Hey, you know howI wrote a couple weeks agothatStar Warsis a setting that fits any genre of game, froman MMOto aclassic RPGor anXCOM-style strategy game? I’m back again to say the same thing, but different – Star Wars can be anything, even horror.
Is A Star Wars Horror Project Happening?
Just as that other article was kicked off by the leaks of Star Wars Bruno, a new tactical turn-based game from Bit Reactor and Respawn, this is in response to a comment by Tony Gilroy, showrunner of the undisputed best Star Wars series ever made,Andor. In March, Gilroy jokedto SFX Magazinethat Andor’s success could pave the way for a sitcom or horror project within the universe.
He even brought up the possibility of a courtroom drama, which… yes! Anatomy of a Fall, but Star Wars? Say less.
Then, speaking toBusiness Insiderearlier this month, Gilroy followed up on this earlier comment by saying, “They’re doing that. I think they’re doing that. I think that’s in the works, yeah.”
This is not an official confirmation, nor is it even very conclusive – “I think so” is hardly a confirmation, really – but I still did a fist pump at my desk.
Star Wars Needs To Change To Survive
Star Wars has been increasingly flirting with genre over the last few years. Andor, of course, is a spy thriller that focuses more on rebellion and political intrigue than the Jedi this IP is best known for, andStar Wars Outlawsdoes something similar by putting us in the shoes of a scoundrel. Skeleton Crew is a pirate adventure for kids. It’s not all just epic space opera vibes anymore. There’s even a Star Wars novel called Death Troopers where a virus creates a zombie takeover.
But Star Wars has always been a little scary. Anakin Skywalker killing children and Darth Vader being able to choke people to death from afar are both very horror-coded, things that if portrayed differently could easily have fuelled weeks, even years of nightmares. There’s a lot of darkness in Star Wars.
To portray Star Wars in just one tone and one genre forever feels shortsighted. In fact, Andor’s runaway success with audiences and critics alike proves that there’s plenty of room for experimentation within the Star Wars universe. Audiences have watched Star Wars since the ‘70s – of course they’re hungry to see it evolve. What’s the use of a franchise that always stays the same?
I’m biased towards the potential of a horror project, because I love horror and how it plays with contemporary fears to tell relevant, interesting stories.Star Wars has always done the same, since the original trilogy was rooted in dissent for the Vietnam war and how democracies become dictatorships. Hell, they’rescarilyrelevant even now. The Star Wars universe is one full of fears eerily akin to our own. It lends itself perfectly to horror.
But more broadly, Star Wars has potential in any kind of genre, because it’s a universe and not a single story. A sitcom? Yeah, I’d watch Seinfeld but Star Wars. A courtroom drama? Yes, Idowant to learn about the intricacies of the Star Wars legal system, actually. Star Wars can, andshould, be more than what we know it to be. Why not start with horror?
