So Eddie, you got any updates for us lately?
I sure do!
I’ve spent a good amount of time away lately, but TCW:R is never far from my thoughts. Soon(ish), I’ll be returning to work, to polish up those final eleven(ish) episodes to 2.0 standard, to properly finish the main release. To fit TCW:R into my life, I’ll be alternating between periods of attention and other hobbies, but rest assured I intend to work through my many future plans for the show too.
Anyway, this is way further out, and not yet a promise, but I’ve recently been thinking about how I’d convert the show into a series of movies, if I ever did come to do that.
I’m very happy with the choices I’ve made regarding what content to include, and the way the narrative flows. I’d want to preserve that. So I wouldn’t be looking just to highlight the more punchy major arcs - I’d want to amalgamate existing episodes into around two-hour narratives, intercutting storylines rather than just merging arcs/episodes end-to-end, since I find that paces them better and makes the experience more smooth. However, they’d all try to further our main plotlines (Ahsoka, Ventress/Nightsister/Maul, Mandalore, and Anakin/Obi-Wan to a lesser degree), and I’d try to end them on punchy scenes drawing main characters together. Some might have that good punch, but others might feel more like two hour episodes.
I’d switch to using the classic Star Wars opening crawls (more room for text!) and maybe add more cinematic music.
Anyway, I think I’d break the story as follows:
Movie 1 - Christophsis, Malevolence, Satine on Mandalore & Coronet, Cloak of Darkness
- Possible cold open on Life and Death from TOTJ, showing Ahsoka’s discovery by the Jedi.
- Start with Anakin and Obi-Wan tracking Ventress on Christophsis, whilst the Malevolence attacks Plo Koon (this is our ‘crisis’)
- Christophsis is saved, and our trio head to deal with the Malevolence. Dooku talks to Death Watch during this time, setting up-
- Obi-Wan heads to Mandalore (during the Malevolence crisis if possible - I might be able to have Luminara the one who brings the fleet to fight the Malevolence rather than Obi-Wan, which’d smooth this out PLUS set up Ahsoka with Luminara later.)
- As Obi-Wan (and later Anakin) deal with Mandalore, Ahsoka travels with Luminara and fights Ventress (explaining Ventress’ absence after Christophsis)
- Anakin comes to collect Ahsoka, our movie ends on him respecting her success.
Movie 2 - Ryloth, Domino Squad, Satine on Coruscant
- All three plots begin in parallel - Anakin’s been training Ahsoka and they deal with the battle in Ryloth’s skies whilst Obi-Wan works with Satine on Coruscant, and the Domino Squad fail and are sent to the Rishi Moon.
- Anakin and Ahsoka join the Ryloth ground battle (perhaps adding a little of Obi-Wan’s Ryloth journey around this time), as Domino Squad struggle on the Rishi Moon
- After Ryloth, Ahsoka is disciplined and taken off duty, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan to join the Rishi plot, following Grievous’ attack to Kamino and the nice conclusion there.
Movie 3 - Nightsisters, Holocron Crisis
- Ahsoka’s being disciplined by assignment to the Jedi Archives, whilst we open on Anakin and Obi-Wan versus Ventress, and Ventress getting kicked out by Dooku
- Anakin and Obi-Wan return to Coruscant (and the plot joins Ahsoka), both movies play in parallel
- End on the Holocron conclusion and Ahsoka’s decision to be involved in teaching younglings
- Final tag is the reveal that Savage must find Maul
Movie 4 - Lair of Grievous/Massacre, Corruption on Mandalore, Boba Fett vs Mace Windu
- All three plots begin in parallel - Ahsoka and Padmé do good on Mandalore, Anakin and Mace come into conflict with Boba Fett and crash land, Republic forces (tipped off by Ventress) attack Grievous’ lair
- More parallel - Ahsoka returns from Mandalore, recovers Anakin and joins the Boba Fett hunt, whilst Grievous strikes back and destroys the Nightsisters
- End on Savage getting close to finding Maul.
Movie 5 - Geonosis and the Return of Maul
- Simple parallel play - The setup and battle of Geonosis, whilst Savage recovers Maul.
