Disney and Lucasfilm are preparing to release a set of novels that will retell the story of the original Star Wars trilogy, yet from a different set of perspectives, and with much added detail.
The new Star Wars books will have unique titles, according to Polygon , in keeping with their theme of added story and information. According to the announcement released by Disney and Lucasfilm, the three books will all have different authors as well. The books will include Star Wars: A New Hope — The Princess, The Scoundrel, and The Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back — So You Want to Be a Jedi by Adam Gidwitz; and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi — Beware the Power of the Dark Side! by Tom Angleberger.
Disney and Lucasfilm are re-imagining the original Star Wars stories in new novels http://t.co/SOtBXbVtRo pic.twitter.com/cQEPHQkNHb
— Polygon (@Polygon) June 5, 2015
The new series of books will be released on Sept 22, but in the meantime, fans can read an excerpt from the first novel that has already been posted online . According to the official Star Wars site , the books will include significant backstory, putting readers inside the character’s heads. The works will be focused on inner perspectives and narratives, according to Io9 , and are intended to be geared toward a younger audience, specifically Star Wars fans between eight and 12 years of age.
“But these are more than just mere retellings from this top talent; these are fresh interpretations — true to the films but filtered through each author’s vision. In each novel, the authors get inside the characters’ heads, tell us about the scenes between the scenes, and even teach us how to be a Jedi.”
#StarWars comic book makes a major change to Han Solo’s backstory: http://t.co/wQ3WsfdBZD pic.twitter.com/arF2hXgxxW
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) June 4, 2015
The novels’ announcement comes not only during the lead-up to the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens , but also just a week after Disney made a significant change to Han Solo’s backstory. As the Inquisitr previously reported, that change came to fans through the Star Wars comics , and was received with some trepidation. While many Star Wars acolytes expected Disney to expand upon the universe created by George Lucas, few have talked about the possibility that the company could redefine the world of the original films, which it now appears is hardly off limits.
#StarWars : Han Solo has a secret… and the comics revealed it. Spoilers ahead! http://t.co/DBtPh0RQig pic.twitter.com/DED8Y6cExs
— IGN (@IGN) June 3, 2015
It is unclear whether these books are intended to be part of Disney’s Road To The Force Awakens initiative, which was announced earlier in the year, and is intended to encompass numerous publications leading up to the film. Though Aftermath is considered one of the most crucial of those, Disney seems poised to release a wealth of content ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens .
[Image: Lucasfilm/ Disney via Io9 ]