A new Star Wars High Republic TV show is officially confirmed. Several years after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the franchise is finally moving beyond the confines of the Skywalker saga, which has defined the property for decades. Earlier this year, the studio announced the High Republic publishing initiative, consisting of novels and comic books set 200 years before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. While the new materials have some connective tissue to what's come before (see: a younger Yoda), the High Republic is largely comprised of an entirely new set of characters, fleshing out Star Wars galactic history.
Of course, Lucasfilm is working on a plethora of new Star Wars movies and TV shows, leading some to believe the High Republic could be explore onscreen in some capacity. Back in February, it was said the High Republic books would not overlap with any films or shows, giving authors maximum creative freedom to tell their stories. However, it appears as if that's changed. Not only is there talk of an animated High Republic show, but one of the live-action shows is set in that era too.
During Disney's Investor Day, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced the new Star Wars series, Acolyte. This is the show Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland signed on to develop back in April. Acolyte is described as a "mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era."
It's interesting Lucasfilm is moving forward with High Republic shows, after previously indicating they weren't. Of course, a couple of months separated the initial High Republic announcement and Headland coming on board, so it's possible she was able to sway Lucasfilm brass with a compelling pitch. After all, the High Republic is a completely unexplored period in the Star Wars timeline, so it's arguably a wasted opportunity for the studio to limit themselves to only publishing materials. Many potential readers of these books would probably like to see the High Republic in action onscreen. It makes sense for Lucasfilm to go in this direction, as it may make the books more appealing to a wider audience. Ahead of Acolyte's premiere, those interested can pick up the novels and comics to better familiarize themselves with the era. Since Acolyte deals with the end of the High Republic, the books become an opportunity to get an idea of what the era was like when it was thriving.
This isn't to say the High Republic books will be required reading to understand Acolyte. While all areas of Star Wars canon can crossover, Lucasfilm does a very good job of keeping things accessible, so that viewers of all shapes and sizes can enjoy the content. For instance, one doesn't have to know The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels to appreciate Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano's roles on The Mandalorian. If anything, the High Republic books will complement Acolyte (and the possible animated show), shedding light on the finer details the series may not have time for. Regardless of how the books connect to the show, it's exciting to see Star Wars make this move onscreen. The franchise desperately needed to get past the Skywalker saga, so this is a step in the right direction.
Source: Disney