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Ahead of Star Wars Celebration kicking off, Disney and Lucasfilm announced today that a new Star Wars series was kicking off this summer on its YouTube channel.
Star Wars Forces of Destiny will tell the “heroic” stories of different characters from different periods in the franchise. Rey, Jyn Erso, Princess Leia and Rebels’ Ahsoka Tano will all receive canonical, animated shorts that look at a specific aspect of their origin story and retell it in more depth.
Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy said the majority of actors who played the original characters in the various films or TV series would return to voice the characters in the shorts, too, according to a press release.
“Star Wars Forces of Destiny is for anyone who has been inspired by Leia’s heroism, Rey’s courage, or Ahsoka’s tenacity,” Kennedy said. “We’re thrilled that so many of the original actors are reprising their roles in these shorts which capture the small moments and everyday decisions that shape who these characters are. It is a fun new way for people to experience Star Wars.”
Star Wars Forces of Destiny will exist first and foremost on Disney’s YouTube channel as a new series, but will eventually move to television for a two-part special featuring eight new stories. That is scheduled to air this fall. Lucasfilm and Disney are also incorporating Hasbro toys, 11-inch action figurines and a new series of books in the wake of Star Wars Forces of Destiny launching, which will also be made available this summer.