Star Wars: The Clone Wars Movie
George Lucas, Warner Bros. Brings Animated Series to Cinemas
Feb 12, 2008
The 90-minute premiere episode of the CGI animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars will have a limited release in U.S. cinemas starting August 15th.
Not only will this be the first 3-D animated movie for the highly-successful saga, but this will also be the first Star Wars movie not released through Twentieth Century Fox. Fox released all six Star Wars movies, plus the original microseries The Clone Wars on home video.
But Warner Bros. and Turner Broadcasting will release Star Wars: The Clone Wars this time. The principle reason is that Turner's and W.B.'s subsidiary, The Cartoon Network, managed to snag the rights to the series from creator George Lucas.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars on The Cartoon Network
The new series will premiere this fall on The Cartoon Network, later airing on TNT.
“I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell,” said George Lucas in the press release for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward.”
“Nothing like this has ever been produced for television,” said Stuart Snyder, President/COO Turner Animation,Young Adults & Kids Media. “For 30 years, Star Wars has shown that it appeals to a huge breadth of fans. Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network will be appointment television for everyone in the family. We’re thrilled to be working with Lucasfilm again and very excited to be playing a role in bringing this remarkable adventure to viewers.”
Star Wars Characters in Computer-Generated Animation
The new series "showcases an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far away, combining the expansive scope of the Star Wars saga with state-of-the-art computer-generated animation," says the press release from Lucasfilm and the Cartoon Network. "Each week, viewers will see a thrilling, 30-minute “mini-movie” created by the talented artists at Lucasfilm Animation.
"On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin’s padawan learner, Ahsoka," continues the release. "Sinister villains - led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous - are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill Star Wars: The Clone Wars. With a new story each week, Star Wars: The Clone Wars continues the tradition of thrilling stories, astonishing visuals and extraordinary music that have always been the hallmarks of the Star Wars saga."
Lucasfilm has already produced 30 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars through their offices in Marin County, California, and in Singapore.
Unfortunately, this new series will be without original The Clone Wars director Genndy Tartatovsky. He is currently working on the straight-to-DVD movie Power of the Dark Crystal for the Jim Henson Company.
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