The full schedule of panels for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 has been revealed, teasing tons of big news and reveals, while also confirming a rumor, of all things! Tales of the Jedi was first rumored after images appeared online of a Lucasfilm Production team gift in December 2021 and now the panel listing for Anaheim 2022 confirmed the show’s existence as an animated anthology of shorts. I don’t expect more details until then, besides maybe a tease on May the Fourth this year, but hopefully it’s shorts like Star Wars Visions, with different creatives for each one and longer than the Galaxy of Adventures micro-shorts. Beyond the show’s reveal, there’s confirmation of a The High Republic focused panel, various publishing panels, the Attack of the Clones 20th Anniversary Celebration, Siege of Mandalore screening, and so much more! There’s no word on what we’ll be able to watch from home for those of us who can’t make it this year (breaking my streak by not going!), but head below to check out some of my picks for panels to enjoy so maybe you can start planning accordingly whether you go or not this year!
Whether you’ll be there or not, these 4 four days of Anaheim 2022 are pack to the brim with exciting content, so fans will be feasting on Star Wars goodness over the weekend, especially with Obi-Wan Kenobi premiering on the second morning of the convention! So I’m going to pick a few panels from each day that have my interest, some off the beaten path that could very well be worth checking out or others that are going to be the big ones of the day, and I hope we’ll get to learn how fans from home will also get to enjoy the return of Celebration. {Lists will be in chronological order that day}
Thursday May 26:
Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase
11:00AM – 12:30PM, Live on the Celebration Stage; streamed to the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages
Star Wars Celebration returns, launching with a must-see showcase that will kick the weekend’s festivities into hyperdrive. Lucasfilm’s current crop of live-action filmmakers will be joined by special guests to discuss the many Star Wars adventures coming soon, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and The Mandalorian.
A big start to the weekend, live-action’s upcoming slate takes the spotlight, with what I imagine will be reveals not only for content we know about, but some stuff we don’t know about yet. I wish animation would be included here, but this will be one no one will want to miss this weekend!
Lucasfilm Publishing: Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away
1:00PM – 2:00PM, Live on the Twin Suns Stage
From adult novels to kids comics, from the time of the High Republic to the rise of the First Order, this is the place to dive deeper into the stories from a galaxy far, far away. Featuring details on new and upcoming titles from Disney Lucasfilm Press, Del Rey, Dark Horse, and more! Including all-new announcements and reveals from a galaxy far, far away! Moderated by Lucasfilm’s Michael Siglain.
Publishing has had some of the most exciting content for Star Wars in years since Disney took over, especially thanks to the advent of The High Republic, so you can bet I’m looking forward to what books they’ll announce here, while deeper dives into new ones like Brotherhood or the upcoming Shadow of the Sith or The Princess and the Scoundrel, will be welcomed!
Pride Squadron Presents: We Are All the Republic: Exploring Queerness in Star Wars’ Newest Era
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Saber Guild Performance Stage
The High Republic multimedia project has introduced a wide variety of queer characters to the Star Wars universe- from Leox Gyasi and Ty Yorrik to Terec and Ceret, there is a higher density of queer characters and firsts for representation in Star Wars in this series than any other Star Wars era! It has also explored what gender and sexual orientation do – and don’t – mean within the context of the wider story, within the Jedi Order, and within the Star Wars universe as a whole. Join members of Pride Squadron, the LGBTQ+ affinity group of the major Star Wars costume clubs for a discussion of queerness in the High Republic!
I’ve been very excited to see how queerness has been building in the Saga over these past few years, though it only being in publishing is disappointing to say the least. As a cisgender, hetero male, I made sure to check out a semi-similar panel at Celebration Orlando 2017 to help me see it through LGBTQ+ fans’ eyes and it was an important learning experience for me then. If I was going, I’d make sure to check this out (yes, even over the publishing panel) to learn even more!
The High Republic: For Light and Life
3:00PM – 4:00PM, Live on the Galaxy Stage
Centuries before the Skywalker saga there was The High Republic! Join moderator and The High Republic Show host Krystina Arielle, along with luminous authors Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule, along with Lucasfilm’s James Waugh and Michael Siglain, for an in-depth conversation about the golden age of the Jedi. Including all-new announcements and reveals from Phase II: Quest of the Jedi!
