Disney has released the debut trailer for Star Wars: Visions, a collection of original stories set in the iconic universe created by beloved Japanese animation studios including Trigger and Production IG. Think the standalone episode format of Love, Death & Robots or The Animatrix, albeit adapted for the Star Wars universe. And wow, did that debut trailer ever impress us.
Releasing on September 22, 2021 exclusively on Disney Plus, Star Wars: Visions will feature nine stories created by Japanese studios, and will be available to view with the original Japanese voices with subtitles, or via an English dub.
There’s no shortage of recognizable talent in the latter, either, with the likes of David Harbour, George Takei, Lucy Liu and Alison Brie lending their voices to the project.
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Lucasfilm executive producer James Waugh commented on the ambitious Star Wars: Visions project in a press release, stating: “Lucasfilm is partnering with seven of the most talented anime studios in Japan to bring their signature style and unique vision of the Star Wars galaxy to this inspired new series.
“Their stories showcase the full spectrum of bold storytelling found across Japanese animation; each told with a freshness and voice that expands our understanding of what a Star Wars story can be, and celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers.”
Analysis: Star Wars: Visions looks unbelievably cool
While Star Wars has experimented with animated formats in the past – often to great success with the likes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars – we’ve never seen revered anime studios give their take on the iconic sci-fi universe until now.
If you ask us, Star Wars: Visions is in extremely safe hands in Japan. Some of the studios involved have created some of the most entertaining and engaging anime of the past few years, including the feature-length Promare from Trigger. Production IG also worked on the critically acclaimed Psycho-Pass and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime series.
We’re loving the range of animation styles on offer with Star Wars: Visions, too. No two stories look the same, and run the gamut from colorful and cartoony to gritty and semi-realistic. And while we obviously can’t speak on Star Wars: Vision’s overall quality just yet, the debut trailer remains incredibly promising.
While we’ve seen incredible Western adaptations of Japanese properties in the past, such as Netflix’s Castlevania series, we rarely see the opposite occur. That’s partly why Star Wars: Visions has us so hyped. We get to see some of the best anime studios give their takes on one of the most revered Western franchises of all time.
Where the animations of Star Wars: Visions will fit into the overall franchise canon – if at all – remains unclear. But with existing characters like Boba Fett making an appearance, we suppose anything is possible. Regardless, Star Wars: Visions is a project we’re very excited to see.
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