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Star Wars: The High Republic announcement hints at direction of upcoming films and video games

Star Wars: The High Republic has been announced as a series of books and graphic novels: Lucasfilm/Disney
Star Wars: The High Republic has been announced as a series of books and graphic novels: Lucasfilm/Disney

A new line of Star Wars literature has been announced, set 300 years before The Phantom Menace.

Named The High Republic, the sci-fi series is set at the height of the Jedi Order’s power. There had been rumours that there were plans to expand the series into other mediums – namely video games, TV and even films – but Lucasfilm has poured cold water on the suggestion.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said: “We are so excited to be opening up such a rich, fertile era for our authors to explore. We’ll get to see the Jedi in their prime.”

The official Star Wars website adds that “this period on the Star Wars timeline will not overlap any of the filmed features or series currently planned for production, giving creators and partners a vast amount of room to tell Star Wars stories with new adventures and original characters.”

The announcement has opened up speculation about the future of the Star Wars video game franchise, as well as the nature of the next Star Wars film trilogy.

Electronic Arts currently publish all Star Wars video games, although details about future releases are hard to come by. It is widely agreed that we can expect a sequel to 2019’s hit single-player game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at some point in the near future, set between the events of Episode III and Episode IV.

A trilogy of Star Wars films is still planned with The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson at the helm.

There had been no word whether these films will be set after or during the events of the original Star Wars saga – but the High Republic announcement has ruled out the rumour that the films would take place during the same pre-Episode 1 timeframe.