Exclusive new data reveals howStar Wars: Skeleton Crewis performing, drawing a particularly powerful comparison withObi-Wan Kenobi- Lucasfilm’s most successful show. There’s a lot of talk about “Star Wars fatigue,” with some evidence suggesting Lucasfilm is seeing diminishing returns from their Disney+ TV shows. Butis that really the case?
Screen Rant has spoken exclusively to Diesel Labs, a third-party analytics company who analyze the performance of streaming shows. Their data reveals how engaged viewers have been withStar Warsshows, includingSkeleton Crew, and they point to an undeniable truth: It’s no surprise there’s talk of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen coming back again…
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Obi-Wan Kenobi Was Lucasfilm’s Most Engaging Show… & Skeleton Crew Is Nowhere Close
Let’s start with the high-level data discussing engagement withStar WarsTV shows.Obi-Wan Kenobiwas the clear leader in terms of audience engagement, whileStar Wars: Skeleton Crewis trailing the other titles in terms of launch engagement. It’s performing similarly toThe Book of Boba Fettpost launch.
Titles with engagement spikes on day 0 had launch episodes that were released early in the day, EST. Titles with engagement spikes on day 1 had launch episodes that were released at 9.00 pm EST. Spikes on following dates correspond to new episode releases.
It’s easy to understand why engagement withObi-Wan Kenobiwas so high. The show tied directly into the Skywalker saga, even bringing back Darth Vader himself. It was marketed as something of an “event,” given the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. That effect is hard (perhaps impossible) to duplicate.
The comparison to The Book of Boba Fett is more than a little concerning.
Skeleton Crew’s mammoth budgetmeans the comparison toThe Book of Boba Fettis more than a little concerning.That was generally seen as something of a fail for Lucasfilm, so much so there’s been no news about season 2 - and characters like Temuera Morrison’s Boba Fett and Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand seem to have been sidelined. But Diesel Labs' data suggests that may not be the whole picture here.
Skeleton Crew Is Reaching A Totally Different Audience
Here’s the catch; Diesel Labs' data suggestsSkeleton Crewis resonating with a very unusual audience forStar Wars. The show has younger “engagers” (based on earned conversation about the show) than otherStar Warsshows in this set, with 62% of conversation generated by Gen Z. Interestingly, this is the inverse of the audience engagement measured forThe Mandalorianseason 3.
We know that viewership is lower than other shows;Skeleton Crewfailed to hit the streaming top 10for the week of its premiere. Butthe audience itdoesget is very unusual forStar Wars, skewed towards Generation Z, and word-of-mouth in this demographic seems very positive indeed. There’s something about this show that’s resonating with a new audience - perhaps the young leads, perhaps also the fact it’s stand-alone. So manyStar WarsTV show depend on deep knowledge of lore.
How Are Audiences Reacting To Skeleton Crew?
Diesel Labs' sophisticated AI media analyst ran through the online conversation, and confirmed thatSkeleton Crewhas been well-received - with particular praise for the young cast, as well as Jude Law. It’s generally praised for trying to appeal to the child in everyone, althoughthere are some criticisms forSkeleton Crew’s execution. A smaller portion of the audience feel it lacks depth, with concerns over the direction Disney is taking the franchise.
Is it possible the “smaller portion” of the audience are primarily Millennials, rather than Generation Z?
The analysis makes for fascinating reading, but it does raise a lot more questions than answers - notably whether there’s a difference in the dialogue on a generational level. Is it possible the “smaller portion” of the audience are primarily Millennials, rather than Generation Z? Are we actually seeing hints that the different generations are responding toSkeleton Crewin a different way?
What this does tell us, though, is that raw viewership numbers aren’t everything.Star Wars: Skeleton Crewmay not be Lucasfilm’s biggest hit, and it may be dwarfed byObi-Wan Kenobiin terms of overall engagement, but it’s still performing well in a different way. The key factor is thatthe show is simply reaching a different audience.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
