The Clone Wars (film)
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''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' is a 2008 American
computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...
film directed by
Dave Filoni David Filoni (born June 7, 1974) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked on ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''The Mandalorian'', and on the theatrical film and television series of '' Star Wars: The Clone ...
, produced by
Lucasfilm Ltd. Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...
and distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of liv ...
, becoming the first ''Star Wars'' film to not be distributed by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
. It is the first fully animated film in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' franchise and takes place shortly after ''Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', at the start of the titular
Clone Wars Clone Wars may refer to: Star Wars Film and television * ''Star Wars: Clone Wars'' (2003 TV series), an American animated television series set in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy * ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008 TV series), an American 3D CGI anim ...
. In the film,
Count Dooku Count Dooku of Serenno, also known by his Sith, Sith name Darth Tyranus, or simply as Count Dooku, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise, created by George Lucas. One of the main antagonists of the St ...
and
Jabba the Hutt Jabba Desilijic Tiure, more commonly known as Jabba the Hutt, is a Character (arts), fictional character and minor antagonist in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Created by George Lucas, Jabba is voiced by Larry Ward with several puppeteers inside a ...
's uncle Ziro orchestrate a plan to turn Jabba against the
Galactic Republic The Galactic Republic, often referred to as simply the Republic, is a fictional galactic polity depicted in the ''Star Wars'' universe, where it existed prior to the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The Republic is most prominently por ...
by framing the
Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
for the kidnapping of his son. While
Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
and his newly assigned apprentice
Ahsoka Tano Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced as the Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, she is a supporting character in the animated film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008) and the subsequent animated telev ...
attempt to deliver the child back to his father,
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
and
Padmé Amidala Padmé Amidala Naberrie is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in ''Return of the Jedi'', she is introduced in ''The Phantom Menace'' as ...
lead separate investigations to uncover Dooku and Ziro's plot. ''The Clone Wars'' premiered on August 10, 2008, at
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater ...
, followed by a
wide release In the American motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across the country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical re ...
five days later. It received largely negative reviews mainly due to its storytelling and animation style, and grossed $68.3 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing ''Star Wars'' film to date. The film serves as a
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
to the television series of the same name, which premiered on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
two months after the film's release.


