Go behind the scenes of Star Wars: Visions’ episodes “The Ninth Jedi” (Volume 1, Episode 5) and “The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope” (Volume 3, Episode 3) with the Writers/Directors Kenji Kamiyama and Naoyoshi Shiotani and learn about how they incorporated Japanese anime styles into Star Wars, used lightsabers as a storytelling tool, and the process of continuing Kara’s story arch across episodes.
Prepare to dive into a tapestry of tales from a galaxy far, far away and learn how your favorite Star Wars stories can guide your journey through the animated anthology Visions Volume 3
By Dustin Diehl
Let loose into the Star Wars galaxy, Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 continues to meld incredible storytelling, compelling visuals, and creative freedom with nine anthology shorts ranging in style, tone, and theme, available to watch now on Disney+!
But where to start? Each short feels uniquely new, yet surprisingly familiar, drawing on the deep well of Star Wars mythos to tell universal stories that resonate. To help you on your journey through Volume 3, we’ve connected each short to some of the saga’s most beloved tales to act as your guide….
The third installment of the award-winning anthology counts Anna Sawai, Freddie Highmore, George Takei, Harvey Guillén, Jodie Turner-Smith, Judith Light, Simu Liu, Stephanie Hsu, and Steve Buscemi among the cast.
By StarWars.com Team
The trailer — available as the original Japanese trailer, as well as the English dubbed trailer — showcases a glimpse at the stories to come with the premiere on Disney+ on October 29, including the return of Ronin from the Emmy®-nominated “The Duel,” F from “The Village Bride,” and Lah Kara from “The Ninth Jedi,” three shorts available in Volume 1, streaming now on Disney+.
This season, Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 returns to Japan where it all began, featuring nine shorts from nine different anime studios — david production, Kamikaze Douga + ANIMA, Kinema citrus Co., Polygon Pictures, Production I.G, Project Studio Q, TRIGGER, WIT Studio — to further demonstrate the diversity and creativity of Japanese animation.
Here’s the full list of upcoming titles, synopsis descriptions, directors, and cast members for the nine shorts in Volume 3!…
Celebrated anime artist and filmmaker Shinya Ohira discussed his new Star Wars short in a pre-recorded Q+A at Anime NYC today.
By Lucas Seastrom
When Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 arrives on Disney+ on October 29, 2025, the third installment of the anthology series will feature nine brand-new anime shorts all made by Japanese studios. Today, fans at Anime NYC were treated to a special preview of david production’s “BLACK,” with new insights from the writer and director Shinya Ohira. Combining stunning imagery and music, the experimental short presents a psychedelic battle between past and present, light and dark, and life and death in the haunted psyche of an Imperial stormtrooper on the cusp of defeat.
“Something nobody’s ever seen before”
“We wanted to offer a film that was mainly based on Sakura Fujiawara’s singing voice set against these visuals of intense battles. That was our vision as we made the film,” Ohira explained in a pre-recorded video. A veteran artist of everything from Akira (1988) to Spirited Away (2001) to Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Ohira-san also served as character designer and key animator for “BLACK.” “As for the interpretation of the story,” he added, “the viewers, the people watching it, we kind of wanted to leave it up to them…so that’s how we made it.”…
Star Wars is full of different fighting factions, groups and organizations. Today I’m explaining all of the most important governments and major factions that have started galactic scale conflicts throughout the history of the galaxy far, far away.
The critically-acclaimed series of animated shorts returns to Japan for a third installment in collaboration with nine anime studios
By StarWars.com Team
Star Wars: Visions is returning to its anime roots with nine new shorts slated for release next year.
At the 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase, it was exclusively revealed that Star Wars: Visions will debut a third volume in 2025.
The award-winning series first premiered in 2021, with nine shorts by seven different Japanese anime studios celebrating the mythology of Star Wars through unique cultural perspectives. Last year’s second volume took the imaginative series on a global tour, featuring animation from across Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Chile, France, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States….
For Star Wars: Visions Volume 2, Lucasfilm partnered with studios from around the world to create new interpretations of the galaxy far, far away like none seen before. And now you can explore those stories with StarWars.com’s official, exclusive Episode Guides.
