Lucasfilm has finally pulled the curtain on Project Luminous and have put together an announcement event that is being covered by multiple outlets including SlashFilm and ABC.
Things we’ve learned about Project Luminous from the event.
- Was first pitched in 2014.
- It takes place during the time of The High Republic.
- The High Republic is set 200 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the prequels.
- The bad guys during The High Republic are scary warrior types called Nihil being referred to as Space Vikings.
- The Jedi are being referred to Knights of The Roundtable and will act more like rangers.
- The five authors hired for Project Luminous include Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel Jose Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule.
- They revealed concept art of High Republic Jedi from artist Phil Noto.
- The first novel will be titled Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of The Jedi from author Charles Soule and will released in August.
- Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of The Jedi will introduce a new Wookie Jedi and focus on an event called The Great Disaster.
- Two other novels will include Star Wars: The High Republic: Into The Dark by Claudia Gray and Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland.
- Production designer Doug Chiang and character concept artist Iain McCaig are working on Project Luminous.
Here is the full press release from Lucasfilm.
Later this year, Lucasfilm will launch an epic new era of Star Wars storytelling that will be explored through multiple voices in adult and young adult novels, children’s books, and comics from a variety of publishers including Disney Lucasfilm Press, Del Rey, IDW Publishing, and Marvel.
Star Wars: The High Republic, which has previously been referred to as “Project Luminous”, will be set in an era when the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order are at their zenith, about 200 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. This period on the Star Wars timeline will not overlap any of the filmed features or series currently planned for production, giving creators and partners a vast amount of room to tell Star Wars stories with new adventures and original characters.
“We are so excited to be opening up such a rich, fertile era for our authors to explore,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “We’ll get to see the Jedi in their prime.”
“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,” says Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain. “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.”
“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,” says Lucasfilm vice president, franchise content and strategy James Waugh.
As previously announced, Star Wars: The High Republic has enlisted top-tier, fan-favorite authors Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule to craft this new era of Star Wars publishing.
The first books and comics are set to debut at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in August 2020 with Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, a massive interconnected story that’s told across various formats by various publishers.
#ProjectLuminous will be set in the high republic, 200 years before the prequels, a time of peace and prosperity. A time when Jedi were galactic guardians. Also a time of galactic expansion, new hyperspace lanes have been created.
— Peter Sciretta loves Star Wars (@PeterSciretta) February 25, 2020
The bad guys in the High Republic are a group of scary warrior types called the Nhil (not totally sure on spelling). #ProjectLuminous
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
The bad guys in the High Republic are a group of scary warrior types called the Nhil (not totally sure on spelling). #ProjectLuminous
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
Quick photo. #ProjectLuminous pic.twitter.com/KbW3G0DPDQ
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
Jedi of the High Republic. #ProjectLuminous pic.twitter.com/KV65uRGyMC
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
“Light of the Jedi”, coming out in August, begins with an event called “The Great Disaster” and tells the story of how the Jedi come together to deal with it. #ProjectLuminous
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
The bad guys, known as the Nihil. (It sounds like “Nile”.) “Like Sid Vicious taking over the galaxy,” says author Justina Ireland. #ProjectLuminous pic.twitter.com/sqVBD75buP
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
Attn. cosplayers pt. 2 #ProjectLuminous pic.twitter.com/oc6JKuQEoo
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
Attn. cosplayers. #ProjectLuminous pic.twitter.com/Lnj2CNbsnf
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2020
SOURCE: LUCASFILM, SLASH FILM & ABC