Plot

During the first year of the
Clone Wars Clone Wars may refer to: Star Wars Film and television * ''Star Wars: Clone Wars'' (2003 TV series), an American animated television series set in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy * ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008 TV series), an American 3D CGI anim ...
, Jedi Knight
Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
and his master,
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
, lead a small battalion of
Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
Clone trooper Clone troopers are fictional characters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. They have been featured in a number of ''Star Wars'' media, including the live-action films '' Episode II: Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and '' Ep ...
s against
Count Dooku Count Dooku of Serenno, also known by his Sith, Sith name Darth Tyranus, or simply as Count Dooku, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise, created by George Lucas. One of the main antagonists of the St ...
's Separatist droid army on the planet Christophsis. Awaiting reinforcements, the two Jedi greet a shuttle carrying a young Jedi Padawan named
Ahsoka Tano Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced as the Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, she is a supporting character in the animated film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008) and the subsequent animated telev ...
, who insists that she has been assigned by Grandmaster
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...
to serve as Anakin's apprentice. Initially reluctant, Ahsoka earns Anakin's respect after the two succeed in deactivating the Separatists' energy field while Obi-Wan stalls the droid army commander, allowing a Republic victory. Following the battle, Yoda arrives and informs the Jedi that gangster
Jabba the Hutt Jabba Desilijic Tiure, more commonly known as Jabba the Hutt, is a Character (arts), fictional character and minor antagonist in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Created by George Lucas, Jabba is voiced by Larry Ward with several puppeteers inside a ...
's son Rotta has been kidnapped. The kidnapping has been planned by Dooku's Sith master
Darth Sidious Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) ...
, who hopes to blame the Jedi for Rotta's kidnapping in order to get Jabba to ally with the Separatists and fuel anti-Jedi sentiment from the Hutts. Anakin and Ahsoka are tasked with retrieving the Huttlet, while Obi-Wan is sent to
Tatooine Tatooine () is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was first ...
to negotiate with Jabba over a potential treaty between the Hutts and the Republic. Anakin and Ahsoka track the kidnapper and Rotta to the planet Teth, where they are ambushed by Separatist forces led by Count Dooku's assassin and former Jedi
Asajj Ventress Asajj Ventress () is a character from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Originally intended to appear as an antagonist in the 2002 film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', she was first introduced in the 2003 micro-series '' Star Wars ...
. The Jedi manage to escape along with
R2-D2 R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, ...
and hijack a derelict transport, which they use to travel to Tatooine. Obi-Wan, alerted by Anakin, arrives on Teth and engages Ventress in a
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
duel. Though Obi-Wan manages to defeat her, Ventress escapes, knowing she has failed. Meanwhile, Anakin's wife Senator
Padmé Amidala Padmé Amidala Naberrie is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in ''Return of the Jedi'', she is introduced in ''The Phantom Menace'' as ...
learns of her husband's mission. Fearing for his safety, she confronts Jabba's uncle
Ziro Ziro is a town and the district headquarters of the Lower Subansiri district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is included the Tentative List for UNESCO's World Heritage Site for the '' Apatani cultural landscape''. The part of the ...
on
Coruscant Coruscant () is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Its first appearance was onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'', but was first depicted and mentioned by name in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel '' ...
. Ziro refuses to cooperate, apparently believing that it is the Jedi who are responsible for the situation. However, she soon discovers that Ziro has actually conspired with Dooku to have Rotta killed, so that Jabba would execute Anakin and Ahsoka, leading to his arrest by the Jedi Council, allowing Ziro to seize power over the Hutt Clan. Padmé is captured and imprisoned, but a chance call by
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, was designed as a protocol droid intended to as ...
enables her to summon a squadron of clone troopers, and Ziro is arrested, despite revealing Dooku threatened to execute him if he did not cooperate with the conspiracy. Arriving on Tatooine, Anakin devises a ruse to confront Dooku carrying a fake Rotta, while Ahsoka takes the real Rotta to Jabba's palace. While Anakin fights off Dooku, Ahsoka is ambushed by the MagnaGuards, whom she defeats with ease. The two deliver Rotta safely to Jabba, who nonetheless orders the Jedi to be executed for their supposed kidnapping attempt. However, Padmé contacts Jabba in time and reveals Ziro and the Separatists' responsibility for the kidnapping. Acknowledging the Jedi's heroism and allowing the Republic to have Ziro punished for his crimes, Jabba, in gratitude, agrees to the treaty before Anakin and Ahsoka are picked up by Obi-Wan and Yoda. Meanwhile, Dooku reports the plot's failure to Darth Sidious, who assures him that the tide of the war is still in their favor.


