Today, Disney+, Disney Junior and Lucasfilm announced that “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” Season 1 continues with six all-new episodes. The new episodes will debut on Disney+ and Disney Junior beginning August 2, 2023, with more episodes to come later this year. In total, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” Season 1 will be a 25-episode run.

Set during The High Republic era, the animated series follows Jedi Younglings as they study the ways of the Force and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi. The series was recently nominated for a 2023 Television Critics Association Award and was awarded a Common Sense Seal from Common Sense Media, which acknowledges outstanding media that families can enjoy together.

The first seven episodes from the series, which premiered May 4, saw the Younglings train with Master Yoda and Master Zia at the Jedi temple on Tenoo, meet pilot and fast friend Nash Durango, and clash with pirate Taborr Val Dorn. The six new episodes will follow the Younglings as they continue to hone their Force abilities and go on adventures across the galaxy.

“We’ve been thrilled to see a whole new generation fall in love with the Star Wars galaxy through ‘Young Jedi Adventures,’” says James Waugh, series executive producer and senior vice president, franchise content & strategy at Lucasfilm. “We hope to continue delighting younglings, Jedi padawans, and the fans of all ages who have declared themselves #NubsNation, with these new episodes.”

Extensions for “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” include multiple books such as Leveled Readers, Little Golden Books, Colouring & Activity formats, and more, plus an assortment of playsets, figures, apparel, plush, and more from Hasbro, LEGO, Mattel, and more. A selection of items are now available at your favorite major retailers, including ShopDisney.

Produced by Lucasfilm in collaboration with Wild Canary for Disney+ and Disney Junior, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” is executive produced by Lucasfilm’s James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes. Michael Olson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is showrunner and executive producer; Elliot M. Bour (“Elena of Avalor”) is supervising director and co-producer; Jeannine Hodson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is producer; and Lamont Magee (“Black Lightning”) is consulting producer.

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” stars Jamaal Avery, Jr. as Kai Brightstar, Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Emma Berman as Nash Durango, Trey Murphy as Taborr, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, Nasim Pedrad as Master Zia Zanna, and Piotr Michael as Master Yoda.

Today, Disney+ released an exciting new trailer and key art for Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: Ahsoka” and also announced that the series debut on August 23, 2023 will kick-off with the first two episodes.

Check out the featurette “Journey to Ahsoka” to learn more about the series from its creators and stars.

Set after the fall of the Empire, “Star Wars: Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

“Ahsoka” stars Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Stevenson, Ivanna Sakhno, Diana Lee Inosanto, David Tennant, Lars Mikkelsen and Eman Esfandi. The episodes are directed by Dave Filoni, Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Vasant Patel and Rick Famuyiwa. Dave Filoni is the head writer and executive produces along with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist serves as co-executive producer.

Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: Ahsoka” launches on August 23, 2023 exclusively on Disney+.

Today, Disney+ revealed August 23, 2023 as the premiere date for Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: Ahsoka.” To celebrate the upcoming series, Disney+ also debuted a TV spot and released three images from the series.

Set after the fall of the Empire, “Star Wars: Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger.

The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.

Lucasfilm’s “Ahsoka” will launch exclusively on Disney+ August 23, 2023.

Today, Disney+ unveiled new key art for “The Mandalorian” to celebrate the exciting finale of Season 3. The finale, which began streaming today, and all the previous episodes of Season 3 are available to watch now, exclusively on Disney+.

The first episode of the third season of the Emmy®-award winning original series from Lucasfilm premiered on March 1, exclusively on Disney+.

The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.

The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow and Giancarlo Esposito. The directors of the eight-episode Season 3 include Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard. Jon Favreau is the showrunner/head writer and serves as an executive producer along with Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson and Rick Famuyiwa. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are co-executive producers.

The Star Wars celebration in London has yielded many surprises over the weekend and today we have to new Trailers and introductions of this lineup to come on Disney+!

YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES

On Saturday, host Krystina Arielle, executive producer James Waugh and showrunner Michael Olsen welcomed fans of all ages to a special screening of “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.” The screening began with the debut of the trailer, followed by a Q&A with Waugh and Olson. Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of a youngling named Nubs, surprised fans by introducing the screening using the voice of the animated Jedi youngling. 

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 along the way. Produced by Lucasfilm in collaboration with Wild Canary for Disney+ and Disney Junior, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” is executive produced by Lucasfilm’s James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes. Michael Olson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is showrunner and executive producer. 

