Just when you thought you’d seen the last new Star Wars movie in theaters, along comes this week’s announcement from LucasFilm that come August 15, fans all over North America can check out the feature-length CGI feature, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

“I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell,” said George Lucas, executive producer of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward.”

The theatrical debut of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is only the beginning of all-new Star Wars adventures that continue in the fall when the long-awaited television series premieres on Cartoon Network, followed by airings on TNT. Star Wars: The Clone Wars showcases an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far away – combining the expansive scope of the Star Wars saga with state-of-the-art computer-generated animation. Each week, viewers will see a thrilling, 30-minute “mini-movie” created by the talented artists at Lucasfilm Animation.

The series takes place between Episodes II and II, on the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil. Fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin’s padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains – led by Darth Sidious, Count Dooku and General Grievous – are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

A Star Wars live-action TV series is currently set to debut in 2009. The “Expanded Universe” production will be set between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. The project, which has yet to be given an official title, was first announced in April 2005 by Star Wars creator George Lucas at the Celebration III fan convention in Indianapolis. The series will focus on minor characters from the Star Wars galaxy, rather than the main characters from the films. However, Lucas has stated that some of the main characters may make cameo appearances. Originally, 100 one hour-long episodes were proposed, but at Celebration Europe in July 2007, producer Rick McCallum explained that it may run up to 400 episodes, and “it’s something that can go on for years and years. One of the ideas is that we’ll have multiple series going on in about two or three year’s time.”•••