I’m no stranger to covering Star Wars. At almost every publication I’ve worked at, I’ve written at least one article about the franchise. Heck, I even went to the secret press junket for The Last Jedi years ago and did an exclusive (?) interview with BB-8.
And while that was one of the most amazing, exclusive events I’ve ever attended in my journalistic career, I’ve always known Disney to put on show-stopper events and premieres that continue to top themselves. So when I got an invite to not only attend the world premiere of the new show Star Wars: Skeleton Crew but to do so at Disneyland of all places, you can bet I jumped at the chance.
Skeleton Crew provides a refreshingly new perspective to the Star Wars canon by not only focusing on the average, everyday citizens in the galaxy, but children. Set after the fall of the Empire and the early days of the New Republic, Skeleton Crew follows kids Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) who discover a starship buried in the forest of their home planet and after accidentally turning it on, jump to hyperspace where they must contend with vicious space pirates as they attempt to find their way home.
After I arrived at the park and checked in, I was escorted through the park to the Tomorrowland Theater with some other attendees. The park was crowded and foot traffic was almost completely halted as a parade was just starting. It was complicated to navigate our way through the mass of cheery park attendees, but the slow pace allowed me an opportunity to soak in the majesty of the park and Main Street, which was all decked out in festive holiday lights.
Eventually, we made it to the Tomorrowland Theater, located right next to Space Mountain. The venue was buzzing with excitement as crew members mingled with invited fans, taking photos in front of show posters and the step and repeat banner. After snapping some photos with my friend (and probably the biggest Disney fan I know) Catie, we grabbed our popcorn and drinks (“Treats from Galaxy’s Edge,” I was told) and took our seats.
Attendees were treated to three episodes of the show (only two are currently available to watch on Disney+), but first, producer Chris Buongiorno, writer/producer/series creator Christopher Ford and writer/director/producer/series creator Jon Watts took a moment to introduce the show and congratulate the cast and crew, including the child stars who were in the audience with the crowd.
“We want to thank Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. They took us on as their Foundlings or Padawans depending on which is cooler or what you like better,” Ford said. “And George Lucas for making Star Wars. We just hope that this addition to it will find its place in that fun galaxy.”
Shawn Bannon, a self described “massive” Star Wars fan and a friend of David Lowery who directed the second and third episode of the show, attended the world premiere with his wife and children who dressed up in Jedi robes for the occasion.
“It was really cool to see something so kids-focused come out of this universe,” Bannon said. “[This was] one of the coolest things ever, and honestly, we’re in the theater where [the Michael Jackson show] Captain EO used to play, so it’s very heartwarming. My kids love Star Wars so this is really special.”
Sean Hebein was invited to the premiere as a member of the 501st Legion, an organization of fans who build their own movie-accurate costumes of the “villainous, morally ambiguous or non-partisan” characters. Dressed in a jacket full of Star Wars patches, Hebein said that he enjoys going to events like the premiere to be a part of the energy of a group that is connected by a similar interest.
“Seeing new content of a franchise I care deeply about is always exciting, so being part of a club that allows us to do think kind of stuff is very exciting. [Being in Disneyland for this premiere] is epic, it’s the ideal Star Wars viewing situation,” Hebein said. “It’s definitely The Goonies in space feeling, like the ’80s action-adventure style genre. It felt nostalgic in some ways and in some ways it felt new.”
After the screening, guests were invited to explore the park, including the Star Wars themed land “Galaxy’s Edge,” complete with complimentary fast passes to “Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.” The ride, which puts guests in the cockpit of the iconic ship as pilots, engineers or gunners, compliments the show perfectly, giving attendees the chance to feel the thrill of being a space pirate. Stars like Jude Law and executive producer were also in attendance, enjoying the ride and festivities.
Kristin Laughtin-Dunker and her husband Quincy Dunker are members of the Rebel Legion, a sister organization to the 501st Legion that focuses on attending charity and educational events dressed as the “good guy characters.” Quincy said that this was his first time attending a premiere event like this in Disneyland.
“I never thought anything like this would ever happen,” he said. “We never expect to get anything in return for the charity stuff we do…but it’s always an honor whenever Lucasfilm invites us to these things. We saw a bunch of our friends here, so it was just great to be able to share this experience and the energy.”
As a part of an organization that helps out with educational events, Kristin said that she hopes that kids will be able to connect with the Skeleton Crew characters and hopefully inspire a new generation to dress up in costume and volunteer for charity events.
“The fact that now there are so many different kinds of Star Wars stories means they can connect with a lot of different fans.” Kristin said. “The original movies pulled us in when we were children but now you have Andor that pulled in a different audience and Skeleton Crew that is really geared towards kids but is still enjoyable by adults. Star Wars is so big and diverse and that really makes it appeal to so many people.”
Content creator Erica Childs, also known as Pixelated Erica, came to the premiere all the way from Arizona dressed as a pit droid. Though she has been a fan of the series her whole life, Childs said that finding community among other fans brought her enthusiasm to “a whole new level.”
“I feel so lucky. I make Star Wars content, and I feel very fortunate to be invited,” Childs said. “Having other people to be excited with you bings a whole level of enjoyment that you never had before. This is electric, everything you could ever dream of. Star Wars nerds all in the same room. enjoying something together.
“I want more. They left us on a perfect point to still be teased and still want more of this universe and the mystery of it.”
Childs added that if she could she would love to see a Star Wars story that focuses exclusively on droids, and that she would be the first in line to watch more droid content.
As for me, I also stood in line for some droids, ending my night with old favorites R2-D2 and C-3PO on a “Star Tours” to visit the desert planet of Tatooine. Now THIS is podracing.