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” stars Jamaal Avery, Jr. as Kai Brightstar, Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Emma Berman as Nash Durango, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, Piotr Michael as Master Yoda, Trey Murphy as Taborr Val Dorn and Nasim Pedrad as Master Zia. 

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” releases on Disney+ and Disney Junior, where available, on May 4, 2023. 

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

Later that day, fans were treated to a panel celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Emmy® award winning series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Moderated by Amy Ratcliffe, the panel included executive producer Dave Filoni, VP, 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 as they reminisced on how the series came to be. Dave ended the panel with the exciting announcement that he had so much fun creating the first season of “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,” a second season is currently in production.

STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH

On Monday, there was a panel for the acclaimed series “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” which just wrapped its second season as the Bad Batch continued their journey navigating the aftermath of Order 66 and the rise of the Empire. 

Host Amy Ratcliffe welcomed “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” executive producer and supervising director Brad Rau, executive producer and head writer Jennifer Corbett, executive producer Athena Portillo, actors Dee Bradley Baker, who voices The Bad Batch, and Michelle Ang, the voice of Omega, to discuss highlights from the second season. Executive producers Rau, Corbett and 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 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. 

STAR WARS: VISIONS

To close out Star Wars Celebration’s animation panels, on Monday afternoon there was a “Star Wars: Visions” panel. 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 from around the globe. Employing the most 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. 

To kick off the panel, host Amy Ratcliffe introduced executive producers of the Emmy® nominated series, Josh Rimes, James Waugh and Jacqui Lopez, who discussed the success of the show’s first season and its unique concept featuring a collection of animated shorts that stretches beyond any one form of animation and serves as a broader framework for Star Wars storytelling. 

Amy went on to reveal the trailer for Volume 2 and the voice talents behind the second volume. 

The cast includes:

·         “Screecher’s Reach”: Eva Whittaker 

·         “I Am Your Mother”: Maxine Peake, Charithra Chandran 

·         “Journey to the Dark Head” (English Dub): Ashley Park, Eugene Lee Yang

·         “The Bandits of Golak”: Suraj Sharma

·         “The Pit”: Daveed Diggs

·         “Aau’s Song”: Cynthia Erivo 

After revealing the cast, Amy Ratcliffe introduced the series’ filmmakers, who took to the stage in groups of three to reveal the first details about each of their shorts. 

·         Rodrigo Blaas, writer/director of El Guiri’s “Sith” from Spain 

·         Paul Young, director of Cartoon’s Saloon’s “Screecher’s Reach” from Ireland 

·         Gabriel Osorio, writer/director of Punkrobot’s “In the Stars” from Chile. 

·         Magdalena Osinska, director of Aardman’s “I Am Your Mother” from the United Kingdom 

·         Hyeong-Geun Park, director of Studio Mir’s “Journey to the Dark Head” from South Korea 

·         Julien Chheng, director of Studio La Cachette’s “The Spy Dancer” from France 

·         Milind Shinde, founder of India’s 88 Pictures and executive producer of “The Bandits of Golak.” 

·         LeAndre Thomas, writer/director/executive producer of “The Pit”; Arthell Isom, founder of D’ART Shtajio and executive producer of “The Pit” 

·         Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke, co-directors of Triggerfish’s “Aau’s Song” from South Africa 

Panelists shared how they incorporated their country’s history and culture into their stories and created original characters that fit into the Star Wars galaxy and cast local talent to bring these characters to life. At the end of the panel, attendees were also treated to a surprise early screening of Aardman’s short “I Am Your Mother.” 

More information about all of the animation announcements out of Star Wars Celebration can be found at StarWars.com.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

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STAR WARS Celebration kicked off its opening day in London today with a non-stop series of announcements about some of the year’s most highly anticipated productions—from Disney+ original series including “Star Wars: Ahsoka” and “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” to upcoming feature films including “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Throughout the day, surprises kept fans’ spirits high as a parade of actors and Lucasfilm luminaries took to the stage to reveal exciting new information about landmark productions.

Taking place at the ExCel London Convention Center, Friday’s activities on the Celebration Stage began with host Ali Plumb welcoming Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to reflect on the success of the highly acclaimed Disney+ original series “Star Wars: Andor.” They were joined by the series’ director/creator/showrunner Tony Gilroy and stars Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair and Joplin Sibtain, who was accompanied by droid B2EMO. Fans were treated to an exclusive first look at the second and final season, which is currently in production and chronicles the next steps in Andor’s journey as he fights to assemble a fledgling resistance. Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Luke Hull are executive producing the upcoming season exclusively for Disney+.

