The next chapter of the Disney+ anthology series Star Wars: Visions starts streaming May 4 on Disney+.
The Emmy-nominated first season of this non-canon Star Wars animated anthology series told nine stories, each of which was crafted by a different anime studio. As a result, the episodes all had a unique look that was inspired by Japanese animation styles.
While the original episodes all had a strong Japanese influence, Volume 2 of Visions is expanding the scope to include animation studios from around the world. The new volume will feature animation styles from the United States, Japan, Ireland, France, South Africa, and Chile.
With the announcement of Volume 2, Disney+ and Lucasfilm also announced which animation studios will be handling the episodes in this new season. The list includes El Guiri, Cartoon Saloon, Punkrobot, Aardman, 88 Pictures, D’art Shtajio (in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.), and Triggerfish.
Among the artists involved in these episodes are a number of notable names, including Yoshifumi Yamane, who worked on the Japanese shorts of Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. He’s joined by Aisha Taimur, who previously worked on Star Wars: Rogue One and the first two episodes of Disney+’s Star Wars: Rebels.
According to Disney+’s press release, these studios were all given a lot of freedom in their storytelling. Executive producer James Waugh explained that the series was designed to allow the creators to tell stories that are not necessarily part of Star Wars canon. This gave them the freedom to explore different storylines, and it also helped to give them a wider palette to work with.
