It was a big weekend for Star Wars fans as the big Celebration confab unveiled new titles and offered star-filled panels about upcoming shows coming to a galaxy near us via Disney+. Lucasfilm unveiled two new animated series— Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi and Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures and a new special LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation— over the packed Star Wars Celebration event in Anaheim. Lucasfilm also announced that Season two of the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch will return this fall and Star Wars: Visions 2 will offer new episodes in 2023.
Among the highlights of Star Wars Celebration was the surprise premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi last Thursday night, attended by stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Bonnie Piesse, Rupert Friend, Indira Varma, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Simone Kessell, Benny Safdie, Jimmy Smits and Vivien Lyra Blair. Director/executive producer Deborah Chow and executive producers Michelle Rejwan and Joby Harold were also in attendance for the event, which featured the first two episodes of the highly anticipated limited series.
- The Summer of LEGO: Star Wars panelists Jill Wilfert, Jason Cosler and Jens Kronvold Frederiksen of LEGO, and Douglas Reilly, Josh Rimes, Leland Chee, David Shayne and Chris Gollaher of Lucasfilm, who represented Consumer Products, Games and Animation, were led in a panel discussion by host Yvette Nicole Brown. The presentation showcased an exciting array of new LEGO products bound to keep everyone busy this summer. During the panel, LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation, a new animated special, was announced.
- Premiering August 5, 2022, exclusively on Disney+, the special stars “Weird Al” Yankovic and the panel’s host Yvette Nicole Brown, and other returning cast members from previous LEGO Star Wars The special is set shortly after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Looking for a much-needed break from stormtroopers and TIE fighters, Finn arranges a surprise vacation for his friends Rey, Poe, Rose, Chewie, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO, aboard the ultra-luxurious Galactic Starcruiser, the Halcyon. But Finn’s plan to have one last hurrah together quickly goes awry when he’s separated from the group. David Shayne is writer and executive producer, and the director is Ken Cunningham. James Waugh, Josh Rimes, Jacqui Lopez, Jill Wilfert, Keith Malone, Jennifer Twiner Mccarron, and Jason Cosler are executive producers. Produced in collaboration with Atomic Cartoons.
- Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Host Anthony Carboni led panelists executive producer James Waugh, supervising director Elliot Bour, executive producer/showrunner Michael Olson and consulting producer Lamont Magee in a discussion of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Set during The High Republic era, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures will follow Younglings as they learn valuable skills needed to study the ways of the Force and become Jedi: compassion, self-discipline, teamwork, patience, and friendship. The series is set to premiere Spring 2023 on Disney+ and Disney Junior.
- Mando+: A Conversation with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. Amid roars and applause, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni took the stage for “Mando+: A Conversation with Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni”. Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Temuera Morrison, Katee Sackhoff, Rick Famuyiwa, Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo were all on hand to add to the excitement. Special guests Grogu from The Mandalorian and Chopper, a very special droid that will be featured in Ahsoka,” delighted the crowd with their very firstStar Wars Celebration appearances. Natasha Liu Bordizzo was announced as joining the cast of Ahsoka as fan-favorite character Sabine Wren, and fans were treated to early footage from the series, which stars Rosario Dawson. In addition to his directing duties, Rick Famuyiwa will also executive produce The Mandalorian, Season 3. Both Ahsoka and The Mandalorian, Season 3 will stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2023.
- Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Special guest Dave Filoni who announced that Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, an anthology of six, all-new, animated shorts, will premiere this fall on Disney+. Filoni told the audience that the anthology will feature Jedi from the prequel era, including Ahsoka and Count Dooku. Filoni showed a teaser trailer and the premiere short in the series, showcasing a very young Ahsoka Tano and her mother. Janina Gavankar, who voices Ahsoka’s mother in the short, made an appearance and joined the discussion.
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Season 2. Supervising director Brad Rau, executive producer and head writer Jen Corbett, story editor Matt Michnovetz, actors Dee Bradley Baker, who voices the Bad Batch, and Michelle Ang, the voice of Omega, joined host David Collins for a lively discussion about what’s coming up for the Bad Batch in Season 2. A clip from the first episode of Season 2 and a teaser trailer delighted the fans. Synopsis: Months have passed since the events on Kamino and the Bad Batch continue their journey navigating the Empire after the fall of the Republic. They will cross paths with friends and foes, both new and familiar, as they take on a variety of thrilling mercenary missions that will take them to unexpected and dangerous new places. The second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch consists of 16 episodes and is set to premiere this fall exclusively on Disney+.
