LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures

This article isnon-canon. This article covers a subject containing comic or obvious non-canon material or thatLucasfilm otherwise declared non-canon in the canon continuity.

LEGO Star Wars:
The Freemaker Adventures

LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is anon-canon LEGO animated television series that debuted onDisney XD onJune 20,2016.^[4] The show follows the adventures of ascavenger family, theFreemakers, as they travel throughoutthe galaxy.^[3] The series is set between the events ofThe Empire Strikes Back andReturn of the Jedi.^[3] Thefirst season consisted of thirteen episodes and ran from June 20 toAugust 29, 2016.^[8] OnApril 3,2017, it was announced thatThe Freemaker Adventures had been renewed for asecond season that would premiere on Disney XD in the summer of 2017.^[9]

Plot summary[]

Told in the whimsically charged style that audiences have come to expect fromLEGO Star Wars entertainment, the series stars theFreemakers, a family ofscavengers who build and sellstarships from the scoured debris of space battles strewn throughout the galaxy. When theiryoungest discovers a natural connection withthe Force through an ancient artifact—theKyber Saber—his galaxy is turned upside down, and he and his family are thrown into an epic struggle against theEmpire to restore peace and freedom tothe galaxy. Throughout their adventures, the Freemakers explore new worlds, meet new and familiar faces, and learn the true value of what it means to be a family.^[3]

Development[]

Conception[]

LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures was created byBill Motz andBob Roth. The two men first conceived the idea forThe Freemaker Adventures while attending the2014San Diego Comic-Con. During a party, Motz and Roth overheard thatThe Walt Disney Company was interested in producing aLEGO Star Wars animated show. Moth and Roth wanted to produce a television series that incorporated the Star Wars films.^[6]

Over a dinner-table conversation, Motz and Roth fleshed out the idea of a family of scavengers who collected scrap fromClone Wars battles prior to the events ofReturn of the Jedi. The two creators took care to incorporate several classic Star Wars characters into their story includingPrincessLeia Organa,Luke Skywalker,Darth Vader, andEmperor Palpatine. Metz characterized Vader and the Emperor as the "out of touch, detached upper management of the galaxy." From the onset, Motz and Roth wantedThe Freemaker Adventures to be totally different from the previousLEGO Star Wars television series and games which had taken a parody-driven approach towards theStar Wars saga.^[6]

Production[]

The Freemaker Adventures was jointly produced byThe LEGO Group,Lucasfilm, Disney, andWil Film.Torsten Jacobson andJill Wilfert served as the animated television show's executive producers whileCarrie Beck,Jason Cosler,Jake Blais, andJohn McCormack served as producers.^[3]Michael Hegner,Jens Møller,Martin Skov,Frederik Budolph-Larsen, andPer Risager directed several episodes.

According to Hegner, the production team adapted the classic Star Wars sets to LEGO by making them smaller in order to fit the LEGO tone and scale. The illustrator and art directorDoug Chiang helped design objects such as theHutt antagonistGraballa's starshipRancor's Fist.^[6] LEGO's Lead Model DesignerErik Varszegi also built a scale model of theFreemaker's Garage using LEGO bricks.^[10]

The veteran Lucasfilm sound editor Matthew Wood, who also voiced the protagonist "Roger", was responsible for designing sound for the entire show including the Freemakers' starshipStarScavenger and theirgarage. Wood used a specialized computer digital processor to create the voice of Roger. While recording the show, Wood spoke in his normal voice but used the computer program to augment his voice during the post-recording process. Wood used this same digital process when voicing the battle droids in the Prequels andThe Clone Wars animated series. The podracer sequence in the seventh episode "Race on Tatooine" was modeled after theBoonta Eve Classic fromThe Phantom Menace.^[6]

The music score forFreemaker Adventures was composed byMichael Kramer, who recorded the television show's score during a live orchestra. He also incorporatedJohn Williams' cues into the TV show.^[6] The four main cast members were child actorNicolas Cantu (Rowan),Eugene Byrd (Zander),Vanessa Lengies (Kordi), and Matthew Wood (Roger).^[4] Other recurring cast members includedGrey Griffin (who voiced the antagonisticNaare),Dana Snyder (Graballa),Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), andGreg Proops (Fode and Beed).^[6]

ForSeason Two, Doug Chiang and his team redesigned the characters' costumes to allow a more natural transition into their LEGO forms. The protagonist Rowan's costume was also redesigned to resembleLuke Skywalker's fatigues fromThe Empire Strikes Back. Chiang also designed the antagonistichunter droidM-OC, who was voiced byJames Urbaniak, and his starship. Rowan Freemaker's starshipArrowhead was also designed byRyan Church, who had worked as a concept artist on theprequel trilogy.^[11]

