‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ first look — this could be the show Disney Plus desperately needs

It's safe to say that "Star Wars" as a franchise has been in a rough spot for a while now. Despite my early optimism about "The Acolyte" , the Disney Plus show turned out to be just the latest of the franchise's mixed efforts.

Sure, the wuxia-style fight scenes were fun, and it managed to dish up one of the very best lightsaber duels in a long time, I'll happily admit that "The Acolyte" didn't end up becoming the killer "Star Wars" show I was hoping for: "Andor" is still the high point of the Disney years so far.

That said, I can't shake the hold that the franchise has on me; seeing my first "Star Wars" movie in theaters ("Revenge of the Sith") remains a core childhood memory, and I've continued to check out every "Star Wars" release that comes our way in the vain hope we get another all-time hit.

Having read that big "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" update we just got from People , I have to admit: I'm ready to get my hopes up that this might end up becoming one of the best Disney Plus shows all over again.

Why I'm excited about "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew"

Per the official season synopsis"Skeleton Crew" sees Jude Law traveling to the galaxy far, far away as new character Jod Na Nawood for a new coming-of-age tale that revolves around a group of lost youngsters who are striving to escape a 'strange and dangerous' galaxy and make their way home.

When it was announced back in 2022, the series was pitched as 'a galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of-adventure films of the '80s' set post-"Return of the Jedi" (via Variety ) The promise of combining this amazing universe with the sense of adventure that comes through in classics such as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" or "The Goonies" was an immediate draw for me, and the synopsis sells it even more.

It feels distinctive among the other "Star Wars" projects; it's a very specific mood to shoot for and one which the team seems to have achieved: Jude Law said 'joyful' was the first word that came to mind when asked to describe the series in his interview with People .

The creative team behind the project is a big draw for me, too. The series is helmed by MCU Spider-Man director Jon Watts and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" writer, Christopher Ford. With "Homecoming" (and Watts' subsequent Spidey movies), the pair have demonstrated a knack for stories of heroism with a younger crew.

They've also doubled down on that sense of fun on set; Watts recalled in the same interview that he had to keep telling the child stars to 'Stop smiling!' whilst shooting scenes on their hover bikes because they were having too much of a good time on set.

It's still early days, and we still have precious little info to work with beyond an official synopsis and a few first-look images shared on X, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to streaming "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" when it premiers this December. If it does end up being another misfire... well, we've always got "Andor" season 2 to look forward to.

More from Tom's Guide

• I would definitely cancel Disney Plus this month — here's why
• New on Disney Plus in August 2024 — "Young Jedi Adventures" and more
• "The Acolyte" ending explained: "Star Wars" cameos, deaths and season 2 chances