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Movies & TV

03rd Feb 2023

Irish animation studio to make new episode of Star Wars show

Stephen Porzio

Exciting news for Irish fans of Star Wars.

It has been announced that the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon is making a Star Wars.

Based in Kilkenny and best known for its Oscar-nominated movies Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers, Cartoon Saloon will helm an episode of the upcoming second season of Star Wars: Visions.

Visions is an animated anthology series showcasing original stories set in or inspired by the Star Wars universe.

Its first season – released in 2021 and consisting of nine episodes produced by seven Japanese animation studios – earned rave reviews, scoring a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Following the positive response, Disney+ and LucasFilm have now announced that a second season will premiere in May and will “feature nine new shorts from nine studios from around the globe”.

One of the studios involved is Cartoon Saloon, with its co-founder Paul Young directing an episode in the series titled ‘Screecher’s Reach’.

Meanwhile, popular British animation studio Aardman, best known for creating Wallace and Gromit, will also helm an entry in the sophomore batch of episodes.

“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,” James Waugh, the show’s executive producer, said in a statement.

“We always saw Star Wars: Visions as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today.

“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.”

The second season of Star Wars: Visions will premiere on Disney+ on 4 May.

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