The new multimedia initiative from Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The High Republic launches today, January 5th, 2021. It’s the latest development for Lucasfilm, which announced its upcoming onscreen offerings during Disney Investor Day last month.
The launch of The High Republic was celebrated with a livestream yesterday on YouTube featuring the creative director of Lucasfilm Publishing, Michael Siglain, along with many of the creators taking part in the initiative: Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule. If you’re interested, you can watch the hour-long online event right now on YouTube.
The High Republic was first announced as the enigmatic “Project Luminous,” but in February 2020, it was revealed to be a multimedia publishing endeavor that incorporates prose and comics.
Initially, the first wave of The High Republic was meant to be released in August 2020, to be timed with the 2020 Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s Celebration was delayed until 2022.
In May 2020, Lucasfilm announced that The High Republic’s release schedule would be delayed from August 2020 to January 2021.
But now, January 2021 has arrived, and the first books in The High Republic are available today. Set on a timeline that takes place two centuries before Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the multimedia initiative explores a period of the Galaxy’s history when the Jedi were at their strongest.
The three books available today, January 5th, 2021, are Light of the Jedi by Soule, A Test of Courage by Ireland, and The Great Jedi Rescue by Scott. The books introduce new characters and are geared towards readers of all ages.
And tomorrow, January 6th, the first issue of the new Star Wars: The High Republic comic series will be released by Marvel Comics, written by Scott and featuring art by Ario Anindito and Star Wars comics mainstay Phil Noto, with letters by Ariana Maher and colors by Annalisa Leoni.
Then next month, The High Republic will continue with Into the Dark, a novel by Gray, as well as the first issue in the IDW comic Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, written by Older, illustrated by Harvey Tolibao, with colors by Rebecca Nalty.
Will you be heading to the nearest Wookie Planet Trading Post to purchase one of these books from Trader Saun Dann? Let The Beat know in the comments!
