The budget for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is reportedly even larger than The Mandalorian‘s, making it the most expensive live-action Star Wars show yet. After the conclusion of Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy, ending with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, the beloved world of the movies made the move to live-action television. Starting with The Mandalorian in 2019, Disney+ now features three live-action Star Wars shows in total, including The Book of Boba Fett and, most recently, Obi-Wan Kenobi, with several others now in the works.
Among the shows currently in production in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which is to be created by Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Jon Watts. The series was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2022 earlier this year, with the plot confirmed to follow a group of teenage kids who get lost in the galaxy and must find their way home. Although much remains unknown about the anticipated Star Wars show, it has been revealed that Jude Law, who was recently seen as Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, has signed on to play one of the adult leads.
Per a new report from THR, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew could boast a production budget of as much as $136 million for its first season, surpassing that of The Mandalorian, the first season of which is said to have been about $100 million. Although the budget for Obi-Wan Kenobi has not been made public, the budget for The Book of Boba Fett is estimated to be around $100 million as well, potentially making Star Wars: Skeleton Crew one of the most expensive live-action Star Wars shows yet, according to the report. The show’s large budget, however, will be offset by the $20.9 million the show has been awarded in tax credits.
Although many details regarding Star Wars: Skeleton Crew still remain unknown, it’s likely that Jude Law’s salary at least partially accounts for the show’s large budget. It’s also possible that the series is larger in scope and scale than the likes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, especially considering it sounds as if the characters will explore a variety of locations across the Star Wars universe. Regardless of the exact reasoning behind the larger budget, it’s clear Disney is confident in the show and the vision of executive producers Watts, Jon Favreau, Chris Ford, and Dave Filoni.
With the state of Disney’s Star Wars movie slate still somewhat in flux after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it’s clear that TV shows will be a major focus for the franchise in the coming years. With The Mandalorian season 3 already hotly anticipated and with other shows like Andor, Ahsoka, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte in various stages of development, Disney appears to be doubling down on live-action Star Wars TV content. Although specifics regarding the show are still hard to come by, the sizable budget for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew suggests it will be a significant addition to the growing Disney+ roster of Star Wars shows.