Waiting for new droplets of information for The High Republic’s Phase II: Quest of the Jedi is like Kamino waiting for a dry surface, but I’ll take anything I can get, like author Daniel José Older’s recent little teases on Twitter regarding the Phase’s villains. This panel will finally pull back the curtain of even more Phase II details, which hopefully includes even more beautiful cover art! Can’t wait for the initiative to continue in October.
Friday May 27:
Star Wars: Design, Illustration, Arts Education & More
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, The University Stage
Join Lucasfilm/Disney Art Director Troy Alders to discuss and explore the fascinating world of illustration and design, from the importance of passion to the relevance of education.
While we love the finished product, glimpses into the illustrations and designs that bring those moments to life help us see the complex but important process. Sounds like this would be a fun one!
How Rey Defined a New Star Wars Generation
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM, The Fan Stage
The Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced a timeless character in Rey. She guided a new generation of Star Wars fans into a brand new universe they can feel a part of. Celebrate her character with a panel discussing her best moments, legendary battles, and how she means so much to so many.
Rey Skywalker is such a great character and it’s clear how much she means to how many and, with Lucasfilm seemingly unwilling to deal with anything post-Sequel Trilogy, some love for Rey with some other fans would be a welcomed moment.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones 20th Anniversary Celebration
2:00PM – 3:00PM, Live on the Celebration Stage; streamed to the Galaxy Stage
The shroud of the dark side has fallen! Join us as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, the movie that not only introduced a lightsaber-wielding Yoda, a coming-of-age Anakin Skywalker, and clones, it also ushered in a new era of digital cinema, which two decades later has become an industry standard. Special guests and behind-the-scenes content will be revealed in this can’t-miss commemoration of the 2002 epic.
I loved this movie when I was younger, seeing it in theaters, but for a while I was against for a bit too. It still has some rough parts, but it’s an easy, yet weird one to love. Celebrating it, especially knowing Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen are at Celebration that weekend, should be a ton of fun. Hopefully there are some things announced to continue the celebration of Attack of the Clones beyond the panel.
Go beyond the spires in Virtual Reality: Making of ILMxLAB’s Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge
3:30PM – 4:30PM, Live on the Galaxy Stage
Take a look behind the curtains with the creators of Star Wars: Tales from The Galaxy’s Edge, the virtual reality experience that transports you to the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost, lets you visit Seezelslak’s Cantina, and explore the wilds of Batuu.
I ended up really enjoying the Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge VR games, as Part 1 was a solid beginning and Part 2 was everything the game needed, so I’d love to hear more about making the experiences for Meta Quest 2.
Hasbro Star Wars Panel
3:30PM – 4:30PM, Live on the Twins Suns Stage
Join members of the Hasbro & Lucasfilm team as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line, including the Black Series and The Vintage Collection. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro’s latest action figure and premium roleplay offerings from throughout the saga. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises. May the Force be with you!
I’d choose the VR panel over this, especially how Hasbro has been handling merchandising these last few years, but here’s hoping they can finally prove they’ll turn things around.
Behind the Audiobook: Making an Audio Original Star Wars Adventure [PRH Audio]
6:30PM – 7:30PM, Live on the Twin Suns Stage
Get the inside scoop on how Star Wars audiobook originals—including DOCTOR APHRA and TEMPEST RUNNER (The High Republic)—are brought to life, from conception to recording. Moderated by PRH Audio executive producer Nick Martorelli.
Taking my favorite character, Doctor Aphra, and giving her an audiobook, was what finally really turned me around on audiobooks, though Dooku: Jedi Lost was a great start and I’ve come to love it even more as time goes on (while Tempest Runner was pretty good too). So hearing (get it) more about the process of making these projects work, and hopefully get a reveal (or discussion on a reveal from an earlier panel) about the next audio original should be fun.
