Lucasfilm Announces Animated Shorts Starring the Women of Star Wars.
If you remember a little while ago, Forces of Destiny was something that got trademarked by Lucasfilm, leading to speculation that it would be the formal name of Star Wars Episode VIII. However, we’ve learned that the trademark will be used for a new series of animated shorts (and a toy line) revolving around the women of Star Wars.
So far, Entertainment Weekly has revealed that eight animated shorts will each take turns to focus on a specific Star Wars heroine – Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall), Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Princess Leia Organa (Shelby Young), Maz Kanata (Luptia Nyong’o), and Rey (Daisy Ridley). After the initial eight shorts arrive in July, another eight shorts will arrive sometime in Autumn 2017. A first look, along with a few stills of animation – which is 2-D (a first for a canon Star Wars show) – can be seen below:
There’s also a brief clip that’s just surfaced:
And here’s a preview of some of the toys that will appear in the line:
The easiest thing to compare this series to – both in terms of visual aesthetic and target demographic – would be to say that this is the Star Wars equivalent of DC Superhero Girls. While I can’t say that I’m necessarily in the show’s target demographic (and I’m definitely not in the toy demographic, either), I’m still kind of interested in seeing where they go with this because I love these characters so much. More details regarding the shorts and the toy line can be found at the original article.
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
Looks neat! Do we know who’s making those toys?
Edit: Ah, Hasbro.
Only Hasbro is allowed to make Star Wars action figures in the U.S.
Don’t they make them in China and Vietnam?
Maybe he meant the ones to distribute them.
Which still makes no sense because Funko, LEGO, Disney, and others distribute in the US as well.
I mean only Hasbro can market them in the U.S. (Where the factory is located is irrelevant.)
Yeah, which again, isn’t true because of Funko, LEGO, Disney Elite, and import figures that are distributed in the US by Blue Fin such as those by Bandai and Medicom. Not to mention Hot Toys, Sideshow, and Koto, all of which are marketed and distributed in the US.
Funko and Lego have to skirt the rules and make sure their toys don’t count as action figures. (Not sure how Lego does it, but Funko’s are more like models.)
Bandai is licensed in Japan and can’t sell directly in the US, as far as I know.
Great to see this series focus a lot on the women of Star Wars; it would help these characters gain more visibility as role models for girls and women for the franchise. ^_^
You should be doing PR for Kathy Kennedy
Thanks, but i’ll pass; i’m too introverted.
KICK ASS!
Ah, niceu!
On the other hand, be careful with the meninists on the web…
I’m afraid it will look too ridiculous to be considered as canon, it has nothing to do with Female characters, I would feel the same way if they make ”Boy” cartoons, like side stories from Finn, Poe or Kanan. I thought they will make new animated series focusing on Luke and Ben between episode 6 and 7, I’m afraid this will be too ridiculous to be considered as canon. I hope I’m wrong
Why?
umm… What the hell’s up with Chewie there?
Glad Padme’s getting represented though.
Is this the rumoured “new series”? As in the next installment following Clone Wars and Rebels.
Additionally, I excited about the panel today discussing the orgins and fates of charactersintroduced in the animated series; However this is third such panel centred around the clone wars there is clearly a market for it. Why not just complete the series? It clearly not a “we are worried about jumping around in time” thing as we went from TFA to Rogue One with Rebels playing simultaneously.
Again there are only 5 arcs I feel are essential to be animtaed which (a) finish the story of main characters or (b) wrap up the major plots of the series
– Son of Dathomir (explain how maul got to Seige)
-Dark Disciple (a great book, but shoudl be animated as it Ventresses last story)
-The Ahsoka arc in Corasant
-The Sith Temple Arc (we know its canon + first time ahsoka interacts with the jedi )
– The Seige of Mandlore (the prveious arcs show how Maul and Ahsoka got there + end the series).
Not the new series. It’s just a couple of short stories.
Ok, I wouldnt have minded it as an antholgy like series (each episode focusing on a random character), the animation just is a bit cheap to me.
Ill still watch it; Ive been dying for Maz Kanata related content
Looks awesome. That Chewbacca though looks like butt. Reminds me of Mark Walberg’s planet of the apes.
I’d love to see the next series be conventional animation. These look a bit rough, but perhaps it’s because the animation hasn’t been finalized.
This kinda reminds me of that crummy Clone Wars animated movie (not the one that lead to the 3D animated Clone Wars TV series).