In every Episode Guide, you can enjoy a story gallery, featuring the main events of each installment; go inside the episode with a trivia gallery, which includes behind-the-scenes insights and Easter eggs (Did you know that a 1980s Kenner toy vehicle inspired tanks seen in “The Spy Dancer?” Now you do, and you can find out which one!) right from the creators; and view a concept art gallery, showcasing the evolution of the short’s designs. Plus, you’ll find an archive of StarWars.com’s interviews with Volume 2 directors, episodic highlights, and videos. Check out the Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 Episode Guides at the links below…
What were our favorite shorts from Star Wars Visions Volume 2? What could we see in future collections? These questions and more answered in this week’s Q&A!
Join Mark Newbold from Fantha Tracks and a number of other podcasts and news outlets as we talk with the director of ‘Sith’, the opening episode of Star Wars: Visions Volume 2, Rodrigo Blaas.
We got to see Star Wars Visions: Volume 2 last week! The new collection of shorts feature far more variety than Volume 1 with several emotional and beautifully told stories. Screechers Reach was my personal favorite, but every single short had something to make them stand out.
Mark Newbold (Making Tracks) chats with members of the team behind the second volume of Star Wars Visions (James Waugh, Josh Rimes, and Jacqui Lopez) about the groundbreaking series, new adventures and partners and what fans can expect when the second season arrives on 4th May.
Remember to tune in to Good Morning Tatooine, LIVE Sunday evenings at 9.00pm UK, 4.00pm Eastern and 1.00pm Pacific on Facebook and YouTube and check out our Fantha Tracks Radio Friday Night Rotation every Friday at 7.00pm UK for new episodes of The Fantha From Down Under, Planet Leia, Desert Planet Discs, Start Your Engines, Collecting Tracks, Canon Fodder and special episodes of Making Tracks, and every Tuesday at 7.00pm UK time for your weekly episode of Making Tracks.
Just released at Star Wars Celebration: Watch the new trailer for Star Wars Visions: Volume 2, featuring nine new shorts from nine celebrated animation studios from across the globe.
Which Star Wars Visions Volume 2 shorts are we most excited to see? Will we ever see another feature length animated Star Wars film? These questions and more answered in this week’s Q&A!
Star Wars: Visions is coming back, and on a special day for Star Wars fans.
Today, Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced that the second volume of the animated anthology series will premiere May 4, 2023, a.k.a. Star Wars Day, exclusively on Disney+. Volume 2, building on the Emmy Award-nominated first run of Star Wars: Visions in 2021, will feature nine new shorts from nine studios from around the globe; the shorts promise to feature unique animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, depicting each filmmaker’s specific vision of the Star Wars galaxy.
The shorts included in Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States).
“The reaction to the first volume of Star Wars: Visions blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” says James Waugh, Star Wars: Visions executive producer and senior vice president, Franchise Content & Strategy, at Lucasfilm. “We always saw Star Wars: Visions as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today. Animation is in a global renaissance, and we’re constantly staggered by the amount of creativity pushing the medium forward. With Volume 1, the imaginative minds of Japan’s anime industry were on full display. With Volume 2, we expanded our canvas to take audiences on a global tour of some of the most talented creators from around the world. We’re so proud to be able to reveal the line-up of studios we’ve assembled. Every short is incredible, full of heart, scope, imagination, and the values that make stories distinctly Star Wars — all while opening up bold new ways of seeing what a Star Wars story can be.”
Waugh serves as executive producer on Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 along with Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes. Check out details on each short and filmmaker below…
Today, Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced that the second volume of the animated anthology series “Star Wars: Visions” will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. Following on the Emmy Award®-nominated success of “Star Wars: Visions,” the newest volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from 9 studios from around the globe. Employing the most captivating animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the second volume offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.
The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States).
“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” says James Waugh, “Star Wars: Visions” executive producer and Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm. “We always saw ‘Star Wars: Visions’ as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today. Animation is in a global renaissance, and we’re constantly staggered by the amount of creativity pushing the medium forward. With Volume 1, the imaginative minds of Japan’s anime industry were on full display. With Volume 2, we expanded our canvas to take audiences on a global tour of some of the most talented creators from around the world. We’re so proud to be able to reveal the line-up of studios we’ve assembled. Every short is incredible, full of heart, scope, imagination, and the values that make stories distinctly ‘Star Wars’ — all while opening up bold new ways of seeing what a ‘Star Wars’ story can be.”
Waugh executive produces “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 along with Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes.
