It’s once again time for a Celebration! This year making a long-awaited return to Japan. What that means is I can’t join in the fun live. I’ve worked it out. Starting time is in the night for me, with the end of each day being just as I’m getting up. Not that it matters too much, as it means I’ll be waking up to a load of announcements from each day. And there is going to be a lot coming from Star Wars Celebration this year.
Starting with the next outing for The Mandalorian. In movie form. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will bring a first look at this big screen adventure for Din Djarin and Grogu. There’ll also be some special guests, likely revealing a few people who’ll be in the movie. After the third season brought more focus on Mandalorians as a whole, I feel this movie might bring things back to the duo. Hence the name. Hopefully the trailer, if there is one, gets a release after the panel for the world to see.
Another major event of the first day is the Lucasfilm Animation’s 20th Anniversary panel. Dave Filoni and Athena Portillo will be celebrating the stories that have been told through animation. The characters that The Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance, and The Bad Batch have given us. There’s also going to be a look to the future. Showing what Lucasfilm Animation will give us next. And perhaps this is where something else appears, too.
In the last few days, Ubisoft have revealed that Star Wars Outlaws will get its second expansion shown off at Celebration’s first day. An expansion that features a character who came from Lucasfilm Animation. A Pirate’s Fortune will bring Hondo Ohnaka to Kay Vess as he looks to settle some old scores. If the expansion doesn’t get shown off here, I’m not sure where else it will fit in. Unless it’s shown on the Live stage.
Along with various publishing news on the first day, Hasbro will be showing off what is coming next for their Star Wars toy lines. And apparently there’s some surprises being shown off here, too. For those who like talks on the design of various Star Wars productions, Doug Chiang is showcasing the design process for Skeleton Crew. I’d hope that this would appear on the livestream, as I always love these. But as one of the last panels of the day… I can see Celebration Live having ended by then.
The second day of Celebration Japan brings Tony Gilroy and Diego Luna out first to talk more about the upcoming second season of Andor: A Star Wars Story. The first half of this story was such a great one, showing Cassian’s journey to wanting to fight for more than himself. Everything seen about this second half so far has been just as great. This panel will definitely serve as a way to tease plenty of stuff, further fuelling that excitement for what’s to come.
A look back at Ahsoka will happen on this second day, with Dave Filoni and various special guests. Most likely Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo. Ahsoka was a great continuation of Rebels and the New Republic’s blatant disregard for the rising threat of the Imperial Remnants. Whether we get any hints for the second season here is questionable. But it is in production, so a few things are possible.
The other known gaming news of Celebration happens on this second day. Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment show off Star Wars: Zero Company. The turn-based tactics game recently had its named revealed, along with some key art. This panel should give a good sense of who the characters from that key art are, along with what events have brought them together. Though not exactly hot on turn-based tactics games, I’m still interested in seeing what this one holds.
Doug Chiang also hosts a panel this second day, discussing his work in the film industry and being a part of the Star Wars art department. There’s likely to be plenty of questions answered by Chiang at this panel, but this is also another one I’m not certain will be on Celebration Live. Even if there’s nothing that would intersect with it. But hey, it’ll be interesting for anyone there. And if you are around on the second day, watching the Siege of Mandalore with a load of fans is sure to be a treat.
The last day is always the shortest, with the closing ceremony wrapping things up with a bang around two hours before the ending time of the other days. Before that, there’s still some great stuff to experience. A first look at Visions: Volume 3 before it lands on Disney+ on Star Wars Day. The first two Volumes have been excellent, so I’m certain the third will offer up some more great animated adventures from across the galaxy.
Walt Disney Imagineering will talk Disney parks and bringing Star Wars to life in them. ILM offer up a behind the scenes of the various live actions shows, and the visual effects that go into them. ILM also have a fifty years celebration panel, where veterans of the company tell tales of their achievements across the years. The finale of Star Wars Rebels also sees a screening on this final day.
Even if I can’t catch all of this live, I’ll be sure to check in with all the news. Discussing it on the Jedi Council Forums and with the GRcade community. And also watching the livestreams of each day back. They are always fun to tune into, even if in the last few years the focus on panels seems to have dropped. Plenty of talks with the guests of the event on the Celebration Live stage, and some absolute great moments.
Once Star Wars Celebration ends for another year, I’ll be talking about the announcements of interest to me. And some of the other happenings seen on those livestreams. If certain announcements really get me invested, there’ll likely be a bonus article or two focused on them. This weekend the Celebration begins. And then next week, Andor season two premieres.
Images Taken From:
Star Wars: The Bad Batch | S3.07 [Disney+]
Ahsoka | Official Trailer | Star Wars
Star Wars Celebration LIVE! – Day 2 | Star Wars
