‘Star Wars: The High Republic’ is coming. Here’s what we know

Lucasfilm announced a new “Star Wars” campaign on Monday that will run through 2020, bringing fans into an entirely new era of the “Star Wars” universe.

What is ‘The High Republic’ campaign?

• Lucasfilm has teased a new campaign called Project Luminous for months now. On Monday, Star Wars tweeted a new teaser video that showed off the franchise’s next project — “The High Republic.”
• “The High Republic” will be a set of comic books, adult and young adult novels, and children’s books that all deal with an era 200 years before the prequel trilogy.
• The new era will show the Jedi Knights in their prime before they became dogmatic.
• “The High Republic” will not cross over with any film or TV series.

What should you expect from ‘The High Republic’ story?

• The Jedi will be like the knights of the roundtable. They will be at their peak. According to Lucasfilm, the Jedis will be a mix of knights and cowboys protecting the realm.
• The Jedi will be a diverse set of characters from multiple backgrounds. Early photos show Wookies, humanoids and other alien races as Jedi.
• The villains will be outlaws from the border of the Republic that are similar to space vikings. The new enemies — called the Nihil (pronounced “Nile”), which could be reference to the legendary Darth Nihilus — were created after those in production wondered about what could scare the Jedi.

Is there a trailer?

• Yes. “Star Wars” released a new trailer to highlight the new campaign. The trailer will tell you everything you need to know.

What are people saying?

• Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said: “We are so excited to be opening up such a rich, fertile era for our authors to explore. We’ll get to see the Jedi in their prime.”
• Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain said: “Star Wars: The High Republic features the Jedi as we’ve always wanted to see them — as true guardians of peace and justice. This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi and the Galactic Republic are at their height. But of course, into this glorious new era something wicked this way comes. This initiative will give readers young and old a new corner of the galaxy to explore through rich, meaningful stories. Plus, readers will learn what scares the Jedi.”
• Lucasfilm vice president, franchise content and strategy James Waugh said: “This was a golden age for the Jedi, and also a time of galactic expansion in the Outer Rim. So expect there to be rich tales of exploration; charting out the galaxy, meeting new cultures, and discovering what pioneer life in the Outer Rim was like. This is an incredible sandbox for our storytellers to play in, both within publishing and beyond, and we can’t wait to see the great fiction they build within it.”

When does ‘The High Republic’ start?

• The new books and comics will be released beginning in August 2020.

What are some ‘The High Republic’ titles?

• “Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi”
• “Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark”
• “Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage”
• “Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures”
• “Star Wars: The High Republic”

How did ‘Star Wars’ fans react?

• Well, the reaction from fans didn’t go super well. Some criticized the franchise for bringing fans into a new era that we’ve already explored through the prequels. Others contested that this will allow for open-ended storytelling without the need to connect to the Skywalker Saga.