Star Wars is set to showcase stories in a brand-new way.
The franchise is venturing into the world of anime through Star Wars: Visions. The upcoming Disney+ anthology series will feature standalone stories that are set in the galaxy far, far, away.
Lucasfilm described Visions as a collection of "original series of animated short films," thus allowing the creatives to explore new storylines instead of being limited to a cohesive narrative. Visions executive producer James Waugh has said that Lucasfilm wanted to give creators "a wide creative berth" to create their anime films that paves the way to explore "all the imaginative potential" of the Star Wars galaxy.
A special look for Visions gave fans a preview of what to expect in terms of story and animation styles. Alongside the reveal, Lucasfilm shared that each short “bears a unique Japanese sensibility” which “aligns with the tone and spirit of Star Wars storytelling.”
The anticipation is high for this new venture under the Star Wars banner, and many would agree that longtime fans of the franchise will welcome this concept.
Now, a preview of one of the episodes of Visions has been revealed.
STAR WARS VISIONS' CONNECTION TO POST-SKYWALKER SAGA
Visions director Kenji Kamiyama of Production I.G., via IGN, shared that his episode for the anthology series entitled "The Ninth Jedi" will be set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Kamiyama teased that his episode will answer the question if the "galaxy settled into peace" after Daisy Ridley's Rey defeated Emperor Palpatine and all the Sith:
“I wondered, after Episode IX, has the galaxy settled into peace? We all love stories of the Jedi and lightsabers, but what became of the Jedi Knights after the movie series? My story is about that."
Kamiyama then revealed that his episode will be a hand-drawn animation depicting "a galactic-level adventure with a different character.”
NEW STORY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAR WARS VISIONS
While it has been confirmed that the stories of Star Wars: Visions were not held to canon of the Skywalker Saga during development, this latest reveal should still excite fans as this will serve as their first preview of how the ending of Rise of Skywalker affected the galaxy far, far, away.
Many would agree that Kenji Kamiyama has an interesting premise for the episode, considering that it will revolve around the situation of the galaxy after the Sith's (true) downfall. It is unknown if Rey Skywalker will make an appearance in the standalone episode, but the director's comment about the Jedi Knights could hint that another Jedi will be front and center in this installment.
Given that this episode is not canon, this makes narrative sense, since it gives Visions more leeway in introducing more surviving Jedi that is not limited to the confines of the Skywalker Saga's storyline.
Fans will find out if a new Jedi will be introduced when Star Wars: Visions premieres on Disney+ on September 22, 2021.
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