The Daniels From EEAAO Are Joining Star Wars For The Disney+ Series Skeleton Crew (& That's Great News)
Fresh off their numerous wins for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" at the Academy Awards, the directing duo known as The Daniels are leaving behind the multiverse and heading to a galaxy far, far away. Real names Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the pair will be directing at least one episode of the upcoming Disney+ "Star Wars" series "Skeleton Crew."
Yes, The Daniels will be staging their next fight scenes with lightsabers instead of sex toys. In a story first reported by One Take News, multiple sources confirmed the two directors were involved in "Skeleton Crew," though Lucasfilm has not provided a statement to any press at the time of this writing.
The news is likely to be welcomed both by fans of "Star Wars" and The Daniels. The directors have a unique visual style that was most thoroughly realized in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," but which imbued even their early work directing music videos with a distinctively madcap flair.
What is Skeleton Crew and how many episodes did The Daniels direct?
Details are scant regarding "Skeleton Crew," the upcoming live-action "Star Wars" series on Disney+. According to Disney and Lucasfilm, "'Skeleton Crew' tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home." It stars Jude Law and is co-created by "Spider-Man: No Way Home" director Jon Watts, "The Mandalorian" creator and "Spider-Man" star Jon Favreau, and Lucasfilm executive producer Dave Filoni. According to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Watts approached her about the project, explaining that it was inspired by the 1985 coming-of-age comedy film "The Goonies."
Also unknown: how many episodes of the series will be directed by The Daniels. Most TV shows do not employ a consistent director across an entire season, and the same has been true of "Star Wars" shows. For "The Mandalorian," directors ranged from Filoni to "Thor: Love and Thunder" director Taika Waititi. Even "Andor," which was primarily written by Dan and Tony Gilroy, brought in multiple directors for the series.
"Skeleton Crew" will be set on the "Star Wars" timeline during the New Republic era, after the fall of the Empire in the Original Trilogy but before Disney's Sequel Trilogy, concurrent with shows like "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett." Set in its own corner of the "Star Wars" universe, the show may provide some never before seen avenues to explore the galaxy, allowing The Daniels to bring some of their distinctive sensibilities to bear on their episode(s).
What can fans expect The Daniels to bring to Skeleton Crew?
While it's unclear how many episodes of "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" The Daniels are signed on for, fans shouldn't expect those episodes to be full-on auteur showcases. While Kwan and Scheinert will most likely bring some of their distinctive visual flair to the proceedings, the series remains a family-friendly "Star Wars" project. In other words, don't expect to see any butt plug battles a la "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Hot dog fingers, on the other hand, are not out of the question.
The Daniels' direction on "Skeleton Crew" remains excellent news for "Star Wars" fans, even those who haven't seen "Everything Everywhere All at Once" or other work by the directing team. Hot off their seven Oscar wins for that movie, The Daniels are currently the most in-demand directors in Hollywood. Their involvement will undoubtedly elevate the profile of "Skeleton Crew" to a wider audience of those hungry to see what the visionary creatives do next. And clearly, the pair have an affinity for the cosmic, be it an everything bagel that contains infinity or The Force.
With filming on "Skeleton Crew" having wrapped in January 2023, few involved with the project could have foreseen what hot items The Daniels were about to become. "Everything Everywhere" was projected to win some awards months before the 2023 Academy Awards in March, but few predicted it would take the gold in so many major categories, including best director and best picture. With those wins under their belt, the profiles of projects to which The Daniels were already attached are retroactively elevated. Their involvement in "Skeleton Crew" may draw interest even from those who have previously been "Star Wars" agnostics.