Fans of Star Wars have plenty to be excited about in the next two years, what with the release of Star Wars: Episode VII set for December 2015. But that’s not all: as Disney and Lucasfilm have teamed up to produce a new animated series, Star Wars Rebels that’ll get its debut following the release of a TV movie. All of this to usher in the new show and also set the stage for the aforementioned cinematic sequel? Pretty exciting stuff.
We’ve already seen sneak peek images at the series’ new villain and even an adorably grumpy droid. Now we know that the series, created by the same production team and animators who made Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will also create the film, set to air on the Disney Channel this summer, according to a recent shareholders letter. The content of which is below:
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since we acquired the extraordinary Star Wars franchise, but we’re well on our way to expanding that epic saga to thrill fans and introduce its iconic characters to a new generation with fantastic new storylines. After months of public speculation and anticipation, we announced the official release date for the next feature film, Star Wars: Episode VII, will be December 18, 2015. So far we’ve kept the details to ourselves, but we’re thrilled with the story and committed to making an incredible movie, and we should be releasing more information as production moves forward in the coming year.As with Marvel, the rich universe of Star Wars has tremendous creative potential for the entire company. While the world eagerly awaits Episode VII to open in theaters, we’re introducing Star Wars Rebels to television audiences this summer with a movie and a series of shorts on Disney Channel, followed by a continuing series on Disney XD. Our success in building a robust pipeline of original Star Wars content for various platforms will be an integral part of our long-term strategy to leverage the franchise across a variety of our businesses, from theme parks to consumer products.
So far, the details regarding the premise of Star Wars Rebels state that the series will take place between the eras of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope — a few years before the start of Episode IV. At this point, the Galactic Empire has taken over many planets in the Outer Rim, including the planet Lothal. A band of renegade teens begin an assault on the Imperial stranglehold that results, and a band of teenage renegades start to sabotage the Imperial stranglehold, ultimately leading to the early days of the Rebel Alliance. Check out a behind-the-scenes video from the creators below:
Star Wars Rebels will air sometime in 2014, with the film premiering this summer on the Disney Channel.
