The Jude Law-starring Disney+ Star Wars series Skeleton Crew brings back a bizarre deep cut character from the 1985 film Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.
The straight to television film told the story of the beloved Ewoks as they fought marauders on the forest moon of Endor and featured a strange wee beastie called the Teek, a creature that's now making a return to Star Wars canon.
David Lowery, one of the directors leading Skeleton Crew, told Empire of the Teeks' return in the series, perhaps implying Endor will feature too. He said he was impressed seeing the use of classic hand puppets against the background of Lucasfilm's Volume set, an LED-based immersive soundstage used for filming the likes of The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan.
"I was most excited about having hand puppets on set," Lowery said. "It’s the most ancient technology being used with the most cutting-edge technology, simultaneously. That combination was absolutely magical.
"There’s a character in my episode that’s the Teek, from Battle For Endor. And it’s just a little hand puppet. I was like, ‘Is he gonna get digitally touched up, or replaced?’ No, in the final episode it’s just a hand puppet in the middle of this crazy Volume set. The cognitive dissonance of seeing those two things together, live in front of you, is absolutely incredible."
Teeks haven't featured in Star Wars since 1985 and were kicked from canon when Disney took over the franchise in 2012. And while other major elements have made the jump from the old Legends universe to the current canon universe, such as Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Sith World of Malachor, and Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy, it's perhaps unlikely even the most hardcore fans saw Teeks coming.
Skeleton Crew and the Teeks arrive on December 3 with a two-episode premiere on Disney+. It's been a long time coming, as the show wrapped filming way back in January 2023 and was initially expected out later that year.
Disney went quiet on Skeleton Crew, however, and despite it showing a trailer for the show in April 2023 to attendees of Star Wars Celebration, it was a series of leaks that revealed the most information surrounding the show.
It finally shared a trailer in August though, showing off the Goonies-esque adventure as Law's character helps a group of children navigate the galaxy far, far away.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
