Star Wars' New Animated TV Show, Resistance, Releases This Fall

With Star Wars Rebels having wrapped up its four-season run recently, the Disney Channel has announced a new animated show for the franchise, titled Star Wars: Resistance. The show has been created by Dave Filoni, who oversaw both Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and it's set to premiere in the fall.

Star Wars: Resistance will be set before the events of the 2015 movie The Force Awakens and according to Disney will focus on a young pilot named Kazuda Xiono, who is "recruited by the Resistance and tasked with a top-secret mission to spy on the growing threat of the First Order."

The voice cast for the new show includes Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live), Christopher Sean (Hawaii Five-0), Scott Lawrence (Avatar), Myrna Velasco (Elena of Avalor), Josh Brener (Silicon Valley), and Donald Faison (Scrubs). In addition, fans can expect appearances from some of the recent Star Wars movie cast members, such as Oscar Isaac (as Poe Dameron) and Gwendoline Christie (as Captain Phasma). Droid fan favorite BB-8 will be in there too.

In a statement, Filoni revealed the inspirations behind Star Wars: Resistance. "The idea for [the show] came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots" he said. "My grandfather was a pilot and my uncle flew and restored planes, so that's been a big influence on me. There's a long history of high-speed racing in Star Wars, and I think we've captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time."

The announcement of Star Wars: Resistance follows February's news that Iron Man director Jon Favreau is developing a live-action Star Wars show. The series is set to premiere on Disney's streaming platform, which launches next year.