No way. This looks, especially the second shot, Holiday Special level of badness.
This is useless.
Awww, is this not what you wanted?
I don’t think anyone wanted it.
Says a male adult fan on the internet. I mean it’s pretty clear this project is meant to appeal to younger fans and kids just getting into Star Wars. If my
Are you assuming my gender? /s
fuck*ng epic joak bro, howd you come up with that one
It’s one of them dank memes, bro.
Amazing username by the way.
I don’t think you can say that.
I think I can, and I did.
I mean, you CAN. But you would be wrong to do so. So sit there and be wrong in your wrongness.
I want it.
I don’t watch any of these off shoot kid cartoons so no. The animation also looks like some students did them.
The art style and animation are…well. Let’s just say I have seen better stuff on some Youtube fan-filmsand parodies.
just do SW…no need to show us your pushing your agenda. I like the characters without having to be reminded of the “strong” women in SW. minus that, it seems fine.
I was thinking the same thing. I’m glad there ARE strong women in Star Wars. In fact it was one of the first franchises to have strong female leads, as opposed to damsels in distress. But they don’t need to yell at everyone trying to gain reputation by being “outside the norm” and “Catering to political views.” It makes me feel like they are trying too hard. Just tell fun stories. Don’t make it political.
Yes, but all the folks at Disney and Lucasfilm are all members of the church of progressive socialism. As such, they need to go out and preach their gospel to the unwashed masses as well as to their fellow true believers. 😉
(And those who don’t like their Social Justice Warrior jihad will be branded misogynist and figuratively slain.)
i don’t know if you hate women, dude, but you sure as shit seem completely terrified of them tbh
lol normie
[in extremely oblivion npc voice] You Do Me Too Much Honor
This is SW
yup, less on the political of why we did this please. I come to SW to get away from that kind of stuff
To get away from women?
dude really? I love women,,,ALOT!!!! That’s why I have so many kids! Just saying you can do these things without waving a flag. once again, I love women and these characters…just stop with the look at what we’re doing for women nonsense.
I don’t see why it is such a bother.
Doesn’t matter what it is…selling burgers, movies, etc…. they need to keep their agendas to themselves, IMO. which is far from perfect.
Or, they can do whatever they want and you can deal with it.
And if it doesn’t work, people like Cw will be branded as misogynist for not liking it.
Sadly, there are those who drop that label too quickly. Hopefully people on all sides are more reasonable.
That’s a fact, I’ve no choice….but I do have a voice and opinion!
star wars has literally *always* been political, you goon
Nope, only the politics within the story.
Everything about this seems great (except for the weird fur on the Chewbacca Doll). When Disney dropped the ball and released a Disney Store Rey Doll similar to this, I thought this was the kind of toy line they needed to push through their general merchandise. Bravo Star Wars. Bravo.
Really? Really Disney? This is the stupid shit I was fearing back in 2012. Stop pushing your stupid “girls can be strong too!” agenda. Its’ done in a distasteful and forceful way (he, get it?).
Really? Really, Jacob? This is the stupid shit I was fearing you would say when you set finger to keyboard.
Quit crying. Animated shorts featuring women don’t hurt you, big baby
Mocking? Now thats something a baby would do.
lmfao at all the sad dudes who feel threatened by this being a thing
if it ain’t the fact that it’s focused on women and girls that’s bothering you, then why don’t you give as much of a damn about trite crap like expensive pewter bullshit or plastic garbage Tiki Cups
hmmmmmmmmm
And wheres Padme?
She’s a part of it, they just haven’t shown her for whatever reason. She’s on a book cover.
Disney wants that little girl money.
Well, they want ALL the monies to be accurate. Little girls are just the easiest target to look at first. The most exciting part is wondering who the NEXT target group they’ll focus on will be. Seniors? Lonely cat-women? Vagrants? Twilight fans newly left adrift? Such exciting times we live in!
“Twilight fans newly left adrift?”
That’s what the “Romantic YA” movie rumor is for 😉
Padme?!
She’s there, she’s just not in that image.
– Pomojema
Thank God their doing this! I never knew Star wars was capable of having strong women other than Leia, Mon Mothma, Shaak Ti, Mara Jade, Bastilla, Padme, Jaina Solo, Aayla Secura, Jan Ors, Aurra Sing, Asajj Ventress, Darth Traya……….
Boo, I forgot to come into this thread to see the misogynists pitch a fit about girl centered cartoons for children.