Big news for devout “Star Wars” fans out of San Diego Comic-Con and it’s not the news on “Star Wars Resistance,” the new animated television show coming this fall that many expected. Instead, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the animated series that was prematurely canceled in 2013 is being revived. Supervising director, series director, and writer Dave Filoni unveiled the news today during the Comic-Con 10th-anniversary celebration of “Star Wars: Clone Wars” that began in 2008.
Lucasfilm also immediately released a new trailer. Which you can watch below.
‘The Clone Wars’ series is set between the events of “Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones” and “Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith,” and focuses on the further adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Ben Kenobi and the Clone army introduced in ‘Episode II,’ but made legendary by Obi-Wan Kenobi’s comments about its lore in “Star Wars: A New Hope.”
While the show never earned a huge mainstream reputation per se, it has its devout fans and is largely considered the one piece of media that redeems George Lucas’ rightfully maligned “Star Wars” prequels.
The show introduced many beloved supporting characters into the universe that went on to live in comics, books and the animated series, “Star Wars Rebels” which is set decades later closer to the start of ‘Rogue One’ and ‘A New Hope.’ It also became a huge entry point for “Star Wars” for an entirely new generation of fans that have been loudly asking for its return for years.
Among those characters, chief among them is Ahsoka Tano, Anakin’s briefly-led Padawan learner who also factors in importantly in “Star Wars Rebels” as do Clone Trooper Captain Rex, space pirate smuggler Hondo Ohnaka and many more. If you’re wondering how Darth Maul is alive and appears in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (I think it’s been enough time to reveal this spoiler now), ‘Clone Wars’ is the show for you.
But the big trailer tease for fans is the appearance of Ahsoka. The Padawan was framed, expelled from the order and when her name cleared, rejected the Jedi Order and left. She was never seen again (I believe) until she resurfaced on “Star Wars Rebels” set years later when she’s an adult, but this new trailer teases some kind of reunion with her Master (alongside an unknown Mandalorian; the people of Boba Fett’s race), but it doesn’t look like a welcoming return.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t seen all of ‘Clone Wars,’ I’m a later comer to the animation side of Lucasfilm and so far, I don’t think it’s near as good as “Star Wars Rebels” (which I personally think is Disney’s best “Star Wars” product so far and yes, above the films), but I’ll admit, I’m pretty excited about seeing this trailer and the hardcore fans are likely going nuts.
While seasons 7 and 8 were in some form of production at the time of the show’s cancellation in March 2013 shortly after Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney, this “Star Wars: Clone Wars” redo will be one season to wrap up the story, so it’s unclear what, if any of those scripts and stories will be used.
Here’s part of Lucasfilm’s official statement which addressed the loose ends:
The Clone Wars ended after five broadcast seasons — just as Ahsoka left the Jedi Order. A few post-Season Five episodes were later released as “The Lost Missions,” but the story wasn’t over. Fans have clamored for Disney and Lucasfilm to finish what was started ever since. And now it’s actually happening.
“Star Wars: Clone Wars” will feature 12 all-new episodes on Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming service.
“Personally, it’s very rewarding,” Filoni told StarWars.com today after the announcement. “Any opportunity to put the final pieces of the story in place is meaningful as a storyteller. I’m happy for the opportunity to define these things and the end of this part of the Clone War. It also makes me reflect on all the people that I got to work with over the years. It reinforces the things I learned from George. It reminds me of the important elements that go into making Star Wars. So, it’s nice on several levels, and I think for the crew that’s still here that worked on Clone Wars, they feel that, as well.”
No release date has been revealed, but given “Star Wars Resistance,” the show set before the events of “The Force Awakens” is expected this fall, perhaps we won’t see it until at least 2019.
@JacobRegan18 All of it. And all of Season 8.
— Brent Friedman (@BFree63) May 16, 2014