https://youtu.be/3MF2VFgCUSk&w=525&h=295
Kicking off Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017 the right way, at 12am EST April 13 nonetheless, the Forces of Destiny animated shorts (plus toys and books, of course) were announced, which highlight the women of the GFFA like Rey, Leia, Padme, Sabine, Ahsoka, Jyn, Hera, and even Maz Kanata in exciting new canon tales. More details from the initial announcement below, including plot details and that many actresses are returning to voice their characters, while much more is promised to come from SWCO soon (at Friday’s Heroines of Star Wars panel, which we will hopefully be at which I was at and was a highlight from the weekend, but it didn’t cover anything really new about these shorts)!
These series of shorts (2-3 minutes long) will follow the women of Star Wars to expand on their tales and lives while possibly seeing the characters crossover with one another (though Rey’s are all pre-The Last Jedi so don’t expect any reveals about the next film here)! The first 8 of 16 shorts will premiere on Disney’s YouTube channel in July 2017 and the final 8 will join the first for a special TV event in the fall to line up nicely with The Last Jedi promotional push. This is such a great idea that I’m completely psyched for it, as this is not only a cool new initiative to give us new stories about our favorite female characters, but it’ll help give even more female fans and young children a chance to see and look up to the female heroines they so cherish in a GFFA! Any attempt to reach new fans or target ones that aren’t usually targeted despite making up such a significant portion of the fandom, i.e. women, is a great idea in my book. The shorts will be joined by two compilation books, Forces of Destiny – Daring Adventures Vol.1/Vol.2 and of course a toy line, which I managed to see in person on the Celebration Orlando show floor (see my gallery for pics).
Here’s a preview of one of Rey’s shorts:
Some of the episodes revive deleted scenes from the films, like the Wampa attacks on Echo base in one of Leia’s shorts while another finds Rey, Han, Finn, and BB-8 disabling a tracker on the Falcon (one of many problems they encounter taking that piece of garbage for a spin) (via Yahoo.com). A Sabine-focused tales sees her on Yavin IV (though this might not be a surprise to Aftermath readers) while Leia and Han Solo will be joined by Hera Syndulla ON ENDOR (WHOA) for a mission with the Rebellion (it’s not clear if this is during or post-Return of the Jedi) (via EW.com). Needless to say, if these are just a taste of what’s to come from these stories, I cannot wait to see them unfold even if they only are 2-3 minutes!
Even better yet, practically all of the cast will be voicing their characters: Daisy Ridley (Rey), Felicity Jones (Jyn Erso), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata, who I guess narrates the series and I’m curious to learn who she is telling these tales to), Catherine Taber will reprise her The Clone Wars Leia role (!), Vanessa Marshall (Hera), and even John Boyega (Finn). To get new stories about these characters and for it to be with their original actors is quite the feat.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
SEE ALSO:
Forces of Destiny Review: The First 16 Episodes
Forces of Destiny Round Two Starts in October (UPDATED)
Canon Young Reader Review: Forces of Destiny: Daring Adventures (Volume 1) (by Chris)
A “Bounty of Trouble” Follows Sabine and Leia in Forces of Destiny
Padme and Ahsoka Deal with an Imposter, Jyn Erso Helps the Innocent in Newest Forces of Destiny
Forces of Destiny Pits Leia Against The “Beasts of Echo Base”
Forces of Destiny Puts Ahsoka Tano on “The Padawan Path”
“BB-8 Bandits” and “Ewok Escape” Continue the Forces of Destiny Shorts
Forces of Destiny Starts on the “Sands of Jakku”
Forces of Destiny Premieres July 3 on YouTube
Rey and the F Word (by Trinity)
Heroines of Star Wars Panel Impressions (SWCO 2017)
Battlefront II Panel Impressions: Singleplayer Focus with Inferno Squad Novel Tie-in and Multiplayer Rebooted (SWCO 2017)
Marvel Star Wars Panel Impressions (SWCO 2017)
Star Wars Rebels Final Season Panel and Trailer Impressions (SWCO 2017)
Star Wars Rebels Season Four Premiere Review: “Heroes of Mandalore” Part 1
The Last Jedi Teaser and Panel Impressions (SWCO 2017)
Dave Filoni: Animated Origins and Unexpected Fates Panel Impressions (SWCO 2017)
Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017 News Roundup Part II: Full Panel Schedules Go Live, Mark Hamill Hosts, Battlefront II, Rancho Obi-Wan, and More!
Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017 News Roundup Part I: The Last Jedi, Rebels Season 4, 40th Anniversary Panels, and More! (UPDATED)