3rd December 2024 will bring us Star Wars: Someone Who Loves You, a retelling of the events of The Princess and the Scoundrel, written by author Beth Revis with art by Sophie Li, and Beth sat down with io9 to discuss the genesis of the project and why she felt the story plenty of had room for this fresh retelling.
io9: What were the biggest challenges of translating these moments you’d written about in Princess and the Scoundrel into a picture book format?
Beth Revis: Narrowing down which scenes to highlight! In the novel, I had a chance to really revel in the joy and love of Han and Leia’s romance, and even though the wedding itself was a bit of a whirlwind, I had the room to expand Star Wars lore by including more culture from the Ewoks, exploring new settings, and digging into the emotions. With a picture book, I have a much more limited space. How can you fit a love story as big as Han and Leia’s into just a handful of images and words? I’m so grateful Sophie Li, the illustrator, was able to capture such dynamic emotion in her brush strokes!
io9: Why was it important for you to revisit Han and Leia’s wedding in this format?
Beth Revis: Star Wars has “war” right in the title, and the foundation of this epic, multi-generational story in a galaxy far, far away has always been about the struggle of good vs. evil, Empire vs. Rebels, Jedi vs. Sith. But even if the base of the story is war, the columns holding it up are hope. There is always a spark of hope in even the darkest, grimmest galactic tale. As Rose Tico said, “That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.” Yes, Star Wars is fun when it’s lightsaber battles and TIE fighters. But all of that means nothing without love.
So often, Star Wars stories revolve around the battle. It’s important to remember what we’re fighting for, though. It’s important to embrace the joy we have and to promise ourselves more, even in the darkest times.
Han and Leia’s wedding is the perfect symbol of this. Their romance is the heart of Star Wars, and this moment—when they’re all together, when the battle is held at bay, when they actively choose to allow themselves the freedom to celebrate… that’s something we all need. Every one of us—from the adults who watch the horrors of news today to the children who watch the adults react to it—we all need to be reminded that every battle has hope, every dark time has love. And it’s worth pausing the struggle to feel the joy.
- Hardcover Book
- Revis, Beth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages - 12/03/2024 (Publication Date) - Random House/Star Wars (Publisher)