Release and reception[]

Season One[]

The Freemaker Adventures was first announced byStarWars.com onFebruary 11,2016. According to LEGO Group vice president of licensing & entertainmentJill Wilfert, the animated television show was the first joint collaboration between LEGO andDisney XD. Meanwhile, Carrie Beck characterized the upcoming show as a joint collaboration that combined the narrative experience of the Star Wars saga with the playful tone ofLEGO Star Wars.^[3] The announcement was accompanied by a promotionalYouTube teaser trailer of the television series.^[12]

OnApril 28, 2016, StarWars.com published a promotional article and an accompanying YouTube video entitled "Meet the Freemaker Family" which introduced the TV series' main cast members and plot.The Freemaker Adventures would premiere onJune 20 on Disney XD with a new episode debuting each day untilJune 23. In addition, it was announced that the first episode "A Hero Discovered" would also be released via Video on Demand and the Disney XD app on tablets, phones, set top boxes, and computers on June 20.^[4] OnJune 10, StarWars.com released a full original trailer on YouTube that showed several other characters including Graballa the Hutt,Maz Kanata, and Princess Leia.^[13]

The first four episodes "A Hero Discovered", "The Mines of Graballa," "Zander's Joyride," and "The Lost Treasure of Cloud City" were released between June 20 and 23. After the fifth episode "Peril on Kashyyyk" premiered onJune 27, the series took a two-week hiatus until the released of "Crossing Paths" onJuly 11. The series than ran until the premiere of its thirteenth episode "Return of the Kyber Saber" onAugust 29, 2016.^[8]

To promote the series, Bill Motz, Bob Roth, Michael Hegner, and Matthew Wood hosted a panel live blog atCelebration Europe 2016. Besides discussing the conceptualization and development of the series, they also played apodracer clip from the seventh episode "Race on Tatooine," which was inspired byThe Phantom Menace. During the hour-long session, the creative team also addressed questions regarding theCanonicity of the series. To promote the series, LEGO produced two toy sets based on the starshipsStarScavenger andEclipse Fighter. In addition, a Freemaker-themed expansion pack was added to the LEGO computer gameLEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens.^[6]

OnSeptember 9,2016, it was announced on StarWars.com that thefirst season, consisting of thirteen episodes, would be released in Blu-ray and DVD formats onDecember 6, 2016. This two-disc set is entitledLEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – Complete Season One and includes some special bonus features such as promotional clips, the one-minuteFreemaker Salvage and Repair video, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with cast members.^[1]

Season Two[]

OnApril 3,2017, it was announced on StarWars.com that the series had been renewed for asecond season.^[9] The press release was accompanied by aYouTube trailer, which showed several other Star Wars characters includingMon Mothma,AdmiralAckbar,GeneralHera Syndulla, andQuarrie.^[14] It was also announced that five new short clips would be released onMay 4 to fill the gap between the first and second seasons. A sneak preview of the season was shown atCelebration Orlando.^[9]

Season Two premiered in the summer of 2017. It continues the Freemakers' adventures with theRebel Alliance as they face the Empire,Huttcrime lords,Sith Lords, and the Emperor's newhunter droidM-OC. Rowan also builds a newstarship to aid the Rebellion called theArrowhead.^[9] To promote Season Two, Bill Motz and Bob Roth, Story Group memberLeland Chee, Michael Kramer, Matthew Wood, and hostAmy Ratcliffe hosted a panel atCelebration Orlando onApril 16, 2017. During the panel, Roth confirmed that Season Two would focus on the Freemakers' involvement in the Rebel Alliance with the main story arc being Rowan discovering his purpose. Roth also confirmed that several Rebel Alliance characters includingPrincessLeia Organa and Hera Syndulla would appear as supporting characters. During the Celebration Orlando panel, Motz and Roth also displayed two LEGO models of MOC and Rowan's new shipArrowhead. As a bonus for audience members, the season premiere was also screened.^[11]

OnJune 7,The Star Wars Show hostsAnthony Carboni andAndi Gutierrez confirmed that Season Two's first episode "Trouble on Tibalt" would air onJune 17. The series would then resume onJuly 31 with new episodes running Monday through Thursday untilAugust 16. The Star Wars Show also featured cast memberEugene Byrd and show producers Motz and Roth as guests. Bryd confirmed that Rowan Freemaker was aForce Builder and also showedDoug Chiang's drawings of Zander, Kordi, and Rowan.^[5]

