Jude Law promises "joy" and plentiful Star Wars easter eggs in new series Skeleton Crew

The Star Wars journey on TV has been up and down. People loved The Mandalorian and Andor, but have been more divided on shows like the recent The Acolyte, which tried to bring some grimdark trappings to this normally fast-paced and fun fantasy world.

Of course, Andor took a serious approach to the Star Wars universe as well, and that was more successful, so every series is a little different. Skeleton Key will be more on the family-friendly side of things, as a group of children in a "strange and dangerous galaxy," according to the official description. They must somehow navigate their way home with the help of a character named Jod Na Nawood, played by Jude Law.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Law doesn't give an explanation for that name, which is a mouthful, but does say that Jod is "someone who uses quick thinking, charm and conversation to get out of all sorts of scenarios." If he had to describe in one word, it would be "joyful."

"[S]eeing children in that environment in a Star Wars environment is thrilling and very, very unique," Law continued. "It is a fun place to be, the universe of Star Wars," he adds with a smile. "And there are great references to old films and recent episodes and series. There's a lot of originality and I hope that will bring the feeling of fun to those who watch it."

The producers assure fans that they don't have to be familiar with Star Wars lore to enjoy Skeleton Crew, but it definitely sounds like there will be plentiful easter eggs for longtime fans to find. "If you look carefully, [we] got some Star Wars tech that dates right back, I believe, to the original film," Law said. "They do [easter eggs] so well. That's one of the joys I think of this universe for those who know there are these little details always hidden away or Easter eggs that people can find and link up."

The child actors include Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern). "I had a wonderful time making this with everyone involved," Law said. "Those four in particular who worked with me very closely were just great fun and incredibly professional, and I'm immensely proud to be a part of their crew." And we can't forget Nick Frost voicing a droid (there's always a droid) named SM 33.

Again, Skeleton Crew is going to be aimed at a younger audience; Law says it's "very much a piece about working together and overcoming fears and overcoming...perhaps [one's] opinion of oneself or one's own weaknesses in order to succeed," which sounds like something that could resonate with the padawan learner set. Although hopefully it'll appeal to kids of all ages.

The real question is whether there's an audience for yet more Star Wars shows at a time when we've kind of been flooded with them. At the least, Disney must be hoping and praying that the show is less divisive among fans than The Acolyte was. We'll see how things go when Skeleton Crew kicks off on Disney+ on December 3.

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