Details on each short and filmmaker follow:
Title: “Sith” Studio: El Guiri Writer-director: Rodrigo Blaas
Rodrigo Blaas is an Emmy Award®-winning director who has spent more than 20 years in animation. After co-founding Stromboli Animation in 1997, Blaas joined Blue Sky Studios in 2000, working on the feature film “Ice Age,” before transitioning to Pixar Animation Studios. There, he worked on such projects as “Finding Nemo” (2003), “The Incredibles” (2004), “Ratatouille” (2007) and “Wall-E” (2008) and on the Oscar®-nominated short film “La Luna” (2011). More recently, Blaas partnered with Guillermo del Toro to develop the award-winning series “Trollhunters,” served as creative director for Mikros Animation Paris and, in 2021, created El Guiri Studios in Madrid with his partner, Cecile Hokes. He also wrote and directed 2009’s award-winning short film “Alma.”
Title: “Screecher’s Reach” Studio: Cartoon Saloon Director: Paul Young
Paul Young is a co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an IFTA winner and Oscar®, Emmy® and BAFTA nominee. He produced the animated features “My Father’s Dragon,” “WolfWalkers,” “The Secret of Kells,” “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner” as well as award-winning TV series including “Puffin Rock,” “Dorg Van Dango” and “Viking Skool.”
Title: “In the Stars” Studio: Punkrobot Writer-director: Gabriel Osorio
Gabriel Osorio majored in Fine Arts at Universidad de Chile, later specializing in 3D animation. After working in commercials, movies and television series, he founded Punkrobot Studio. Since 2008, he has directed projects for children’s television including “Flipos,” “Muelin y Perlita,” “Soccer Girls” and television spots. In 2016, his short film “Bear Story” became the first Latin American project to win an Oscar® in the animated short category.
Title: “I Am Your Mother” Studio: Aardman Director: Magdalena Osinska
Magdalena Osinska is an award-winning director who has been with Aardman for eight years. She has directed stop-motion, CGI, 2D and live-action commercials including Wallace & Gromit’s “The Great Sofa Caper” and “Share the Orange.” Osinska directed development of the children’s series “Joyets” and has also directed films including “Spirits of the Piano” and “Zbigniev’s Cupboard.” A graduate of the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, UK, as well as the Polish Film School in Lodz and Art College in Warsaw, Osinska is currently developing the feature film “Jasia,” based on her grandmother’s memories of WWII Poland.
Title: “Journey to the Dark Head” Studio: Studio Mir Director: Hyeong Geun Park
Rising star Hyeong Geun Park had already made a name for himself when he entered the Korean animation industry in 2017, thanks to his strong drawing and animation sensibilities. He has directed animation for dozens of cinematic game trailers and has since expanded into animated series, working on projects including “Dota: Dragon’s Blood: Book 3” (2022) and “Lookism” (2022). “Journey to the Dark Head” is the first title he has executive produced from start to finish.
Title: “The Spy Dancer” Studio: Studio La Cachette Writer-director: Julien Chheng
Julien Chheng is CEO of Studio La Cachette, an Emmy Award®-winning French animation studio he co-founded in 2014 with fellow Gobelins school’s alumni Oussama Bouacheria and Ulysse Malassagne. Chheng was trained in visual development at Disney and has worked as a character animator on acclaimed 2D animated features “The Rabbi’s Cat,” “Mune” and the Academy Award®-nominated “Ernest and Celestine.” In 2021, he won an Emmy Award® as animation executive producer of “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,” for which he also served as animation supervisor. In 2022, Chheng directed with Jean-Christophe Roger the Cesar-nominated feature “Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia.”
Title: “The Bandits of Golak” Studio: 88 Pictures Director: Ishan Shukla
Ishan Shukla started his career as a CG artist in Singapore. For more than a decade, he spearheaded projects ranging from TV commercials to series and music videos. His 2016 animated short, “Schirkoa,” was long listed for the Academy Awards® after receiving dozens of awards and playing at 120 international festivals, including SIGGRAPH Asia where it was named Best in Show. He then set up his own animation studio to work on adult-oriented animated feature films including a feature-length version of “Schirkoa,” set to hit festivals in summer 2023.
Title: “The Pit” Studios: D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd. Writer-director-executive producer: LeAndre Thomas Co-director: Justin Ridge
LeAndre Thomas is an award-winning writer and director from Oakland, Calif., whose most recent film won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival. In addition to his independent films, Thomas is a part of the franchise studio team at Lucasfilm Ltd. where he has worked for more than 11 years being credited on recent titles such as “Light & Magic,” “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,” and many more.
