The Young Jedi Knights and Jedi Academy were a series of novels which told the stories of the Solo children as they learnt the ways of The Force in the years after the Empires downfall as Luke Skywalker sought to rebuild the Jedi Order. The advantage a film like this would have as a standalone feature would be that it wouldnt have to rely on the main cast of the new trilogy to succeed; Mark Hamill could cameo as Luke, but the cast could be apprised of entirely new, and much younger, characters as they train to become Jedi. The characters in this film could also appear in the new trilogy later on as fully fledged Knights, similar to the way many of Marvels heroes have appeared in small roles before crossing over for the big events. A Jedi Academy film could also act as a bridge between Episodes VII and VIII, perhaps further hinting where the story could go while simultaneously building the universe for a larger audience. There is much in Jedi Academy that would also appeal to a younger audience than the new trilogy as well; after all, what young child doesnt dream of becoming a powerful Jedi and wielding a lightsaber? If it were to go in this direction, a Jedi Academy movie would be a blend of Harry Potter and Star Wars, but hopefully it wouldnt sink too low to appeal to children as Phantom Menace did with Jar Jar Binks when it comes to being kid-friendly.
Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.
