The trailer for the upcoming Star Wars anime anthology series, Visions, dropped Tuesday and provides nothing short of visuals, lightsabers, and anime spectacle.
The trailer opens with someone telling the story of an old warrior who entrusted their village with a lightsaber. Then, a montage of eye-popping lightsaber battles teases some of the most visual and unique action sequences Star Wars has seen.
In Japanese writing, Visions promises seven “visionary stories” that will allow viewers to “explore familiar worlds” and “see the possibilities.” Among these visuals are a podrace on Tatooine, a fight between two speeders, and an epic lightsaber battle on top of a Star Destroyer. The trailer then ends with a character accepting the responsibility of the lightsaber shown in the beginning.
Visions will tell all-new Star Wars stories through the traditional style of Japanese anime. The seven episodes will be told through seven Japanese anime studios — each with its unique style. The series was first announced during Disney’s Investor Day presentation.
Visions will include both English and Japanese dubs, both casts have been announced.
The first episode, “The Duel”, will star Brian Tee (Chicago Med) as Ronin, Lucy Liu (Elementary) as the Bandit Leader, and Jaden Waldman (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as the Village Chief. The second episode, “Tatooine Rhapsody”, will include Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises) as Jay, Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Geezer, Temuera Morrison (The Mandalorian) reprising his role as Boba Fett, Shelby Young (Star Wars Forces of Destiny) as K-344, and Marc Thompson (Daria) as Lan.
The third short, “The Twins”, will include Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Karre, Alison Brie (GLOW) as Am, and Jonathon Lipow (Star Wars Resistance) as B-20N. “The Village Bride” will star Kimiko Glenn (Orange Is the New Black) as Kara, Andrew Kishino (Star Wars: The Bad Batch) as Zhima, Greg Chun (Jurrassic World Camp Cretaceous) as Roden, Neil Kaplan (Bleach) as the Narrator, and Michael Sinterniklaas (Kappa Mickey) as Hen Jin. “T0-B1” will star Waldman as T0-B1 and Kyle Chandler (Godzilla vs. Kong).
“The Elder” stars David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Tajin, Jordan Fisher (To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You) as Dan, and James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China) as The Elder. “Lop & Ocho” will star Anna Cathcart (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) as Lop, Hiromi Dames (D.C. Super Hero Girls) as Ocho, Paul Nakauchi (Death Note) as Yasaburo, and Kyle McCarley (Devilman Crybaby) as Imperial Officer. “Akakiri,” the final short, will star Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) as Tsubaki, Jamie Chung (Lovecraft Country) as Misa, George Takei (Star Trek) as Senshuu, Keone Young (American Dragon: Jake Long) as Kamahachi, and Lorraine Toussaint (The Equalizer) as Masago.
“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, and celebrates a galaxy that has been such an inspiration to so many visionary storytellers,” executive producer James Waugh (The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special) told The Hollywood Reporter.
Star Wars: Visions will premiere on September 22, streaming exclusively on Disney+.