Justin Ridge executive produced the Emmy®-nominated series “Star Wars Resistance.” His credits also include “Star Wars Rebels,” “Storks,” “The Cleveland Show,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Title: “Aau’s Song” Studio: Triggerfish Writer-directors: Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke
Nadia Darries is a director, animator and co-founder of Goon Valley Animation, with an avocation for songwriting. Born in the Cape Flats in South Africa, Darries has worked on high-end animated film and motion design as an animator, project manager, creative director and director since 2015. Her experience includes animating at Triggerfish Animation Studios on the award-winning BBC films “Stick Man,” “Revolting Rhymes” and “Highway Rat.”
Daniel Clarke is a Cape Town-based director and artist working in animation, film and illustration. He started his career in animation in 2008 at Triggerfish Animation Studios, where he has served as production designer, art director and director on projects such as the feature film “Khumba,” BBC’s “Stick Man” and “The Snail and the Whale.” In 2018, along with James Clarke and Daniel Snaddon, he completed the graphic novel “Kariba.”
“Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning May 4, 2023.
The music for the final four episodes of Andor has finally come out. The 56-minute-long tracklist is now available on Spotify as well as other digital platforms, and can also be purchased physically from Walt Disney Records.
The release comes a few days after composer Nicholas Britell posted on social media he had finished putting the final touches to the score. The music was obviously heard during the episodes when they aired on Disney Plus, so Britell was probably referring to some additional mixing or small corrections they had to add for the digital release of the tracks. Albums for the previous eight episodes are also available, named Volume 1 and Volume 2.
The first three episodes of Star Wars: Andor are now available to the viewing public, letting fans get a peek into Disney and Lucasfilm’s latest adventure as Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor gets his Rogue One prequel story. This also comes as one of the most unique Star Wars entries in some time, as it completed filming without the use of the Volume technology which The Mandalorian made popular.
This tech was used heavily throughout both seasons of The Mandalorian, allowing the actors to come onto a massive set with a near-360-degree screen that let them feel the full environment for which they were shooting. The Volume was later used for Marvel Studios on Thor: Love and Thunder, but even though it has its advantages, it’s caused some controversy amongst fans due to the environments not looking as realistic in the final cut.
Only a few weeks ago, Andor creator/producer Tony Gilroy revealed the fact that his series didn’t use The Volume for any shooting, causing some online controversy due to the fact that the show deviated from what had worked so well in the recent past for Lucasfilm. Now, Gilroy has cleared the air on the matter, explaining why he decided to go old-school and shoot with real-world locations for Andor….
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy discussed why they ultimately opted not to use the Volume technology for the show, and gave some insight into Luthen Rael, the mysterious character played by Stellan Skarsgård that we were introduced to in the second episode. In this article, we’ve condensed the most interesting parts of the interview, but you may head over to their site if you are interested in reading the entire piece.
When asked if shooting on location was a prerequisite for him when he was brought on board, Gilroy said that it was a decision that they took when they started to plan out the series and hired a production designer:
“When I came on, Sanne Wohlenberg was the producer of record. She came with the existing pieces of the show. So Sanne was there, but I didn’t know her. She had just done Chernobyl, and it was sort of a shotgun marriage. So here we were together, and I had no idea that she was just going to be this rockstar producer.
And so the first decision you have to make is who’s going to be your production designer. Even in writing, my first call is to the production designer, because everything we do has to be designed. So we put a marker down. It was kind of a test for Disney: ‘How serious are you?’ We didn’t want to go with any of the traditional Star Wars people. We wanted [production designer] Luke Hull, who was like 12 years old and had just done Chernobyl. He’s just a fricking genius, but non-Star Wars in every way. So we brought him over. As I was doing the [series] bible, I wrote the first three episodes as a sort of a test….
Last year, Star Wars Visions decided to take the galaxy far, far away into the realm of anime, but the next volume of shorts will be bringing in talent from around the world. Series executive producer James Waugh reveals why the series is now taking a more varied approach, and delves into how the series will still retain an emphasis on Japanese animation.
At Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022, it was officially confirmed that Star Wars Visions would be going forward with a new set of shorts developed by animators from not just Japan, but also the United States, Chile, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, South Africa, India, and South Korea. When talking to Deadline about the future of the Visions brand, Waugh explained that he sees it as an all-encompassing label to allow creators from around the world to express what Star Wars means to their style….