Saturday May 28:
The Science of Attack of the Clones
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, The University Stage
From clonetroopers to planetary rings to Anakin’s moral struggles, Attack of the Clones is full of connections to real world science. How might seismic charges work? Can you really accelerate clone growth? What would an ocean planet like Kamino be like? How healthy is Anakin and Padmé’s relationship? Our all-star lineup of experts include Fon Davis (prequel model maker, Fonco), Dr. Drea Letamendi (psychologist, Lattes with Leia podcast), Dr. Jim Lehane (geologist, Talkin’ Tauntauns podcast), Dr. Lisa Will (astrophysicist), and J. Dianne Dotson (sci-fi author, science writer, and biologist). Join host James Floyd (Star Wars Insider regular contributor, Star Warsologies podcast) in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Episode II with a look into its science and technology.
This sounds like such a fun idea coming off the heels of the 20th Anniversary panel the day before, diving even deeper into many aspects of the film. I want to hear all about seismic charges because THEY ARE SO COOL! I’d choose this over the big panel happening at the same time, as everyone is going to hear what’s happening there…
Mando+ : A Conversation with Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni
11:00AM – 12:00PM, Live on the Celebration Stage; streamed to the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages
In their first appearance at Star Wars Celebration since the premiere of The Mandalorian, join Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni with special guests for a lookback and a look ahead at what’s to come.
Mando+ is a curious title. Does it mean the plus in Disney+ or The Mandalorian and its expanding universe of shows/tales on TV? We’ll find out here but I just hope the Grogu puppet makes an appearance!
Celebrating the Ewok Adventures
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, The Fan Stage
Celebrate The Ewok Adventure at Star Wars Celebration! Join hosts, Richard and Sarah Woloski, as they discuss Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle For Endor with stars Eric Walker (Mace Towani) and Kevin Thompson (Chukha-Trok, stunts). They share rare stories of working with Warwick Davis, George Lucas, and the rest of the cast and crew through personal behind-the-scenes pics taken by Eric Walker. Fans are welcome to ask questions and there will be many surprises and autograph give-aways!
These odd but unique adventures are on Disney+ now and I’ve never had the chance to talk about them with fans or anyone involved, so this should be just as unique.
Step Inside Our Stories: Careers & Journeys of the Women at ILMxLAB
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, The University Stage
Women from experience design, gameplay engineering, quality assurance and development operations speak about their career journeys at Lucasfilm and ILMxLAB, working in the interactive space, and their roles and projects at ILMxLAB.
An important panel to have especially with the way both the developers in the video game industry and creatives for Star Wars aren’t always seen and heard, and are unfortunately rarely women when they are heard.
Star Wars Cosplay Competition
1:00PM – 2:00PM, Live on the Galaxy Stage
Both veteran and amateur cosplayers alike will join the most exciting Cosplay Competition in the galaxy at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim! It is more than just a competition – it’s a fun filled celebration of the very best Star Wars cosplayers that want to share their talent, skill and determination with the universe.
The cosplay that comes from this is always SO DAMN IMPRESSIVE. Can’t wait to see what fans have cooked up these last few years.
Tales of the Jedi
2:30PM – 3:30PM, Live on the Celebration Stage; streamed to the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages
Introducing Tales of the Jedi, animated anthology shorts. Hosted by Amy Ratcliffe with special guest Dave Filoni.
Time to learn what exactly Tales of the Jedi will be all about!
Inside the Archives: Preserving the Lucasfilm Legacy
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, The University Stage
Learn how the archivists and historians of Lucasfilm preserve the history of Lucasfilm and its productions through moving image, photograph, document, and physical asset collections.
Madlyn Moskowitz’s work was really awesome to see on The Star Wars Show back in the day so more from her and how they take care of various assets for the Saga should be a blast.
Marvel Star Wars Comics
4:30PM – 5:30PM, Live on the Twin Suns Stage
Make mine Star Wars, and make mine Marvel! Join Marvel editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski and some of Marvel’s top talent for a comics conversation unlike any other. Including all-new announcements and reveals from a galaxy far, far away!
Comics have been a big part of the Manor, but let’s hope the announcements here finally introduce some new non-male creatives to the group creating some of my favorite content…it’s long over-due. Plus, I hope they pick some new eras to play around in instead of having everything in the same one soon.
