All Star Wars fans need to watch the Apple TV+ show Invasion, which is directly impacting the next trilogy. Star Wars is returning to the big screen next year with The Mandalorian and Grogu, but an upcoming trilogy by Simon Kinberg is even more important. “This is the next iteration,” Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy explained. “The new saga that moves us into the future.”

Little is known about Simon Kinberg’s trilogy right now, although there have been rumors it will feature Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey. Surprisingly, though, one thing has recently become clear; it’s going to be influenced by Apple TV+’s show Invasion, which seems like essential viewing for anyone wanting to anticipate the trilogy.

Apple TV+’s Invasion Is Shaping The Kinberg Trilogy

Simon Kinberg is an accomplished writer and producer, best known for Fox’s X-Men movies – which included stumbles like Dark Phoenix but also tremendous hits like Days of Future Past. He’s also well known for his work on Star Wars, serving as an executive producer on Disney’s Star Wars Rebels.

Speaking to ScreenRant, Kinberg revealed his new trilogy will be informed by his recent work on Invasion.

I will say that I’ve learned so many things from working on Invasion, or honed a lot of things working on Invasion. And I think that the thing that I carry with me from Invasion into anything that I do, Star Wars included, would be finding a balance between big, epic science fiction storytelling with really intimate, dramatic character work.

Invasion is an unusual TV show, in that it follows unrelated, everyday characters as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of a global catastrophe. The show has received mixed reviews (it has a 57% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing), but the general approach is clearly set to influence Star Wars.

Invasion Season 3 Is Out Now

It may have garnered mixed reviews, but Invasion has clearly been successful enough for Apple to commission three seasons – the third of which released on August 22. The trailer has teased a subtly different story, one with a more careful balance between character work and action.

This balanced approach seems promising given Kinberg’s work on Star Wars. It suggests he’s learned from audience feedback, continuing to adapt his style as a writer and producer, and that too will influence the stories he’s now working on. It sounds as though Invasion has become surprisingly important viewing for Star Wars fans going forward.