Is Star Wars Finally Adapting KotOR?

With Lucasfilm's announcement that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Benioff are set to helm a Star Wars movie series of their very own, an obvious question needs to be asked: will Knights of the Old Republic finally be adapted? The news comes less than three months after it was revealed that The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson would be creating his own trilogy, one unrelated to the current, main storyline trilogy that will wrap up in 2019 with JJ Abrams' Episode IX. All told, fans will see three separate Star Wars series unfold on the big screen within the next decade.Those 6+ upcoming films only scratch the surface for what Lucasfilm has in store for the Star Wars universe, of course. A Han Solo movie hits theaters in May, and solo adventures for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett are also reportedly in development. When you factor in rumored spinoffs starring Yoda and Jabba the Hutt, as well as the litany of new TV shows in the works, it's clear that fans had no idea what they were in for when Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012.Related: New Star Wars Movie Series Coming From Game of Thrones ShowrunnersBut even with all the Star Wars content that Disney and Lucasfilm currently have in development, we've still yet to hear much of anything regarding an adaptation set within the era of The Old Republic. Set thousands of years before the original trilogy, this time period shot to popularity thanks to the beloved video game, Knights of the Old Republic. Introducing fan favorite characters like Revan and Darth Malak, among countless others, it's widely regarded as one of the best games ever made. Its subsequent sequels (Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords and the MMORPG The Old Republic) debuted to widespread acclaim as well. So why isn't a live-action movie set in The Old Republic being fast tracked by Lucasfilm? Patience, you must have. Because not only do we think Benioff and Weiss' new film series should adapt some version of KotOR, but we even have reason to believe that it will.

Legends Are Rising

Disney's decision to clear several millennia of established canon from the Star Wars record books didn't go over too well when it was first announced in 2014. The great purge of the Expanded Universe (now known as Legends) was an unpopular decision to say the least, but as you may have noticed, the Lucasfilm Story Group hasn't shied away from reintroducing various elements from the EU back into canon. Several notable characters have been returned to the newly established continuity, and many more are apparently on the way.

In the last year alone, Star Wars Rebels alluded to the Mandalorian Wars, while The Last Jedi included a subtle reference to Darth Revan, both of which hail from the Old Republic Era. Lucasfilm has made it clear that just because the EU as a whole is no longer canon doesn't mean that they can't pick and choose characters and storylines to adapt at will.

What does this mean for David Benioff and DB Weiss' movies? It means that they'll likely be given the freedom to take a similar approach to shaping their films that superhero movies have taken with the comics. Captain America: Civil War took its name and basic premise from the Civil War comic, but it treated the source material as an influence rather than a concrete template. With the EU character floodgates reportedly set to open in the coming months, as long as it doesn't interfere too heavily with other upcoming projects, Weiss and Benioff will be given the green light when it comes to adapting Legends characters into their new movie series. This bodes well for KotOR and Old Republic era supporters.

And since KotOR and The Old Republic itself are set so long before any of the cinematic trilogies, their impact on the more modern Star Wars tales would be minimal and of no real concern. Disney/Lucasfilm/Benioff & Weiss can have their cake and eat it too, and rest assured: this is definitely a cake they want to get their hands on.

Fans Are Begging For Knights Of The Old Republic

Though the Original Trilogy is easily the most well-known saga in Star Wars lore, it may not be the most popular era in the franchise. Whenever whispers of a new Star Wars film series or TV show pop up, a chorus of diehard fans can be heard shouting "KotOR!" at the top of their lungs. KotOR is just one of several possible storylines that can be explored from The Old Republic, but there's not denying the fact that this is one era that could unite a tough-to-please fanbase, one that's more divided than ever in the aftermath of The Last Jedi.

Speaking of TLJ, when director Rian Johnson was confirmed to be helming a new Star Wars trilogy back in November, that "KotOR!" chorus we just mentioned reached a fever pitch. Johnson quieted the adaptation storm a few weeks later by asserting that his series would be an original creation, however, leaving countless fans disappointed.

Actually, that legion of Old Republic devotees may not be all that countless. A fan petition over on Change.org calling for an Old Republic-set Netflix series has amassed over 220,000 signatures, a number that will surely spike in the coming weeks with the news of Benioff and Weiss' new films. At this point, given all the Star Wars projects that are currently in development, if some sort of Old Republic adaptation ultimately isn't in the cards, we may have a nerd riot on our hands.

Benioff and Weiss Are A Perfect Fit - And They Just Might Do It

Aside from the fact that it will be unrelated to Rian Johnson's trilogy, very little was made known about what David Benioff and DB Weiss have planned for their new film series in today's official press release. But then Disney CEO Bob Iger dropped this interesting tidbit in an earnings call with investors (h/t Spencer Perry of ComingSoon.net):

They're focused on a point in time in the Star Wars mythology and taking it from there.

It's a far cry from any sort of confirmation that Weiss and Benioff are honing in on the Old Republic/KotOR era in particular, but the fact that the writers' starting point is a specific period within the mythology is a great sign. So should fans be psyched by the prospect of this duo potentially bringing this era to the big screen?

Yes. Yes, they should. Best known as the co-creators and showrunners of the smash hit HBO series, Game of Thrones, Benioff and Weiss already have as much experience shepherding a beloved franchise to the screen as anyone in Hollywood. Though they were virtual unknowns in the industry prior to the widespread acclaim they received from Thrones, Benioff and Weiss' careers outside of Westeros further cement them as prime candidates for their latest gig. Both are accomplished novelists, and they previously flexed their comedic muscles by writing a Flowers for Algernon-inspired It's Always Sunny episode back in 2013. Benioff himself had a solid screenwriting career prior to GoT, having penned the scripts to movies like 25th Hour, Troy, The Kite Runner, and Brothers. They're more than qualified for a Star Wars gig, and the fact that they'll be starting on it as soon as they've completed work on season 8 of Game of Thrones is also a positive sign. Before today's announcement, Weiss and Benioff were set to begin work on a new HBO series, Confederate, after they wrapped GoT. The decision to bump back their passion project for a crack at the Star Wars universe implies that this was one opportunity they simply couldn't turn down.

So the fans want it, the Expanded Universe/Legends is making a comeback in a big way, and a new movie series is in the works from the creators of one of the most popular TV series of all time. If there was ever a time to bring a version of KotOR and the rest of The Old Republic to the big screen, it's now.

Next: What Star Wars Movies Are Coming Out?