Voice cast

*
Matt Lanter Matthew MacKendree Lanter (born April 1, 1983) is an American actor and model. He began his modeling career in 2004. The same year, he acted in the film '' Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius'' and the television series '' Point Pleasant''. He went ...
as
Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
, a former Jedi Padawan who has recently been promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight, and a general in the Republic's army, who leads the 501st Legion.
Hayden Christensen Hayden Christensen (; born April 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader in the ''Star Wars'' media franchise. He first appeared in the prequel trilogy films, '' Star Wars: Episode ...
was considered to reprise his role as Anakin from the prequel trilogy before Lanter was selected. Lanter replaces
Mat Lucas Mat Lucas (born October 27, 1977) is an American voice actor, who is most notable for voicing the ''Star Wars'' character Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker in the series ''Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series), Star Wars: Clone Wars'' and various ...
, who voiced the character in the 2003 micro-series, '' Star Wars: Clone Wars''. *
Ashley Eckstein Ashley Eckstein (; born September 22, 1981) is an American actress and fashion designer. She is the founder of the fashion label Her Universe. She is best known for voicing the role of Ahsoka Tano throughout the '' Star Wars'' franchise, beginn ...
as
Ahsoka Tano Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced as the Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, she is a supporting character in the animated film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (2008) and the subsequent animated telev ...
, Anakin's new Padawan apprentice and commander of the 501st Legion. *
James Arnold Taylor James Arnold Taylor (born July 22, 1969), also known by his initials JAT, is an American voice actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is known for portraying Ratchet in the ''Ratchet & Clank'' franchise, the main character Tidus in '' Final Fa ...
as
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
, a Jedi Master, Anakin's mentor, and general of the Republic, who leads the 212th Attack Battalion.
Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
was considered to reprise his role as Obi-Wan from the prequel trilogy before Taylor was selected. Taylor reprises his role from the ''Clone Wars'' micro-series. ** Taylor also voices 4A-7, a droid spy. *
Catherine Taber Catherine Anne Taber (born December 30, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for voicing Padmé Amidala in '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and Lori Loud on ''The Loud House''. Biography In 2000, Taber made her feature film debut starring ...
as
Padmé Amidala Padmé Amidala Naberrie is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in ''Return of the Jedi'', she is introduced in ''The Phantom Menace'' as ...
, the queen and senator of
Naboo Naboo is a fictional planet in the '' Star Wars'' universe. A bountiful world with a mostly green terrain, the planet was the homeworld of two independent societies: the native Gungans, who dwelt in underwater cities, and the human Naboo, who l ...
and Anakin's wife.
Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...
was considered to reprise her role as Padmé from the prequel trilogy before Taber was selected. Taber replaces
Grey DeLisle Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress, comedian and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On Sept ...
, who voiced the character in the ''Clone Wars'' micro-series. *
Tom Kane Thomas Kane Roberts (born April 15, 1962) is a retired American voice actor. He is best known for his work in animation and video games, most notably in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Career Kane began his voice-over career in 1977, at fifteen yea ...
as
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...
, the Jedi Grandmaster and leader of the Jedi Council.
Frank Oz Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker. He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...
was considered to reprise his role as Yoda from the prequel and original trilogies before Kane was selected. Kane reprises his role from the ''Clone Wars'' micro-series. ** Kane also voices the Narrator, who explains the film's events and plot, and Admiral Yularen, an admiral of the Republic Navy assigned to Anakin. *
Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of Baker's work features vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''Codename: Kids Next Door'', ...
as the
clone trooper Clone troopers are fictional characters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. They have been featured in a number of ''Star Wars'' media, including the live-action films '' Episode II: Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and '' Ep ...
s,
Captain Rex Captain Rex (Service number, designation number CT-7567) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He was introduced as a main character in the animated ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film), The Clone Wars'' 2 ...
