‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ Ends Its Run on Cartoon Network
Lucasfilm also will delay Seth Green's animated "Star Wars Detours" series.
Clone Wars Screengrab - H 2013
Star Wars: The Clone Warsis over atCartoon Network.
Series creatorLucasfilmannounced Monday that the animated show’s recently completed fifth season on the cable network will be the last.
“As we enter into an exciting new era focused on the next Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm has decided to pursue a new direction in animated programming,” the company wrote on its website Monday, more than five months afterDisney purchased Lucasfilm. “We are exploring a whole newStar Warsseries set in a time period previously untouched inStar Warsfilms or television programming. You can expect more details in the months to come.
“After five highly successful and critically acclaimed seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, we feel the time has come to wind down the series,” the statement continued. “While the studio is no longer producing new episodes for Cartoon Network, we’re continuing production on new Clone Wars story arcs that promise to be some of the most thrilling adventures ever seen. Stay tuned for more information on where fans can soon find this bonus content.”
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In addition, Lucasfilm also has decided to postponeStar Wars: Detours, an animated series fromSeth Green,Todd Grimes andMatthew Senreich. Green and Senreich are behind Cartoon Network/Adult Swim’s Emmy-winning animated hitRobot Chicken.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Lucasfilm on Star Wars: The Clone Warsover the last five years and introducing a whole new audience to this great iconic brand,” Cartoon Network said in a statement acquired byThe Hollywood Reporter.
Clone Warshad been a top performer on Cartoon Network since it launched in August 2008 as an animated feature (which first played briefly in theaters). Even after being moved to Saturday morning last year,Clone Warsremained the No. 1 show among boys 9-14 and has shown continued strength among kids 2-11 and 9-14, especially among boys. The show’s fifth season that ended March 2 averaged 1.7 million total viewers.
TheClone Wars series on Cartoon Network take place in a fictionalStars Wars galaxy in the same time period as theStar Wars moviesAttack of the Clones (2002) andRevenge of the Sith (2005), the most recent feature release.
Cartoon Network’s sister company Warner Bros. distributed theClone Warsmovie in 2008 and has been selling previous episodes ofClone Warson DVD and Blu-ray. In 2012,Clone Wars also went into broadcast syndication for the first time through an independent company, Trifecta Entertainment and Media.
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After Disney acquired Lucasfilm in October, there was immediate speculation about the future ofClone Wars. In a conference call at the time of the sale, Disney CEORobert Igerdiscussed the potential forStar Warsanimated spinoffs to play on Disney-owned channels, especially Disney XD (which unlike the Disney Channel carries advertising).
Turner Entertainment’s Cartoon Network only had the license forClone Warsthrough the end of the 2012-13 season. Renewals had been done year by year. While Turner is believed to have wanted to continue, it is clear Disney has another vision for theStar Warsspinoffs.
Clone Warshas been produced at a production facility in Singapore, which has been expanded in recent years. It is likely the new series also will be produced there.
Reps for Green did not respond to a request for comment.
Check out the clip below featuring Lucasfilm supervising directorDave Filonipreviewing what’s to come forStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
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