OnJanuary 27,2018, it was announced that Season Two would be released on DVD onMarch 13, 2018.^[15]

Availability[]

The series is available on theDisney+ streaming service, which launched onNovember 12,2019.^[16] OnJanuary 1,2022 the series was removed from Disney+ globally.^[17]

Critical reception[]

On March 23, 2017, it was reported that the first season ofLEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures had been nominated for fourEmmy nominations: Best Children's Animated Program, Best Casting for an Animated Series or Special, Best Animation Sound Editing, and Best Music Direction and Composition.^[18]

On December 5, 2017, it was reported that theFreemaker Adventures Season Two episode "Trouble on Tibalt" had been nominated for theAnnie Award's Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production.^[19]

Continuity[]

WhileThe Freemaker Adventures is not consideredcanon, the creators Motz and Roth and director Hegner still consulted theLucasfilm Story Group membersLeland Chee and Carrie Beck to ensure that the show did not contradict the official Canon storyline.^[6][20] However, the Story Group still allowed the show's production team to "take liberties for the comedy of situations." During a panel liveblog held atCelebration Europe inLondon onJuly 162016, the creators also characterizedThe Freemaker Adventures as "canon-adjacent" but implied that their adherence to the Story Group's guideline meant that "this [the TV series]could be." When asked whether the crew of theGhost, the main cast of the Canon animated television seriesStar Wars Rebels, could appear in the series, the creators clarified that this would not be the case for Season One but hinted that they might appear at a later time.^[6] During Celebration Orlando in April 2017, Roth confirmed thatGeneral Hera Syndulla would indeed be appearing.^[11]

During an interview withIGN journalist Max Nicholson, Roth describedLEGO Star Wars as "its own unique universe" which followed the Star Wars continuity but was "reenacted by a kid playing with his own toys." Motz characterized the animated series as "Canon Paraphrase." The creators also pitched ideas regularly to Beck to ensure that their ideas and plot elements did not come into conflict with other projects likeRogue One: A Star Wars Story andStar Wars: Episode IXThe Rise of Skywalker.^[20]

In addition to this, the character of R0-GR was officially brought into canon with the release ofStar Wars: Droidography.^[21] As affirmed byMatt Martin of the Lucasfilm Story Group, however, this only brought R0-GR^[22] and whatever was pulled out ofFreemaker events for the book^[21] into canon, rather than blanket canonizing the full series.^[22] According to Chee, there is always a chance forFreemaker characters to be fully canonized like R0-GR^[23] and the others mentioned withinDroidography,^[21] but they would need to be the right fit for the content they appear in, as R0-GR was forDroidography.^[23]

Adaptations and tie-in media[]

Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is a subtheme ofLEGOStar Wars sets based on the TV seriesLEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures. The subtheme ran from2016 to2017.^[24]

Media[]

Episodes[]

Credits[]

Sources[]

• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Animated Series Coming to Disney XD This Summer onStarWars.com(backup link)
• Star Wars Invades Toy Fair 2016 onStarWars.com(backup link)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Premieres June 20 on Disney XD onStarWars.com(backup link)
• "Launchpad" —Star Wars Insider 165
• The Star Wars Show:New Rogue One Characters Revealed, LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)(Posted on StarWars.com)
• SWCE 2016:LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Panel Liveblog onStarWars.com(original link is obsolete)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Interview | Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)
• "Meet the Freemakers" —Star Wars Insider 167
• 10 Highlights fromStar Wars Insider #167 – Out Now! onStarWars.com(original link is obsolete)
• Behind the Scenes with LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures | Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)
• The Building Blocks ofLEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures onStarWars.com(original link is obsolete)
• "Building Up the Action!" —Star Wars Insider 168
• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures - Complete Season One Coming to Blu-ray and DVD onStarWars.com(backup link)
• Star Wars: Best of 2016 onStarWars.com(original link is obsolete)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Season 2 Trailer (Official) on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Season 2 Coming This Summer onStarWars.com(backup link)
• The Star Wars Show:The Last Jedi Cast Talks Teaser & The Freemaker Adventures S2 Preview! on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)(Posted on StarWars.com)
• 5 Reasons You Need to WatchLEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures onStarWars.com(backup link)
• 20 Easter Eggs fromLEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation onStarWars.com(backup link)
• EverythingStar Wars on Disney+ onStarWars.com(content not present oncurrent version)

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures onLucasfilm'sofficial website(backup link)
• Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures onWikipedia

Season One 1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 ·12 ·13 Season Two Shorts:1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 ·12 ·13 Books Quest for the Kyber Saber Home video releases Complete Season One ·Complete Season Two
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