A live-action version of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic might be in development over at Lucasfilm, but even if that is the case, don’t expect it for several years or more.
Just a few days after Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told Entertainment Weekly that the Star Wars movie franchise would “take a hiatus for a couple of years,” she implied to MTV News’ that there are plans to develop … something … based on the beloved Star Wars video game Knights of the Old Republic.
“We talk about that all the time,” Kathleen Kennedy said when asked outright about Knights of the Old Republic. “Yes, we are developing something to look at. Right now I have no idea where things might fall. We have to be careful that there is a cadence to Star Wars that doesn’t start to feel like too much.”
The wider internet is taking this as confirmation that a KOTOR movie is in development, but neither Horowitz’ question nor Kennedy’s response specifies something for film or television or even live-action. It could be a movie, a movie trilogy, a Disney+ live-action series, or even a Disney+ animated series.
To say the folks at Lucasfilm “talk about that all the time” and “are developing something to look at” is very different from something being in legitimate “development.” What Kennedy probably means is that Lucasfilm is aware of how often Star Wars fans talk about Knights of the Old Republic, and they’ve knocked around a few ideas in some meetings. Maybe somebody is assigned to development a treatment or formal pitch, and then they can take it from there.
Plenty of folks out there have also theorized that the upcoming Star Wars movie(s) from Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff might take place during the Old Republic era or even adapt Knights of the Old Republic outright. We don’t know anything for sure.
What we do know for sure is that Knights of the Old Republic is easily the best Star Wars video game of all time from BioWare, the developer behind the Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Anthem franchises. The story takes place thousands of years before the nine Skywalker films when the Jedi Order was at its peak, and it follows a Jedi named Revan who wavers between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. It’s an epic story that chronicles several impactful wars from the era, and a great schism that happens in the Jedi Order as a result.
Darth Malak (left) and Darth Revan (right) before the events presented in the first 'Knights of the Old Republic'.
In the game, the player is able to push him deeper into darkness or deliver him from evil with a redemptive arc back towards the light. You get to define his/her unique Force powers, fighting styles, and pick all your lightsaber colors, meaning you can use a double-sided saber or dual-wield different colors. The unique capacity for customization is a huge part of what makes the game so widely loved, but even more significant is an excellent story with enough action, romance, and mystery to keep the most diehard Star Wars fans enthralled. So adapting the story into a movie with just one narrative won’t be easy, but the world of KOTOR is ripe for new adventures.
Don’t expect to hear much else from Lucasfilm about this potential adaptation until after The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters. For now, I think we can all just keep dreaming.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters December 20, 2019.
