The Skywalker saga may be over but the future of Star Wars is here. For months, Lucasfilm has been teasing the mysterious Project Luminous. Now, they've revealed that it is a massive publishing initiative called Star Wars: The High Republic that will be telling interconnected stories in an era hundreds of years before the events of the original trilogy. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had this to say.

"We are so excited to be opening up such a rich, fertile era for our authors to explore. We'll get to see the Jedi in their prime."

A trailer has been released that previews what's to come, and this could be what many fans have been waiting for. As we can see, this is a massive event that will see the galaxy at a time that hasn't been explored on screen before. This is when the Jedi were at the height of their power. There are tons of new characters, new villains, new weapons, new planets, new ships. New is the keyword. This looks like a breath of fresh air, far removed from the comfortable and familiar. Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain had this to say. Set 200 years prior to the events of Star Wars: the Phantom Menace, the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order are at their height, serving and protecting the galaxy.

"Star Wars: The High Republic features the Jedi as we've always wanted to see them, as true guardians of peace and justice. This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi and the Galactic Republic are at their height. But of course, into this glorious new era something wicked this way come. This initiative will give readers young and old a new corner of the galaxy to explore through rich, meaningful stories. Plus, readers will learn what scares the Jedi."

Seasoned Star Wars authors Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel Jose Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule have been enlisted to tell stories in The High Republic. The first books will launch at Star Wars Celebration in August in a storyline titled Light of the Jedi, a massive interconnected story that's told across various formats by various publishers. Lucasfilm vice president, franchise content and strategy James Waugh.

"This was a golden age for the Jedi, and also a time of galactic expansion in the Outer Rim. So expect there to be rich tales of exploration; charting out the galaxy, meeting new cultures, and discovering what pioneer life in the Outer Rim was like. This is an incredible sandbox for our storytellers to play in, both within publishing and beyond, and we can't wait to see the great fiction they build within it."

The first wave of titles includes Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray, which is a young adult novel; Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland, a middle-grade novel; the Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic by Daniel Jose Older; and Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, an adult novel. These titles are available for pre-order now.

Disney Lucasfilm Press, Del Rey, IDW Publishing and Marvel will all be publishing Star Wars: The High Republic stories. While it's not a movie or a TV show, this represents some of the first truly new storytelling we've had in the franchise in some time, and this could lead to big things down the line. We'll be sure to keep you posted as more details are made available. This news comes to us via StarWars.com.