Next, Leslye Headland, creator and showrunner of “Star Wars: The Acolyte” joined Kennedy on stage. Headland entered, escorted by Kelnacca, a Wookiee Jedi from the series, and offered an overview of the new mystery-thriller. “The Acolyte” will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.

Joining Headland and Kennedy on stage were the series’ stars—Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman and “Star Wars” veteran Joonas Suotamo, who plays Kelnacca. Headland wowed the crowd with a sneak peek at the upcoming show, which also stars Carrie-Anne Moss and Margarita Levieva and is currently in production. In addition to writing and directing, Headland serves as an executive producer with Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson produce. “The Acolyte” will stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2024.

The focus then shifted to “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” as Kennedy invited the series’ executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni to the stage. The duo, along with fellow executive producer Rick Famuyiwa, were on hand for a discussion of the third season of the hit show, now streaming, exclusively on Disney+. Following a special video greeting from star Pedro Pascal, fans were treated to a clip from next week’s episode. Afterward, stars Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers and Emily Swallow joined the stage and announced a special sneak-peek screening of the upcoming episode for those in attendance later that evening.

In “The Mandalorian” Season 3, Din Djarin (Pascal), once a lone bounty hunter, has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian crosses paths with old allies and makes new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together. Directors for the series include Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard. Favreau is the head writer and executive produces along with Filoni, Famuyiwa, Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Co-executive producers are Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck.

Next up, Jude Law, star of the upcoming Disney+ original series “Skeleton Crew,” took to the stage to officially introduce his young co-stars, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter and Robert Timothy Smith; the series also stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was unable to attend Celebration. The team shared insights about the series, their characters and to the delight of all, a sneak peak of the series, which is currently in production. “Skeleton Crew” follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

The series stars Law, Cabot-Conyers, Armstrong, Kratter, Smith, Tunde Adebimpe and Kerry Condon. Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are showrunners and executive produce along with Favreau, Filoni, Kennedy and Wilson. Gilchrist and Beck serve as co-executive producers. John Bartnicki and Susan McNamara are producers. Directors include Watts, Ford, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lee Isaac Chung. “Skeleton Crew” will stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2023.

Transitioning to this year’s next highly anticipated “Star Wars” series Favreau and Filoni confirmed that “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson in the title role, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ this August 2023. Set after the fall of the Empire, “Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Dawson took the stage and unveiled a teaser poster for the series, after which she was joined by co-stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who plays Sabine Wren, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who announced that she will be playing Hera Syndulla. The presentation concluded with a new teaser trailer for the Disney+ original series, which is written by executive producer by Filoni, alongside executive producers Favreau, Kennedy, Wilson, and Beck. Gilchrist is co-executive producer.

Afterward, feature film became the focus of the day’s presentations, with Kennedy paying tribute to the incredible work of Oscar®-winning Creature and Special Makeup Effects Supervisor Neal Scanlan as dozens of his most famous creations took the stage. Kennedy then revealed that “Star Wars” will head into the future, with a new feature set 15 years after the last events of the Skywalker Saga. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down; the director then delighted fans by welcoming Daisy Ridley to stage, confirming she will be reprising her beloved role as Rey in the upcoming movie.

Kennedy also announced that James Mangold will take audiences deep into the past, telling the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.

Expanding upon “Star Wars” storytelling in the present, Dave Filoni will orchestrate the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic. Alongside producer Jon Favreau, they will bring together many of the threads of the “Star Wars” original series in a cinematic event.

Finally, the stars and filmmakers of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” dazzled the crowd with a never-before-seen trailer, an extensive look at the film and a brand new poster. Appearing in person were cast members Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, along with director and co-writer James Mangold and producer Kennedy. Dr. Jones himself, the inimitable Harrison Ford, appeared in a video greeting. The film, which will be Harrison Ford’s final Indiana Jones adventure, premieres at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18 and opens in theatres on June 30.

In Lucasfilm’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist, starring along with Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”). Directed by Mangold, the film is produced by Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, has once again composed the score.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

Today, at STAR WARS Celebration in London, Disney+ and Lucasfilm unveiled the thrilling teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Disney+ original series “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson in the title role. Set after the fall of the Empire, “Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

In addition to Dawson, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla. The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.

“Ahsoka” will debut exclusively on Disney+ in August 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

Today, Disney+, Disney Junior, and Lucasfilm announced that “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” will premiere on Disney+ and Disney Junior on May 4, 2023. In Canada viewers can also watch it live and on demand with STACKTV. Set 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 along the way.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm also released two stills from the series, which include Master Yoda, Jedi younglings Kai, Lys, and Nubs, and their friends Nash and RJ-83 on planet Tenoo. The second image shows Lys, Kai, and Nubs during a training sequence.

