Lucasfilm
The new CGI Star Wars adventure Clone Wars will hit theaters Aug. 15, then continue on Cartoon Network in the fall with reruns on TNT.
| “I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell. I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward.” – GEORGE LUCAS |
With the announcement came a behind-the-scenes online documentary. A teaser trailer went live last summer.
Set between Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the series will of course feature familiar characters (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala, Yoda, etc.) but also promises “astonishing new revelations” as well as new characters (such as Anakin’s apprentice, Ahsoka Tano) and shelves and shelves full of new merchandise.
In a twist for the franchise, which has always been distributed by 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. will distribute the saga in theaters and on DVD while Turner Networks handles the television distribution.
Speculation about an outlet for the series had ranged from Web-only distribution to premium movie channels, so it’s nice to see the final result fall somewhere in the middle. Cartoon Network showed 2003’s traditional cartoon Star Wars: Clone Wars by Samurai Jack animator Genndy Tartakovsky; that venture introduced characters such as Asajj Ventress and General Grievous.
It’s also interesting to note that Lucasfilm chose August for a theatrical release; Star Wars films have traditionally dropped in May, but of course that month will see the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
There’s more Star Wars TV goodness on the way: a live-action series that will bridge the two trilogies’ different eras and is guaranteed to include a young Boba Fett. Where exactly on the dial this ends up is still in the hands of the Force. …
