Watch: Disney+ Transforms ‘Star Wars’ Into An Anime, Coming To Streaming Service

By Mikelle Leow, 18 Aug 2021

Video screenshot via Star Wars

If the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now a multiverse, who’s to say Star Wars is one-note too? Giving the Lucasfilm franchise a refreshing twist—or, rather, multiple—Disney+ has reimagined the Star Wars galaxy as an original anime series.

Star Wars: Visions will spotlight the diverse visual styles and storytelling of seven prominent Japanese animation studios: Kamikaze Douga; Geno Studio (Twin Engine); Studio Colorido (Twin Engine); Trigger; Kinema Citrus; Science Saru; and Production I.G. It’s an apt concept, seeing as how George Lucas had drawn from Japanese culture and films of Akira Kurosawa to create A New Hope, per Engadget.

Video screenshot via Star Wars

According to Lucasfilm, every studio had its own Star Wars fans exhilarated to breathe new life into the franchise.

Video screenshot via Star Wars

“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,” describes James Waugh, executive producer and vice president of franchise content and strategy at Lucasfilm. “And celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers.”

In true anime style, Disney has released two international variations of the Star Wars: Visions trailer. The first features the original Japanese audio with English subtitles, while the other is dubbed in English.

The trailer, with Japanese audio and English subtitles

Prominent Hollywood actors have lent their voices to the English audio version, including Alison Brie, George Takei, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lucy Liu, Neil Patrick Harris, Simu Liu (who’ll star in the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Temuera Morrison (who voiced Boba Fett).