I don’t normally cover rumors in their own post, though I often link to the rumor or leak in a related post if I feel it might be interesting to those reading said post, and even today I hesitated a bit talking about the latest: the revolving door of which Star Wars movie we’ll get in 2023. Officially, it’s still Rogue Squadron, directed by Patty Jenkins, but with trades like The Hollywood Reporter covering its delay (to help the director fill other obligations/get the film right), it seems less and less likely, but Lucasfilm seems set on filling the December 2023 with any film. Recent rumors have suggested first an Old Republic era set film, so think the still on-going MMO and Knights of the Old Republic games (with a remake on the way), and now also a The High Republic era one, coinciding with the publishing initiative that’s garnered widespread praise by fans and is about to finish the first Phase of it’s multi-year story. I can’t speak to the accuracy of any of these rumors, though they come from sources frequently trustworthy, but as someone who’s become a big of a fan of The High Republic era, the idea of a movie tying into its expansive story offers tons to consider. So let’s have some fun, assume this latest in the rumor-mill is true, and dig into what a live-action High Republic set film could cover!
For starters, you might be wondering what exactly is The High Republic! Starting in January 2021, THR is a publishing initiative telling the story of the galaxy some 200 years prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, and we have a page dedicated to it containing our reviews, the latest news, and a release calendar. While 200 years might not sound as far off as the Old Republic, which is set thousands of years before, it’s still a long enough time for the Jedi Order and the Republic to be in a far different place than we see them in the Prequel films, both working together as the villainous Nihil’s threat spreads across the galaxy, but separate enough the Jedi still follow the Forces’ will and there’s no Sith-led shenanigans manipulating the Republic’s goals. It’s an era of relative peace, though conflict still arises, and as the first year of the mutli-Phased program inches towards its finale, it’s clear the threats facing the galaxy now will explore how the golden age of both the Republic and Jedi ends. By December 2023 THR’s story, as long as each Phase follows the timing of the current one, will be one month away from the final wave of content for Phase III, the last of the announced Phases for the initiative. It’s quite possible it will conclude the story it’s trying to tell then, or there could be more, but for now we’re assuming it all comes to a close with Phase III, Wave III, likely out January 2024.
With all that in mind, setting a live-action film coinciding with/after the events of the initiative doesn’t sound totally far-fetched, maybe with some characters/threads that more directly connect to the Prequels. But it seems we’ll already have something like that with The Acolyte, my most anticipated show of the group announced last year, as it’s supposedly set 50 years before The Phantom Menace, right at the final fall of the High Republic era, and will follow the dark side’s rise, somehow/someway. I don’t think they’d overlap here, even if the potential film concerned itself with some threads for the light side during this transition period, but it’s still one possibility for a film to follow.
My biggest, safest bet for a High Republic film instead would look even further back, say anywhere from 100-50 years prior to the inciting incident of the Great Hyperspace Disaster, and explore the beginnings to many different elements of the era’s story. As fans gear up to read the grand finale of the whole initiative, it would be rewarding to see the genesis to a lot of what they’ve read so far appear on the big screen, while fans and general audiences who haven’t read the books/comics could easily watch the film without needing to know much other than it’s Star Wars (throw in Yoda for good measure, etc.), with the potential those watching might want to dig into the story that picks up after the events of the film. As you can see, it’s pretty clear why this is the safest, most likely bet. But what would a movie set prior to the era entail? Considering we’re just about to see the true scope of the era in the content arriving with Phase I, Wave III’s releases in January 2022, it’s not as easy to say, but here are a few theories/ideas:
- With the underworld growing more and more important to the TV side of Star Wars, be it The Mandalorian or the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett, how about digging into the Hutts and their machinations, as we already know 25 years before the opening events of the era they are manipulating events to take out rivals and undermine confidence in the coming expansion of the Jedi and Republic into the Outer Rim (as seen in Into the Dark). Obviously the rule of law reaching out to an area of space the Hutts have largely had control over as they wish would not be something the Hutts would ignore, and since they’ll be more prominent in the era coming up, maybe we can see what Jabba and pals begin to set in motion that pushes us to the events of the initiative.
