The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort is an immersive-theater experience playing out over the course of two nights. An experience that puts you in the middle of the action, and part of the story. The adventure takes place on the Halcyon Starcruiser, a vessel that has been traveling the galaxy for 275 years when you board.
Like Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, this adventure takes place, between the films “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (Episode 8) and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” (Episode 9). It’s no coincidence that the storylines of Star Wars Galaxy’s edge and the Galactic Star Cruiser are connected, and influence each other.
The fact that this experience takes place at a very specific point in time, provides an opportunity to bridge “storytelling gaps”, what happens to Rey and Kylo after the battle of Crait (The end of Episode 8), more interesting, what exactly is the Halcyon, and what has it been doing for 275 years.
That is exactly the type of storytelling adventure the Lucasfilms Story Group was designed for, a cohesive storyline setting up the back story of the 275-year history of the Halcyon. Where do you start? What goes into creating this type of storyline? I asked Matt Martin of the Lucas Film Story Group Exactly that. As it turns out the Haylcon has been recently restored by Chandrila Star Line to re-create its maiden voyage from the Core World of Chandrila to the far-flung Outer Rim destination of Batuu.
Over its lifetime, the ship changed hands many times and was used for various purposes, from covert diplomatic missions to Imperial engagements to Hutt-sponsored casino cruises and more.
Tales from these different eras of the ship’s history are already being told in other Star Wars stories, including:
- “Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy,” a five-issue comic book miniseries written by Ethan Sacks with art by Will Sliney, detailing the ship’s various incarnations through the centuries
- “Star Wars: The High Republic: Mission to Disaster,” a novel by Justina Ireland where a Jedi Knight and her padawan find themselves aboard the ship as part of a journey to rescue a friend
- “Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel,” a novel by Beth Revis debuting Aug. 16, 2022, telling the story of Han Solo and Leia Organa’s honeymoon trip on the Starcruiser … which did not go exactly according to plan
For more from Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge be sure to check out the Story Behind the Story, Opening Day interviews, an interview with Doug Chiang, a special D23 Expo look at creating the Music of Galaxy’s Edge, DJ Rex in action at Oga’s Cantina, An Overview of Batuu, a look at creating galaxy’s edge with an Imagineer, merchandise, Docking Bay 7, Star Wars Comic Books, Star Wars Myths & Fables, Galaxy’s Edge Cookbook, a look behind the Galactic Starcruiser, a Galaxy Far Far Away stage show, and Star Wars Galactic Fireworks from Hollywood Studios.