and Commander Cody. Baker replaces
André Sogliuzzo André Sogliuzzo (born August 10, 1966) is an American voice actor. His voice-work includes several animated series, including ''American Dad!'', ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''Harvey Beaks'', ''Jackie Chan Adventures'' and '' Star Wars: Clone ...
, who voiced the characters in the ''Clone Wars'' micro-series. *
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
as Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus, a Sith Lord and the puppet leader of the Separatist Alliance. Lee reprises his role from the prequel trilogy. The character is voiced by
Corey Burton Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...
in the subsequent television series. *
Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
as
Mace Windu Mace Windu is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Windu was portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. Jackson reprised the role in the 2008 animated film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and with voice only in the 20 ...
, a Jedi Master, senior member of the Jedi Council, and general of the Republic. Jackson reprises his role from the prequel trilogy. The character is voiced by
Terrence C. Carson Terrence C. Carson (born November 19, 1958) is an American actor best known for portraying Kyle Barker on the FOX sitcom ''Living Single'' and voicing Mace Windu in various ''Star Wars'' media. He is also known for his long-running voice role as ...
in the subsequent television series. *
Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 10 ''Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and h ...
as
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, was designed as a protocol droid intended to as ...
, Anakin's protocol droid. Daniels reprises his role from the live-action films and also voiced C-3PO in other media. *
Nika Futterman Nika Futterman (born October 25, 1969) is an American voice and television actress. She is known for her voices in various animated series, including Asajj Ventress in '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and Adam Lyon in ''My Gym Partner's a Mo ...
as
Asajj Ventress Asajj Ventress () is a character from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Originally intended to appear as an antagonist in the 2002 film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'', she was first introduced in the 2003 micro-series '' Star Wars ...
, a Sith assassin, a former Jedi and Count Dooku's disciple. Futterman replaces
Grey DeLisle Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress, comedian and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On Sept ...
, who voiced the character in the ''Clone Wars'' micro-series. **Futterman also voices TC-70, Jabba's protocol droid. *
Ian Abercrombie Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor and comedian. He was best known for playing Justin Pitt (Elaine Benes' boss) during the sixth season of '' Seinfeld''. He also played Alfred Pennyworth on ''Birds of Pr ...
as Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic who is secretly a powerful Sith Lord in disguise, Count Dooku's master, and the mastermind behind the Clone Wars.
Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in '' ...
was considered to reprise his role as Palpatine from the prequel and original trilogies before Abercrombie was selected. Abercrombie replaces
Nick Jameson Nicholas Jameson (born December 5, 1950) is an American actor, musician and producer, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Russian president Yuri Suvarov over three seasons on the show '' 24''. He currently resides in Reykjavík doing live co ...
, who voiced the character in the ''Clone Wars'' micro-series. *
Corey Burton Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...
as Ziro the Hutt, Jabba's uncle and a member of the Hutt Clan who is secretly in cahoots with Count Dooku and the Separatists. ** Burton also voices Whorm Loathsom, commander of the Separatist Droid Army occupying Christophsis, and KRONOS-327, an assassin droid working for Ziro. *
Kevin Michael Richardson Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'' (1995) ...
as
Jabba the Hutt Jabba Desilijic Tiure, more commonly known as Jabba the Hutt, is a Character (arts), fictional character and minor antagonist in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Created by George Lucas, Jabba is voiced by Larry Ward with several puppeteers inside a ...
, a powerful and notorious crime lord, the leader of the powerful Hutt Clan, and Rotta's father. *
David Acord David Acord is an American sound editor and voice actor best known for his contribution as a supervising sound editor of the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens''. Acord received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing an ...
as Rotta the Huttlet, Jabba's son. * Matthew Wood as the
battle droids In the ''Star Wars'' space opera franchise, a droid is a fictional robot possessing some degree of artificial intelligence''.'' The term is a clipped form of " android", a word originally reserved for robots designed to look and act like a huma ...
.