- Ideally as much as possible intercutting between Ahsoka/Barris’ worms encounter with Anakin and Obi-Wan hunting Maul - or we just stick the Maul pursuit on at the end.
Movie 6 - Heroes on Both Sides, Rako Hardeen, Ahsoka vs Trandoshans
- More parallel stories - Obi-Wan and Anakin begin the Rako Hardeen arc whilst Ahsoka and Padmé work in the Senate.
- After Rako (Obi-Wan) evades Anakin, Anakin and Ahsoka go to Felucia, where Ahsoka gets kidnapped. Now Anakin has lost both partners in a short period of time. We continue both plots.
- Once Ahsoka is recovered, the remaining main characters all travel to Naboo for the conclusion of the Rako Hardeen arc (the attempted assassination of Palpatine).
Movie 7 - A Friend in Need, Zygerria Slavery, Umbara
- Ahsoka and Satine follow the Mandalore plot, whilst Anakin fights on the front lines on Umbara.
- Then, Anakin and Ahsoka rejoin for the Zygerria arc, whilst the Umbara story continues with Obi-Wan
- The Zygerria arc concludes, and Anakin returns to Umbara to wrap that story up.
- End on the opening of Revival, where the Mandalorians (seen in A Friend in Need’s content at the start of this movie) discover Maul.
Movie 8 - Revival, Maul Shadow Collective, Onderon
- More intercutting - Onderon plays out in full, covering a lot of time which is nicely padded by the many victories of the Maul Shadow Collective.
Movie 9 - Shades of Reason, Mortis, Order 66
- All three episodes in parallel. The trio go on a vision quest, whilst Maul moves on Mandalore, and the Order 66 mystery develops.
- Close the main plot on the Order 66 conclusion, and end on Maul’s/Almec’s ascent.
Movie 10 - Ahsoka’s Fall, The Lawless, Sifo-Dyas
- Open on the first quarter of Ahsoka’s fall, with the bombing investigation.
- Anakin and Obi-Wan then get drawn into the plot around Sifo-Dyas and the Pykes, whilst Ahsoka investigates more solo.
- When Anakin returns to hunt for fugitive Ahsoka, Obi-Wan travels to Mandalore to liberate it, but fails and leaves.
- End on the conclusion of Ahsoka’s fall.
Movie 11 - Scipio/Yoda’s Quest
- Open on Palpatine cleaning house on Mandalore, from the Lawless.
- Another parallel story, as the final pieces are put into place, as the banks fall under Republic control (Anakin/Padmé) and Yoda learns that this is all wrong. I’ll be careful to balance Dooku’s appearances between both plots.
- Obi-Wan is minimal in this episode, presumably recovering in the Jedi temple after the loss of Satine.
Movie 12(/13?) - Finales
- This one’s a bit more tricky, since RotS interrupts the Siege of Mandalore. So it’d probably be best to just watch the Martez episode then the rest of season five intercut with RotS as I currently have it.
- I might make a Martez/Siege of Mandalore episode, to be watched in full probably after RotS (since it picks up with Ahsoka after we’ve apparently had her leave the main storyline).
- Or, I might make two movies here, mixing animation with live action, with the first being Martez, Maul’s capture, and the opening half of RotS; and the second being the Order 66 focus from both RotS and the Siege of Mandalore.
OTHER NOTES
- We’d skip the Bounty Hunters on Felucia arc - it’s cute and reintroduces our characters for season two, but it’s not vital.
- We’d skip the Crash on Maridun - it gives us a little Anakin/Ahsoka time but it’s very light.
- We’d skip the three mini stories from Tales from the Lost Clones - they’re good but they don’t really have a home.
- We’d skip the Son of Dathomir audio comic - it’d be recommended to watch this, but it’s too graphically dissimilar to merge with other content.
- I could maybe make a bonus less important movie, probably #6.5, featuring the Younglings and Citadel arcs, plus Ventress as a Bounty Hunter.
Again, totally not a promise, just some thoughts on how I’d restructure this into movies for those who want TCW:R consumable in that format.
Very interested in thoughts.