Star Wars: Ranking the upcoming projects based on hype
As a bombardment of Star Wars material approaches, I run through the upcoming projects by rating them on the hype scale.
Allow me to introduce you to the hype scale – an advanced rating system of my own design that took all of 10 seconds to come up with.
Using this new and advanced technology (I think the rebels might try and steal the plans to it), I’ll be ranking the upcoming slate of Star Wars projects that are about to flood theaters, televisions, and comic shops alike.
The Star Wars production plate has never been fuller than it is right now. Think about it: a 24-part comic maxiseries starting next month, Episode IX just over a year away, The Clone Wars revival creeping up, two new TV shows on the way, and two new film trilogies on the horizon.
The twin suns of Tatooine have never looked brighter.
Back to the hype scale. I know you’re wondering how it works, but it’s inner workings are so complex that even Master Yoda himself would have trouble comprehending it. Well, the scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the “wake me when it’s over” level and 10 being the “take my money now, where do I sign?” level.
Let’s run through the projects, going from the lowest hype level to the highest.
AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 12: Writer/Director Rian Johnson attends the Star Wars: The Last Jedi “The Director and The Jedi” SXSW Documentary Premiere at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Rian Johnson trilogy
Hype level: 3 (AKA “I’ll be there but I’m not sure I wanna be”)
Some people enjoyed The Last Jedi; some loathed it. Personally, I’m more on the “don’t care for it” side of things.
Lucasfilm gave Rian Johnson the keys to the car – all he had to do was not drive it off a cliff. Turns out, that car’s been teetering on the edge of a 100-foot drop. Yes, it made a huge profit. The thing is, fans don’t really care about how much it made. They care about how much they liked/hated it.
Rian has a chance to get that car back on the road. His upcoming trilogy will focus on characters outside of the Skywalker saga, an intriguing aspect that could bode well. I mean, unless Rey turns out to be in a different tree, every saga film will have focused on the Skywalkers in some way.
I’m giving this a hype level of 3, not because I didn’t like Rian’s previous work but because there’s more excitement around the other projects.
Marvel Star Wars comics Age of Star Wars teaser. Photo credit: Marvel Comics
Ages of Star Wars maxiseries
Hype level: 5 (“I’ve got a good feeling about this”)
In my best Count Dooku voice, let me say that I’ve been looking forward to this.
In my piece on the issues that I’m most anticipating, the one that kept nagging at me was Snoke. Not to keep ragging on The Last Jedi, but Snoke’s death left me at a loss. That guy has to be somebody, right? He’s got to mean something.
I’ve always been a big Republic guy, and wouldn’t you know it, the series kicks off in the Republic era. Qui-Gon’s issue is released on December 5, with my main man Maul debuting a week later. I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for Star Wars comics – what a time to be alive.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 10: Actor Diego Luna attends the premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” at the Pantages Theatre on December 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Cassian Andor TV series
Hype level: 6 (“Not sure it’s necessary, but I’ll gladly take it”)
Rogue One did so many things right. Fans loved it, there were new characters that we were invested in, the villain was compelling, and Vader was unleashed. So, I guess the logical thing would be to make a TV show out of it.
I’m in.
At this point, they might as well call it the Star Wars streaming service. Enough with this Disney streaming service garbage – we know what it really is. The Cassian series is the latest project to be announced by Lucasfilm, with Diego Luna reprising his role. He’ll be the focal point of the series, but that’s pretty much all we know about the Rogue One prequel project.
If Disney wants to keep churning out Rogue One-related material, I’m game.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Star Wars: Episode IX
Hype level: 7 (“Now this is something I can dance to”)
J.J. Abrams has his work cut out for him.
After the backlash that The Last Jedi brought about, it’s up to Abrams to right the ship. I’m not sure he’ll be able to fix what happened to Snoke (he’s not getting up from that one), but he can definitely mend the disappointment around Rey’s lineage. If there’s anybody who can fix the saga, it’s J.J.
There’s a weird feeling surrounding Episode IX. Remember the olden days, when all we ever got was a saga film every three years and you could almost taste the excitement? Well, I’m afraid those days are gone, my friends. Episode IX is going to wrap up the entire trilogy, and yet, the film itself is almost an afterthought. Still, I’m pretty hyped for it, enough for it to warrant a 7 on the hype scale.
Think back to when LeBron dragged the Cavs to the Finals last year – all the pressure was on his shoulders. It’s the same thing here; J.J. is tasked with bringing the fans back together, while also bringing the sequel trilogy to a satisfying close. I would not want to be in his shoes right now.
Photo credit: Lucasfilm/The Clone Wars
The Clone Wars revival
Hype level: 8 (“I didn’t realize how much I needed this in my life”)
Wanna know what I’m thankful for this year?
Dave Filoni.
When the revival was announced, I was dumbstruck. It was like a dream. My childhood came rushing back to me as Ahsoka said hello to her former master in a hologram. I can honestly say that I never thought I’d see The Clone Wars close with, well, closure. It’d been a few years since Cartoon Network canceled it, but The Lost Missions were pretty good.
Now, The Clone Wars is back. The hype is real, so real that it gets an 8 on the hype scale.
Benioff and Weiss trilogy
Hype level: 9 (“Where do I sign?”)
Benioff and Weiss get a 9 on the hype scale. Why?
Because I’m totally banking on a Knights of the Old Republic trilogy.
Honestly, I don’t care what the Game of Thrones duo have planned. They’re getting my money anyway. However, a KOTOR trilogy has all the makings of an epic spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. When I speculated on what the trilogy would focus on, I said that KOTOR could be as grand in scale as Infinity War was. I’m not saying that the stakes will be as high, but I think that it’ll be the same in a visual sense.
Winter is coming………
The Mandalorian. Photo credit: LucasFilm
The Mandalorian
Hype level: 10 (“Yes sir, Mr. Favreau. My money is yours”)
Jon Favreau is no stranger to the Star Wars universe. Now, he’s back, and in a big way.
Everything that’s come out regarding The Mandalorian has brought a smile to my face. The title, the plot, the Clone Wars ties – basically anything that we’ve heard, we’ve liked. Pedro Pascal has been cast in the lead role, so that’s a great start.
Favreau has served geekdom before – he directed the first two Iron Man movies and voiced Pre Vizsla in The Clone Wars. I’ve got no reason to believe that this won’t blow me away.
dark. Next. Why would Death Troopers be in The Mandalorian?