Warning! This article contains spoilers for Skeleton Crew episodes 1 and 2.
Over two decades later, Disney is finally providing me with a live-action remake I’ve always wanted, but it comes in the form of an unexpected series:Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Thestory ofSkeleton Crewseemed relatively straightforward before the show began airing: four kids become lost in the galaxy and need to find their way home while avoiding the deadly pirates ofStar Wars’underworld. However, by the time ofSkeleton Crewepisode 2’s ending, I was surprised at the extra elements baked into the show’s story.
Overall, I foundSkeleton Crew’s first two episodes to be very endearing. Not only wasSkeleton Crew’s cast of charactersincredibly likable, but the aforementioned elements of the story that I was not expecting piqued my interest regarding the last six episodes. The primary way through which the show did this was via the exploration ofSkeleton Crew’s mysterious new planet - At Attin. By the time the credits rolled forSkeleton Crewepisode 2, I was startled to realize that the newestStar Warsshow is a live-action remake of a Disney movie I have always wanted to see.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Is Essentially A Live-Action Remake Of Disney’s Treasure Planet
The 2002 Movie Is Coming To Life In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
After 22 years, Disney isremakingTreasure Planetin live-actionunder the guise ofStar Wars: Skeleton Crew. As I alluded to above,Skeleton Crew’s story involves a lot of aspects that were hidden from the trailers; the planet that the four main children hail from, At Attin, has a mysterious nature, and it is worth exploring exactly how to get to the depths ofSkeleton Crew’sTreasure Planetconnections. Firstly, the planet is hidden from the wider galaxy by “The Barrier,” meaning droids, like Nick Frost’s SM-33, cannot store the map to At Attin in their memory banks.
Security droids also strictly prowl At Attin to make sure people are not breaking the rules, such as when Wim misses school or the Onyx Cinder takes off at the end of episode 1, reinforcing how it is protected from the galaxy.
InSkeleton Crewepisode 2, the children reach Port Borgo to ask for directions home. Once there, they are only met with laughter or disbelief upon telling the pirates that they are from At Attin. Eventually, Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB discover that At Attin is a myth among the pirates ofStar Wars' galaxy: it is described as a lost planet of endless treasure, with many not even certain it exists. Beyond that, it is also unclear whether the planet can be reached to unlock its treasures, despite the children only knowing it as their seemingly insignificant suburban home.
Treasure PlanetandSkeleton Crewhave this exact set-up; A group of pirates attempt to find a planet that is something from legend and has an unclear path to it to uncover centuries' worth of lost gold and jewels…
After hearing these pieces of information as they were presented inSkeleton Crew, I was left with an overwhelming sense of familiarity from the many rewatches ofTreasure Planetthat plagued my childhood.Treasure PlanetandSkeleton Crewhave this exact set-up; A group of pirates try to find a planet that is something from legend and has an unclear path to it to uncover centuries' worth of lost gold and jewels. Even beyondSkeleton Crew’s basic premise, the show continues to prove its similarities toTreasure Planet, which sorely needed to be alive-action remake Disneycommitted to.
Skeleton Crew’s Characters Even Riff On Those From Treasure Planet
The Characters Of Both Projects Are Closely Connected
After making the connection between the plots ofSkeleton CrewandTreasure Planet, I started to realize that other elements also linked both projects. This is evident inSkeleton Crewepisode 1’s opening scene. The sequence shows a group of pirates, led by the masked Captain Silvo, robbing a New Republic cruiser that is said to be stacked with credits. Unfortunately for Silvo, his tip was false, and his pirate underlings committed a mutiny against him.
Treasure Planet
Cast
Treasure Planet is a 2002 animated adventure and Fantasy film from Walt Disney studios. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the story follows a young boy named Jim Hawkins as he attempts to find a fabled treasure and mend ways with his father who abandoned him.
Later,Jude Law’s character is introduced toSkeleton Crew, who is the subject of many theories. One of the more glaringly obvious conclusions is that Law’s character is Captain Silvo. InSkeleton Crewepisode 2’s ending, Silvo agrees to free the kids and get them home. Herein lies the more overt links toTreasure Planet.The main antagonist for much ofTreasure Planetis Long John Silver, or Captain Silver to his mutinous crew. Law is simplyTreasure Planet’s version of Silver - even down to the name, Silvo - whose crew wants to find a, well, treasure-filled planet.
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Then there is Law’s connection with the child characters ofSkeleton Crew. Knowing his true identity of Silvo and the fact that he only agreed to help the kids upon hearing they were from At Attin, it is likely he is manipulating them to reach the untold riches that apparently lie in wait on the planet. This makes the children the stand-in forTreasure Planet’s Jim Hawkins, with the main character of the youthful quarter inSkeleton Crewbeing named Wim.
Treasure Planet Has Deserved A Live-Action Remake For Decades & I Couldn’t Be Happier That It’s Coming In Star Wars
As I have pointed out, the connections betweenSkeleton CrewandTreasure Planetare aplenty, and I, for one, could not be happier. I have been someone who has long wished forTreasure Planetto be given the live-action treatment that Disney has provided with many of its animated classics. Although I have not been overly fond of most of Disney’s live-action remakes, I felt thatTreasure Planet’s scope and galactic scale would benefit from this medium and improve the notoriety of a film that flopped at the box office.
WithStar Wars: Skeleton Crew,it seems I am finally getting my wish. Of course, it is worth noting that I do not thinkSkeleton Crewwas actually conceived of, produced, written, and filmed as aTreasure Planetremake. Nonetheless, the connections between the two projects are evident, allowing me to suspend my disbelief and experience a story that I am familiar with in a new way, with new characters, and, most importantly, with the look and feel ofStar Wars.
As someone who adores the universe George Lucas created, I was overly thrilled by the connections I made betweenStar Wars’upcoming TV showandTreasure Planet. It could be the case that these connections lessen as the former continues, especially with the hints that At Attin could link toStar Wars' High Republic era. Regardless, I am content to enjoy the similarities betweenSkeleton CrewandTreasure Planetas long as they are prevalent, allowing me to experience a live-action version of an underrated Disney movie 22 years later, albeit with the skin of a galaxy I know and love.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