- The marauding Nihil, who terrorize the Outer Rim before the Jedi come knocking, could be explored: how Marchion Ro’s father Asgar took over, how they operated in the past, and what brought them to the attention of Asgar that he even wanted to use their organization. Maybe a film where we follow a doomed Jedi, tussling with them far outside the Jedi’s mandate, that explores more of how the Nihil came to be and what they can still do, despite the Jedi eventually bringing them to heel for their recent deadly attacks.
- The Great Leveler, a creature turning Jedi to dust, and the rest of the Nameless it belongs to could be ripe for a film, though since the likelihood of their previous terrorization of the galaxy was much further back than even 100 years before this initiative, it wouldn’t quite fit with this idea, but the story of their chaos intertwined via flashbacks with something else more prescient could make it work. It would be quite the way to make Star Wars’ first horror film!
- The creation of Starlight Beacon, the era’s shining achievement that brings the light of the Jedi, and Republic, to the Outer Rim, is fraught with a complex backstory. Considering the family that helped fund it also worked with the Nihil (as seen in Out of the Shadows), who knows what other shenanigans were really happening behind-the-scenes of its creation!
Those are just a few ideas, but beyond a prologue/epilogue situation, what else could a film set during The High Republic involve? Honestly, the possibilities are endless if you’re not concerned with making sure general audiences or non-hardcore fans don’t have many barriers to entry:
- Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, and Stellan Gios are the pinnacle of the Jedi Order of the era, their three brightest stars, and it all stems from the strong bonds they formed as Padawans. So strong, there’s some forbidden romance and other secrets shared between the three, and a film about their younger days, those secrets, and romances, would be a film we’d all need to fan ourselves over if it would come true. Considering one or all of them might fall by the initiative’s end, its release would be bittersweet, looking back at their happiest moments with hints of their downfalls sprinkled in.
- Focus instead on the little people of the galaxy, be it someone as crazy smart and inventive as Avon Starros or down on her luck like Sylvestri Yarrow! Maybe show how someone could see joining up with the Nihil, or show the Jedi in a heroic light as they come and save every day people from the marauders, the Jedi just a side character in the story. Maybe even set it during the deadly attack on the Republic Fair, as we could see some of the majesty so well described in The Rising Storm come to life on screen, followed by the chaos of the moment once the Nihil descend on the peaceful gathering.
- Yoda’s been missing for some time now, his unplanned vacation over extended, so how about giving audiences a recognizable face to latched onto during the era while exploring the diminutive Master’s side-adventures getting back to the rest of the Jedi Order? Or show him in an intense bake-off with the other Masters of Starlight Beacon, as we could all use a little lower stakes fun in a movie, no?
- While there are no Sith really active in this era—that we know of yet—and The Acolyte might be exploring their plans setting up the prequels, but how about a film following the Sith in the background of this era, jumping between Master and Apprentice sets as they navigate in the shadows, waiting for their time to strike?
Like I said, the amount of ideas to consider are limitless and these only scratch the surface. We’d definitely love to hear what you’d most be excited to see in a The High Republic film, so leave your thoughts in the comments below or chat with us on Twitter!
As much fun as it is to theorize about what could be for a hypothetical film we don’t officially know is truly happening, what’s more important to a The High Republic film would be a commitment to diversity, something it’s making strides even the longer it goes on. Kantam Sy, Master to Lula Talisola, is non-binary, the first human Jedi to be so, while Ceret/Terec are as well. There are ace characters, like Vernestra Rwoh, queer characters like Jordanna Sparkburn, Sylvestri Yarrow, and Kitrep Soh, or bi representation in Ty Yorrick, to name a few. Star Wars films and TV are severely lacking in representation, behind and in front of the camera, so any project with The High Republic name on it that goes to screen better honor the era’s strides. Considering I imagine the luminous writing team behind the initiative, Charles Soule, Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, and Cavan Scott would all likely be involved with the script for any potential film, I think they’d work hard to ensure it features meaningful representation, let’s just hope the higher-ups at Disney don’t get in the way of that.
We’re all watching some Star Wars film in 2023, be it High or Old Republic or something else altogether, but it’s been fun for now to look at the potential of one set in what’s quickly become my favorite era: The High Republic.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.