George Lucas famously found inspiration in Japanese storytelling while creating Star Wars. The original trilogy drew heavily from Japanese period dramas like Seven Samurai by directors such as Akira Kurosawa, incorporating symbols and terms reminiscent of feudal-era Japanese military. This influence was reciprocal, as the original trilogy’s release in Japan sparked a surge in science-fiction cinema, notably animated works like Akira. The convergence of these two creative sources seems long overdue.
Recently announced at Anime Expo, Disney and Lucasfilm revealed an upcoming anthology of anime shorts set in the Star Wars universe named Star Wars: Visions. Each short is crafted by a different renowned anime studio, with participants like Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio, Studio Colorido, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, Production IG, and the well-regarded Studio Trigger.
Executive producer James Waugh expressed, “Japanese animation has inspired many at Lucasfilm throughout the years. We are excited to see Star Wars interpreted in this style.”
First look at ‘Star Wars: Visions’
It is an anthology of anime short filmspic.twitter.com/BE17c9t0PK
— Culture Crave ? (@CultureCrave) July 3, 2021
The official description states, “In its debut anime endeavor, each ‘Star Wars: Visions’ short will carry a distinctive Japanese touch that harmonizes with the essence of Star Wars storytelling.” It continues, “From the outset, tales within the Star Wars galaxy have drawn influence from Japanese mythology and Akira Kurosawa’s films, and these new visions will delve deeper into that cultural heritage through the diverse animation styles and perspectives of each anime studio.”
Star Wars: Visions will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on September 22, 2021.
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