Production


Development

''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' was made to serve as both a stand-alone story and a lead-in to the weekly animated TV series of the same name.
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
had the idea for a film after viewing some of the completed footage of the early episodes on the big screen. Those first few episodes, originally planned for release on television, were then woven together to form the theatrical release.Force-Cast Clone Wars Roundtable
interview with Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy, October 3, 2008
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
had tracked the series' development from the beginning, and Lucas decided on a theatrical launch after viewing early footage declaring "This is so beautiful, why don't we just go and use the crew and make a feature?" This decision helped convince WB parent company
Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...
to distribute the movie, and to encourage its subsidiary
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
to air the series. Lucas described the film as "almost an afterthought."
Howard Roffman Howard Roffman (born April 18, 1953) is an American lawyer and marketing executive, best known for his work on the ''Star Wars'' franchise as the head of Licensing at Lucasfilm. He is also a photographer, known for a series of books of gay-positive ...
, president of Lucas Licensing, said of the decision, "Sometimes George works in strange ways."Quenqua, Douglas
"The Force lives on, as do the toys."
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', July 1, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
Producer
Catherine Winder Catherine Winder is a Canadian digital media producer and executive. Winder served as President of Rainmaker Entertainment from May 12, 2009 to June 30, 2012. Winder is a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and began her film career in Japan, whic ...
said the sudden decision added to an already large challenge of establishing a show "of this sophistication and complexity,"Lupick, Travis
"Clone Wars proved a galactic task for production team."
''
The Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...
'', August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
but she felt it was a good way to start the series, and thought budgetary constraints forced the production team to
think outside the box Thinking outside the box (also thinking out of the box or thinking beyond the box and, especially in Australian English, Australia, thinking outside the square) is a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspec ...
in a positive way. The story of the kidnapped Hutt was inspired by the
Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fuku ...
samurai film ''
Shogun's Shadow is a 1989 Japanese film directed by Yasuo Furuhata. Plot Takechiyo, the eldest son of shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, is threatened by attacks from assassins. The attempts on his life are the result of a conflict for the succession for the shogunate. U ...
''.


Animation

Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...
and
Lucasfilm Animation Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. LLC is the animation division of Lucasfilm, established in 2003. Its first major productions were the feature film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and its associated television series, both of which debuted in 2008. In Se ...
used
Autodesk Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational software corporation that makes software products and services for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment industries. Autodesk is headquartered ...
software to animate both the film and the series using the
Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
3-D modeling In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, an ...
program to create highly detailed worlds, characters and creatures. The film's animation style was designed to pay homage to the stylized looks of both Japanese anime and
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
, and the
supermarionation Supermarionation (a portmanteau of the words "super", "marionette" and " animation")La Rivière 2009, p. 67. is a style of television and film production employed by British company AP Films (later Century 21 Productions) in its puppet T ...
of the British 1960s series '' Thunderbirds''. At a Cartoon Network-hosted discussion, Lucas said he did not want the ''Clone Wars'' film or television series to look like such movies as ''
Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
'', because he wanted a stylized look rather than a realistic one. He also felt it should not look like the popular
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
movies such as ''
The Incredibles ''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...
'' and ''
Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
'', because he wanted the film and characters to have its own unique style.Weprin, Alex
"George Lucas Talks 'Clone Wars'
''
Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcast ...
'', April 3, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
Lucas also decided to create the animated film and series from a live-action perspective, which Winder said set it apart from other CGI films. Essentially, it "meant using long camera shots, aggressive lighting techniques, and relying on editing instead of storyboards." Animators also reviewed designs from the original 2003 ''Clone Wars'' series when creating the animation style for the film and the new series. In charge was Steward Lee, working as the storyboard artist during filming. Actors
Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
,
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
,
Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 10 ''Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and h ...
, and Matthew Wood vocally reprised their respective roles as
Mace Windu Mace Windu is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Windu was portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. Jackson reprised the role in the 2008 animated film '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and with voice only in the 20 ...
,
Count Dooku Count Dooku of Serenno, also known by his Sith, Sith name Darth Tyranus, or simply as Count Dooku, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise, created by George Lucas. One of the main antagonists of the St ...
,
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, was designed as a protocol droid intended to as ...
and the
B1 Battle Droids In the ''Star Wars'' space opera franchise, a droid is a fictional robot possessing some degree of artificial intelligence''.'' The term is a clipped form of " android", a word originally reserved for robots designed to look and act like a huma ...
. However, Jackson and Lee did not reprise their roles in the television series.


