To be, or not to be—that is the true burden of all masters. Or something. The Star Wars universe has always had a lot in common with the works of William Shakespeare. Daddy issues, sword fights, epic romance, death and betrayal. The galaxy far, far away might as well be the Globe Theatre, for all of the tragedy and comedy that takes place there.
That’s the idea behind Ian Doescher’s William Shakespeare’s Star Wars book series, which reimagine the Star Wars films at Shakespearean plays. To date, Doescher has covered every film in the Skywalker saga: the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, and the sequel trilogy. Now, he’s about to wrap up the latter with the upcoming release of William Shakespeare’s The Merry Rise of Skywalker, a Shakespearean rendition of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The book, set for release on July 28, uses Shakespeare’s meter and verse to recreate the events of the ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga. The fate of Ben Solo makes for a tremendous Shakespearean tragedy, and we’re already excited to see how new characters like Zorii Bliss and Babu Frik work in this reimagined setting.
Lucasfilm/Penguin Random House
StarWars.com debuted the cover art this week and will post an exclusive excerpt next week. Here’s the full description from publisher Penguin Random House.
As our story opens, a sea of troubles threatens the valiant Resistance, who are pursued by the sound and fury of the vile First Order. Can Rey, Poe, Finn, Rose, BB-8, Chewbacca, and their allies overcome such toil and trouble? Shall Kylo Ren be proven fortune’s fool or master of his fate? What will become of the House of Skywalker? And is all well that ends well?
You can see more about the book’s announcement on this week’s episode of The Star Wars Show.
We can’t wait to check out this title, and to see if all is truly well that ends well.
Featured Image: Lucasfilm/Penguin Random House