Produced by Lucasfilm for Disney+ and Disney Junior, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” is executive produced by Lucasfilm’s James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes. Michael Olson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is showrunner and executive producer; Elliot M. Bour (“Elena of Avalor”) is supervising director and co-producer; Jeannine Hodson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is producer; and Lamont Magee (“Black Lightning”) is consulting producer.

“‘Star Wars’ transcends generations; fans of all ages deeply connect with its imaginative worlds, mythic stories, and unique characters,” says James Waugh, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” executive producer and Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm. “When developing ‘Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures,’ the first ‘Star Wars’ series created for preschoolers, the creative team never stopped thinking about how this show may be a ‘youngling’s’ first step into a larger world and their first time experiencing the limitless potential of the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy. The show’s characters, tone, and the life lessons woven throughout each episode were written just for them, and our talented team was committed to honoring the cinematic legacy while staying true to the expectations of parents for the youngest of audiences.”

Added: Alyssa Sapire, Senior Vice President, Development, Series, Strategy, Disney Junior: “Our collaboration with Lucasfilm on this series is an amazing opportunity to introduce this universally cherished franchise to a younger generation. As an early entry point into ‘Star Wars,’ we have created a world with exciting new and familiar characters and storylines that highlight the values of compassion, teamwork, and friendship, which are important elements for all of our Disney Junior programming.”

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” stars Jamaal Avery, Jr. as Kai Brightstar, Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Emma Berman as Nash Durango, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, and Piotr Michael as Master Yoda.

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” will debut on Disney+ and Disney Junior on May 4, 2023.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have announced that the second volume of the animated anthology series “Star Wars: Visions” will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. Following on the Emmy Award®-nominated success of “Star Wars: Visions,” the newest volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from 9 studios from around the globe. Employing the most 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 shorts included in “Star Wars:Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States). 

“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” says James Waugh, “Star Wars: Visions” executive producer and Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm. “We always saw ‘Star Wars: Visions’ as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today. Animation is in a global renaissance, and we’re constantly staggered by the amount of creativity pushing the medium forward. With Volume 1, the imaginative minds of Japan’s anime industry were on full display. With Volume 2, we expanded our canvas to take audiences on a global tour of some of the most talented creators from around the world. We’re so proud to be able to reveal the line-up of studios we’ve assembled. Every short is incredible, full of heart, scope, imagination, and the values that make stories distinctly‘Star Wars’— all while opening up bold new ways of seeing what a ‘Star Wars’ story can be.”

Waugh executive produces “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 along with Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes. 

Details on each short and filmmaker below:

Title: “Sith” 

Studio: El Guiri

Writer-director: Rodrigo Blaas

Rodrigo Blaas is an Emmy Award®-winning director who has spent more than 20 years in animation. After co-founding Stromboli Animation in 1997, Blaas joined Blue Sky Studios in 2000, working on the feature film “Ice Age,” before transitioning to Pixar Animation Studios. There, he worked on such projects as “Finding Nemo” (2003), “The Incredibles” (2004), “Ratatouille” (2007) and “Wall-E” (2008) and on the Oscar®-nominated short film “La Luna” (2011). More recently, Blaas partnered with Guillermo del Toro to develop the award-winning series “Trollhunters,” served as creative director for Mikros Animation Paris and, in 2021, created El Guiri Studios in Madrid with his partner, Cecile Hokes. He also wrote and directed 2009’s award-winning short film “Alma.”   

Title: “Screecher’s Reach”

Studio: Cartoon Saloon

Director: Paul Young

Paul Young is a co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an IFTA winner and Oscar®, Emmy® and BAFTA nominee. He produced the animated features “My Father’s Dragon,” “WolfWalkers,” “The Secret of Kells,” “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner”as well as award-winning TV series including “Puffin Rock,” “Dorg Van Dango” and “Viking Skool.”

Title: “In the Stars”

Studio: Punkrobot

Writer-director: Gabriel Osorio

Gabriel Osorio majored in Fine Arts at Universidad de Chile, later specializing in 3D animation. After working in commercials, movies and television series, he founded Punkrobot Studio. Since 2008, he has directed projects for children’s television including “Flipos,” “Muelin y Perlita,” “Soccer Girls” and television spots. In 2016, his short film “Bear Story” became the first Latin American project to win an Oscar® in the animated short category. 

