Animation fans were in for a treat at this year’s Star Wars Celebration, which was held in London.
A special screening of “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” took place, hosted by Krystina Arielle. Fans of all ages attended the screening, where executive producer James Waugh and showrunner Michael Olsen were also present.
The screening began with the debut of the trailer and a Q&A session with Waugh and Olson. Fans were then surprised when Dee Bradley Baker, who voices Nubs, a youngling, introduced the screening in the animated Jedi youngling’s voice.
Set 200 years before “The Phantom Menace” during the High Republic era, the animated series follows Jedi younglings as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need, and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi. The series, executive produced by Lucasfilm’s James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes, and showrun by Michael Olson, will be released on Disney+ and Disney Junior on May 4, 2023.
Later that day, a panel celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Emmy award-winning series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” was held.
The panel included executive producer Dave Filoni, VP of Animation Production Lucasfilm Animation Athena Portillo, sound editor Matthew Wood, and art director Kilian Plunkett, as well as cast members Dee Bradley Baker, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter, and James Arnold Taylor, who reminisced on how the series came to be. Dave Filoni ended the panel with the exciting announcement that a second season of “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi” is currently in production, as he had so much fun creating the first season.
A panel for the acclaimed series “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” was held.
The series has just wrapped its second season, and fans were treated to a discussion of highlights from the season. Executive producers Brad Rau, Jennifer Corbett, and Athena Portillo announced that the show will return for a third and final season in 2024 to finish telling this part of the story. Fans in the room were also treated to a special Season 3 teaser, sharing a sneak peek at what is to come, including the return of Ming-Na Wen’s fan-favorite bounty hunter, Fennec Shand.
To close out Star Wars Celebration’s animation panels, a “Star Wars: Visions” panel was held. The panel was filled with an abundance of reveals ahead of the series’ May 4, 2023 release, including first story details for all nine shorts, the full cast list, the trailer, and key art. The newest volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from nine studios around the globe. Employing captivating animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the second volume offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.
The cast of “Star Wars: Visions” includes Eva Whittaker, Maxine Peake, Charithra Chandran, Ashley Park, Eugene Lee Yang, Suraj Sharma, Daveed Diggs, and Cynthia Erivo. Filmmakers from each of the shorts took to the stage in groups of three to reveal the first details about their respective shorts.
