In a massive surprise to fans, Studio Ghibli shared that it would be teaming up with Star Wars and Indiana Jones' Lucasfilm, leading some to believe the collaboration is for Star Wars: Visions.
Even for all the success that Star Wars has had with live-action movies and shows, some of its best storytelling has come in the animated format over the past decade and a half. Starting off with Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2008, the franchise now boasts nearly half a dozen animated titles that all tie into various points throughout the Skywalker Saga, even bringing the Mandoverse in as well.
This trend will continue next year with The Bad Batch Season 2, arriving on Disney+ right after the turn of the new year, although Lucasfilm is far from done on the animated front. This was confirmed recently by a new trailer that introduces a collaboration between two major studios that most fans never saw coming.
Studio Ghibli Joins Forces With Lucasfilm
In a brief new video, Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli announced a collaboration with Lucasfilm.
The studio is well-known for its animated features, including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and more. Studio Ghibli is currently working on a new feature film from director Hayao Miyazaki, titled How Do You Live?
Some have speculated that the venture could be for the upcoming second season of Star Wars: Visions, which debuts on Disney+ in Spring 2023.
Disney's President of Marketing Asad Ayaz, briefly reacted to the announcement, sharing nothing more than a side-eye emoji.
The short clip can be seen below:
Star Wars Animation Goes to Thrilling New Level
For nearly 40 years, the Japanese animation studio has consistently pushed forward with some of the most celebrated animated movies in history, competing with the best in the business thanks to hit movies like Princess Mononoke and Ponyo. Five of the studio's movies have been nominated for Academy Awards, including a win for Spirited Away in the Best Animated Feature category at the 2003 Oscars.
But looking at this teaser, it's almost impossible to predict how the two media giants will team up, as only their company logos were utilized in the 15-second clip.
The best bet would likely be Star Wars: Visions Season 2, whose first season brought 10 unique anime-style animated outings that didn't actually play off the canon story that's pushed the Star Wars universe forward since 1977. This show would give Studio Ghibli a chance to show off its critically-acclaimed animation style while opening new doors in the Star Wars narrative, putting the Jedi, the Sith, and the rest of the galaxy in its own unique fashion.
Some have even speculated whether Ghibli is working on the mysterious Baby Yoda-centric short, which is slated to hit Disney+ very soon.
Currently, there are no signs pointing to when this mysterious project will release or even what specific story the two studios will tell. But fans' eyes and ears are now wide open for what Lucasfilm and Studio Ghibli have in store for the near future, especially with Star Wars' Disney+ shows carrying most of the weight for the franchise rather than the movies.