Title: “I Am Your Mother”

Studio: Aardman

Director: Magdalena Osinska

Magdalena Osinska is an award-winning director who has been with Aardman for eight years. She has directed stop-motion, CGI, 2D and live-action commercials including Wallace & Gromit’s “The Great Sofa Caper” and “Share the Orange.” Osinska directed development of the children’s series “Joyets” and has also directed films including “Spirits of the Piano” and “Zbigniev’s Cupboard.” A graduate of the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, UK, as well as the Polish Film School in Lodz and Art College in Warsaw, Osinska is currently developing the feature film “Jasia,” based on her grandmother’s memories of WWII Poland. 

Title: “Journey to the Dark Head”

Studio: Studio Mir

Director: Hyeong Geun Park

Rising star Hyeong Geun Park had already made a name for himself when he entered the Korean animation industry in 2017, thanks to his strong drawing and animation sensibilities. He has directed animation for dozens of cinematic game trailers and has since expanded into animated series, working on projects including “Dota: Dragon’s Blood: Book 3” (2022) and “Lookism” (2022). “Journey to the Dark Head” is the first title he has executive produced from start to finish. 

Title: “The Spy Dancer”

Studio: Studio La Cachette

Writer-Director: Julien Chheng

Julien Chheng is CEO of Studio La Cachette, an Emmy Award®-winning French animation studio he co-founded in 2014 with fellow Gobelins school’s alumni Oussama Bouacheria and Ulysse Malassagne. Chheng was trained in visual development at Disney and has worked as a character animator on acclaimed 2D animated features “The Rabbi’s Cat,” “Mune” and the Academy Award®-nominated “Ernest and Celestine.” In 2021, he won an Emmy Award® as animation executive producer of “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,”for which he also served as animation supervisor. In 2022, Chheng directed with Jean-Christophe Roger the Cesar-nominated feature “Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia.”

Title: “The Bandits of Golak”

Studio: 88 Pictures

Director: Ishan Shukla

Ishan Shukla started his career as a CG artist in Singapore. For more than a decade, he spearheaded projects ranging from TV commercials to series and music videos. His 2016 animated short, “Schirkoa,” was long listed for the Academy Awards® after receiving dozens of awards and playing at 120 international festivals, including SIGGRAPH Asia where it was named Best in Show. He then set up his own animation studio to work on adult-oriented animated feature films including a feature-length version of “Schirkoa,” set to hit festivals in summer 2023. 

Title: “The Pit”

Studios: D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd.

Writer-director-executive producer: LeAndre Thomas

Co-Director: Justin Ridge

LeAndre Thomas is an award-winning writer and director from Oakland, Calif., whose most recent film won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival. In addition to his independent films, Thomas is a part of the franchise studio team at Lucasfilm Ltd. where he has worked for more than 11 years being credited on recent titles such as “Light & Magic,” “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,” and many more. 

Justin Ridge executive produced the Emmy®-nominated series “Star Wars Resistance.” His credits also include “Star Wars Rebels,” “Storks,” “The Cleveland Show,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Title: “Aau’s Song”

Studio: Triggerfish

Writer-Directors: Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke 

Nadia Darries is a director, animator and co-founder of Goon Valley Animation, with an avocation for songwriting. Born in the Cape Flats in South Africa, Darries has worked on high-end animated film and motion design as an animator, project manager, creative director and director since 2015. Her experience includes animating at Triggerfish Animation Studios on the award-winning BBC films “Stick Man,” “Revolting Rhymes” and “Highway Rat.” 

Daniel Clarke is a Cape Town-based director and artist working in animation, film and illustration. He started his career in animation in 2008 at Triggerfish Animation Studios, where he has served as production designer, art director and director on projects such as the feature film “Khumba,” BBC’s “Stick Man” and “The Snail and the Whale.” In 2018, along with James Clarke and Daniel Snaddon, he completed the graphic novel “Kariba.”

“Star Wars: Visions—Volume 2” streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning May 4, 2023.   

Today, Disney+ shared brand-new key art and an exciting featurette for the third season of “The Mandalorian,” the critically acclaimed, original, live-action series from Lucasfilm, streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting March 1. Watch the new featurette and join Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa and others as they explore how “The Mandalorian” and its fan-favourite character Grogu rose to engage the world and win the hearts of viewers across the globe.

The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.

The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow and Giancarlo Esposito. The directors of the eight-episode Season 3 include Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Jon Favreau is the showrunner/head writer and serves as an executive producer along with Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are co-executive producers.

THE MANDALORIAN Season 3 arrives March 1, 2023 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney+)