We’ve known for a while that Disney and Lucasfilm are actively developing a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic movie (and perhaps a TV show, too). Avatar and Shutter Island writer Laeta Kalogridis is on script duty, and Kathleen Kennedy confirmed the project’s existence at April’s Star Wars Celebration.
For those who don’t know, this particular corner of the franchise is set thousands of years before the Skywalker saga, allowing it to be free from continuity and giving the writers scope to break new ground. But we’ve heard from our sources – the same ones who told us Ewan McGregor was returning as Obi-Wan back in May – that there’s one element of the film that fans may be pleased to learn about, as the villain of the movie is said to be Darth Malak.
That name might not mean a huge amount to a general audience, but old school RPG fans will be pumping their fists right now. You see, Darth Malak is the villain of the 2003 Bioware game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He’s a Sith obsessed with getting hold of the Star Forge, an ancient space station capable of mass-producing a fleet in minutes. With this, Malak intends to rule the galaxy.
He’s a fairly good villain, but his presence all but confirms that an all-time fan favorite will also be appearing. You see, Malak’s story is inextricably tied up with that of his master Darth Revan. Revan was one of the most talented force users of all time, and the revelation of his true role is generally regarded as one of the best video game plot twists ever. It certainly made my jaw drop back in 2003.
So, right now it seems as if we might get a fairly close adaptation of Bioware’s classic title. If that’s the case, then I just hope and pray that the hilarious Hunter-Killer assassin droid HK-47 makes the cut. He’s one of the funniest characters in the whole franchise, and I would be extraordinarily happy to hear him call people meatbags in the Knights of the Old Republic movie.