers.
By following in Lucas’ footsteps Watts might finally succeed in shutting down CGI criticism that has plagued Star Wars since the prequel trilogy. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew currently does not have a known release date but is expected to be released on Disney+ in 2024.
The Star Wars films and television spin-offs are streaming on Disney+.
