Feb 12 2008'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Reveals Nearly Sleek New Anakin
Lucasfilm has released the first shots of Anakin Skywalker from the new animated Clone Wars series, and like many hoped for in the prequel films, the animators have stripped nearly all elements of Hayden Christensen from the character. He's become stylized to the point that he's nothing but a sleek, chiseled, ultimately forgettable jawline with hair--like how you'd describe Casper Van Dien. With the pictures came the announcement that Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be coming to theaters August 15, preceding the series that will run on Cartoon Network and TNT.
Now, if you're like me, you're getting worried. Not that George Lucas has stretched the Star Wars franchise to the point that he's making video games based on toys based on the movies (Lego Star Wars made perfect sense), nor that the sheer number of Star Wars products has turned the hum of a lightsaber into the horrific screams of your dying childhood. No, if you're like me, your concern is simply this: can the epic thrills of a Star Wars movie possibly be contained in a traditional, 30-minute television episode? Thankfully, Lucasfilm has pacified those fears, explaining that, although Clone Wars will be televised with brief, regular commercial interruptions, they are not episodes. Rather, "Each week, viewers will see a thrilling, 30-minute 'mini-movie'". Phew!
One more image below the cut. Thanks, Joshua.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars in Theaters and on Television in 2008 [Official Site]
Reader Comments
1. Scooby - February 12, 2008 1:01 PM
Oh Hayden Christensen when will your brilliance be recognized!
JUMPER will prove all the neighsayers wrong. So wrong.
2. frunken - February 12, 2008 1:07 PM
So it's exactly the same as the cartoon clone war episodes, just with more realistic animation and longer episodes...and the same name.
3. John Eddy - February 12, 2008 1:07 PM
"No, if you're like me, your concern is simply this: can the epic thrills of a Star Wars movie possibly be contained in a traditional, 30-minute television episode?"
Well, I thought the Clone Wars 3-5 minute cartoons had some epic thrills in them (almost as many as the 2 hour movies, so, pound for pound.....)
4. vinh - February 12, 2008 1:48 PM
CGI Anakin look like Kiera Knightly and I'm oddly okay with that.
5. Elizabeth - February 12, 2008 2:17 PM
I loved Hayden as Anakin. There wasn't anything wrong with his performance. And I don't like the way the new CGI Anakin looks. Why mess with a good thing?
6. Scooby - February 12, 2008 2:31 PM
Elizabeth,
I am SO glad that someone can see the nuance of Hayden's performance. I'm perceptive enough to see it. He was secretly an android, right. Incapable of feeling human emotion. I can read between the lines. It was poetry on screen if you know how to look at it right.
7. Paul - February 12, 2008 2:46 PM
Having Anakin look like Hayden is the least of my gripes. With all the stories left to tell in the Star Wars universe (The Old Republic, Darth Vader in his prime in the suit, stories after episode 6), why warm up the Clone Wars again and serve it to us? We already know about the Clone Wars! I think this is a total crap idea.
8. Gentleman Robot - February 12, 2008 3:16 PM
I think I understand now.
The previous animated Clone Wars cartoon may have been a bit too good for it's own good. Star Wars has a rich legacy of excruciatingly awful made-for-TV adaptations.
There's the legendary Holiday Special, Saturday morning cartoons "Ewoks" and "Droids" and my favorites- the two live-action Ewok TV movies: "The Ewok Adventure" and "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor".
Why let Genndy Tartakovsky's excellent short animated Clone Wars series go down in history as the only watchable Star Wars TV adaptation when they can just produce a much crappier show with the same name to obscure it's legacy?
It's really kind of genius when you think about it....
9. Bryan - February 12, 2008 4:04 PM
You people crack me up. How can you possibly trash this movie/series before you even lay eyes on it? I realize that trashing SW is the new fun thing to do, but c'mon. If you REALLY hate the franchise so much, stop wasting your time on message boards trashing it. Don't you have anything better to do? If you call yourself a fan of SW, you should be ashamed of yourself. If you don't, just go talk about whatever it is that you DO enjoy. All that being said, I can't wait for the new movie/tv series. While I wish it were live action with Hayden and the crew, I'll take whatever SW I can get!!!
10. Wendy - February 12, 2008 4:15 PM
Does anyone know if Gendy Tartakosky (sp?) is doing this one, like with the clone wars cartoon that came out before the actual movie? Gendy did a great job with that and I liked it more than the actual movie. If he is doing this then I trust his past experience to do this right.
11. Mr. Mason - February 12, 2008 6:00 PM
Gentleman Robot has seen to the heart of Lucas' evil plan.
Wake me up when they get to the "Mace Windu Kills The Universe" episode. He was the best part of the Clone Wars cartoon.
12. Bobeyo - February 12, 2008 6:17 PM
I hated the Clone Wars cartoons, and I plan to hate this equally much. It looks so stupid that I feel a wrenching feeling in my gut when I think of what Star Wars has become. Just LOOK at that last picture! You Lucas apologists just go find another forum to praise your overrated hack of a favorite director. The only reason he's famous is because of a lot of luck and the help of the guys who made the GOOD Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back.
I only hope they include the scene where chisel-face Anakin turns to the Dark Side and murders his big-eyed, skinny little "apprentice" twit.
13. Bobeyo - February 12, 2008 6:19 PM
As a side-note, however, LEGO Star Wars the video game was awesome. At least it was fun and followed the movies, a combination no other Star Wars video game has been able to accomplish thus far.
14. Paul - February 12, 2008 7:43 PM
Bryan, I do love Star wars (Actually, after the last 3 movies I only like it now). I just want to see something different. Even if this version of the clone wars is well written (I doubt it) and visually stunning, it's already been covered, we know who wins, we saw it in the first 2 series and in Episode 3. Show me something new Lucas. Ah, but that's too much to expect from the man who changed Episode 4 to Greedo shot first.