Del Rey: Behind-the-Scenes
6:00PM – 7:00PM, Live on the Twin Suns Stage
Join Star Wars authors and book editors for an in-depth conversation about three of the most anticipated Star Wars stories coming in 2022: Brotherhood, Shadow of the Sith and The Princess and the Scoundrel. From the prequels, to the original trilogy, to the sequel era there are Star Wars books from Lucasfilm and Del Rey for everyone. This panel is not one to be missed! Moderated by Del Rey senior editor Tom Hoeler.
Speaking about learning more on the biggest books of the year, look no further than this panel! I mean, after that excerpt of Shadow of the Sith, who doesn’t want to hear more about it?!
Sunday May 29:
A Galaxy for Everyone: LatinX Representation in Star Wars
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM, The Fan Stage
In a candid discussion on the importance of diverse representation in the Star Wars universe, a panel of LatinX fans/podcasters/writers will examine why it is so significant to see diverse, inclusive stories represented in Star Wars and what it means for future content. The panelists, who are both experts in the field of Star Wars and LatinX in Hollywood, will share their thoughts on the character development process while keeping ethnicity and background authenticity.
Diversity and inclusiveness are very important topics to me for the Saga going forward, so this would be another I’d have to see!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2
11:00AM – 12:00PM, Live on the Celebration Stage; streamed to the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages
“Strap in kid, you’re not gonna want to miss this view.” Join host David Collins as he invites Star Wars: The Bad Batch executive producer and supervising director Brad Rau, executive producer and head writer Jen Corbett, story editor Matt Michnovetz, actors Dee Bradley Baker (the Bad Batch) and Michelle Ang (Omega) to discuss highlights from the first season of the acclaimed series as well as some exciting hints of what’s to come in season two!
It’s felt like this show was forgotten after its finale last year and the long break between seasons doesn’t help, but glad it’s getting such big attention on Celebration Anaheim 2022’s final day. Hopefully they’ve listened to the Unwhitewash The Bad Batch critiques…
A Look Back at Star Wars: Visions
12:30PM – 1:30PM, Live on the Twin Suns Stage
Join team members from Lucasfilm and Qubic Pictures as they discuss the development and success of Star Wars: Visions. Hosted by longtime anime and Star Wars fan Chastity Vicencio, the panelists will share highlights from production, discuss how they worked with Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, TRIGGER, Kinema citrus Co., Production I.G, and Science SARU to bring Star Wars: Visions to life, show never before seen concept artwork, and more!
There are rumors Visions will have a second season (which sounds like a BIG NO BRAINER), but for now a glimpse back at the making of these memorable and unique shorts will do!
Wonderful World of Wookiees
1:00PM – 2:00PM, Live on the Galaxy Stage
Loyal allies, gifted pilots, skilled mechanics and fierce warriors, Wookiees have come to be many things in the Star Wars galaxy. Join host Amy Ratcliffe and special guests Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca – Episodes 7, 8, 9, and Solo: A Star Wars Story), Carey Jones (Krrsantan – The Book of Boba Fett), and Charles Soule (author behind The High Republic’s Burryaga Agaburry) for a Wookiee-focused discussion that will include a tribute to the iconic Peter Mayhew.
It’s a panel about Wookiee’s, what more do you need to know to get your butts in seats to watch?!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars “The Siege of Mandalore” Screening
1:00PM – 3:00PM, Live on the Celebration Stage
Join host David Collins and special guests Dave Filoni, Carrie Beck and Athena Portillo for a special screening of “The Siege of Mandalore,” the four episode arc that makes up the cinematic final chapter of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Can they do this in more theaters across the planet, please and thank you?! The final four episodes of The Clone Wars were a stunning finale that was fitting for the show and deserve to be seen on the biggest screens possible. Good luck not crying in that big of a crowd if you get to go!
Celebration Anaheim Closing Ceremony
3:30PM – 4:30PM, Live on the Celebration, Galaxy, and StarWars.com Stages
Gather with your friends and fellow Star Wars fans to relive the best moments of the weekend and bid farewell to another Star Wars Celebration. Featuring special guests, weekend highlights and much more, this is a send-off you won’t want to miss!
There’s either more big news or just a reveal of next year’s convention location to be had, but it’s always a fun time to relish in all the celebration Lucasfilm brought to fans throughout the weekend.
Lastly, the beautiful artwork by fans has been revealed, so make sure to get your orders in now!
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.