The next chapter ofStar Wars: Visionsis just around the corner, and to preview the anthology adventures in a galaxy far, far away, the series was brought to Anime NYC this weekend for a preview. Specifically, attendees got an early look at “BLACK,” a new anime short fromJoJo’s Bizarre Adventurestudio David Production, which spinsStar Warsin a wild new direction with its experimental animation. Along with the preview, two new images from the short were released, accompanied by the official poster packed with characters who willfill out the nine installments in Volume 3. It’s a trippy look at directorShinya Ohira’s vision, which viewers will get to see in full on Disney+ this October.
“BLACK” takes on a heavy and unique concept for the franchise,focusing on a stormtrooper on the cusp of defeat who is mentally unraveling at the seams. It’s described as “a psychedelic battle between past and present, light and dark, and life and death” within the mind of the Imperial soldier during their final moments on the battlefield. The two images give a gritty and haunting look at his struggle, showing their battle with another trooper as hallucinations appear around them, including giant eyes opening out of nowhere and staring widely at them. Down to the purposefully messy coloring on the two soldiers, it’s animated in a trippy style meant to mimic a failing psyche, and a reflection even offers a glimpse at the reality of the stormtrooper’s looming defeat.
Star Wars: Visionshas always been aboutgiving other creators free reintoexplore their wildest ideas through the lensofStar Wars, and that certainly fits the ethos behind “BLACK.” In a pre-recorded video, Ohira explained how the goal for David Production’s episode was primarily to highlight its singer with a deep and action-packed animation as the backdrop. “We wanted to offer a film that was mainly based onSakura Fujiawara’s singing voice set against these visuals of intense battles," he said. “That was our vision as we made the film.” It was also made to be purposefully ambiguous, he said, adding, “As for the interpretation of the story, the viewers, the people watching it, we kind of wanted to leave it up to them…so that’s how we made it.” With the unique style and the urge to make something unlike what viewers have seen from the sci-fi behemoth, it tooka painstaking effort to bring the short to lifefor Volume 3.
“We really got down into some fine details for this film. There’s the Death Star…. The setting is really super detailed, and the stormtroopers, drawing out the action in the battle scenes, it was really quite an arduous task for the animators. So that was painful, but it was worth it, and the end result really speaks for itself…. It’s really kind of something nobody’s ever seen before.”
Who Else Is Involved in ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Volume 3?
Ohira brings quite the resume with him toVisions, having worked alongsideHayao Miyazakion multiple Studio Ghibli films and previously worked in the animation departments onKill Bill: Vol. 1andAkira. He and David Production are far from the only talent this volume has procured, though. This time around, the anthology series features shorts from ANIMA in co-production with Kamikaze Douga, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q, and evenSpy x FamilyandAttack on Titan’sWIT Studio, alongside returning studios Kamikaze Douga, Kinema Citrus Co., Production I.G., and TRIGGER.Visionswill also berevisiting three of its shorts from Volume 1— “The Duel,” “The Village Bride,” and “The Ninth Jedi,” — and a few familiar faces from those stories are even visible in the poster.
If anything,Star Wars: VisionsVolume 3 assures there will be no shortage of variety in its shorts when it arrives on Disney+ on October 29. Check out the new poster and images in the gallery above for an early look at “BLACK” and all the other colorful characters.