Music

The musical score for ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' was composed by
Kevin Kiner Kevin Kiner (born September 3, 1958) is an American film and television composer best known for scoring ''CSI: Miami'', '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'', and ''Star Wars Rebels''. Kiner was nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy, Daytime Emmy and An ...
. The original motion picture soundtrack was released by
Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...
on August 12, 2008. The disc begins with the
main theme In music, a subject is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based. In forms other than the fugue, this may be known as the theme. Characteristics A subject may be perceivable as a complete m ...
by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
, followed by more than 30 separate music cues composed by Kiner. Kiner is known for his work on such television series as ''
Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...
'', ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'', ''
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' and ''
CSI: Miami ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...
''. The soundtrack uses some
instruments Instrument may refer to: Science and technology * Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft * Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...
never heard before in a ''Star Wars'' score, including
erhu The ''erhu'' (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a ''Southern Fiddle'', and is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two-s ...
s,
duduk The duduk ( ; hy, դուդուկ ) or tsiranapogh ( hy, ծիրանափող, meaning “apricot-made wind instrument”), is an ancient Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. It is indigenous to Armenia. Variations of th ...
s and
oud , image=File:oud2.jpg , image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921 , background= , classification= * String instruments *Necked bowl lutes , hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum , ...
s.


Marketing


Merchandise

''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' merchandise was first released on July 26, 2008.
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
released several 3-inch ''Clone Wars''
action figure An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s, an electronic clone trooper helmet, a customizable lightsaber, and an electronic All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE).
Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
and
KB Toys K·B Toys (also known as Kay Bee Toys) was an American chain of mall-based retail toy stores. The company was founded in 1922 as Kaufman Brothers, a wholesale candy store. The company opened a wholesale toy store in 1946, and ended its candy who ...
also devoted shelf space for ''Clone Wars'' toys, but did not hold midnight releases or pursue the branding opportunities
Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1957; its first store was built in April 1948, with its headquarters loc ...
did. Toys "R" Us mounted digital clocks in all 585 of its stores that counted down to the release of the ''Clone Wars'' toys, and more than 225 of the stores opened at midnight for the debut of the ''Star Wars'' products. Two of the Toys "R" Us flagship outlets in
Mission Bay, San Diego Mission Bay is a human-made saltwater bay located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California created from approximately of historical wetland, marsh, and saltwater bay habitat. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay ...
and
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York City held costume and trivia contests on July 26, and gave away limited-edition ''Star Wars'' toys with every purchase. A section of the Toys "R" Us website was also dedicated to ''The Clone Wars''. The toy line continues with The Clone Wars figures being well received by collectors for their detail to the characters and vehicles.


Food partnership

Due to Lucas' sudden decision to produce the film, Lucas Licensing did not have time to enter into agreements with previous ''Star Wars'' marketing partners like
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...
,
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
and
Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toaste ...
, with which the Lucasfilm licensing company had a ten-year marketing plan for the other films. When questioned by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' about ''Star Wars'' merchandising in July 2008, a Pepsi spokesperson was unaware a new ''Star Wars'' film was being released. On August 15,
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
held its first ever
Happy Meal A Happy Meal is a kids' meal usually sold at the American fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard box with a yellow smiley face ...
promotion for a ''Star Wars'' film and for four weeks, 18 exclusive toys came in specially designed Happy Meal boxes.


Print media

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
published a six-issue
digest-sized Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...
comic book miniseries. Randy Stradley, vice president of publishing for Dark Horse, said the sudden decision to release the ''Clone Wars'' film required the company to temporarily delay plans for two other ''Star Wars'' comic book series, '' Dark Times'' and ''Rebellion''. The ''Clone Wars'' comics did not receive the promotional campaign it otherwise would have due to the abruptness of the theatrical and comic book releases.
Topps The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures chewing gum, candy, and collectibles. Formerly based in New York City, Topps is best known as a leading producer of American Football Card, American football, Baseball card, baseb ...
, the
trading card A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...
s company, released a series of 90 ''Clone Wars'' cards on July 26, which also included foil cards, motion cards, animation cel cards and rare sketch cards by top ''Star Wars'' artists and Lucasfilm animators.
DK Publishing Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media co ...
and the
Penguin Group Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initial ...
released books, activities and other merchandise that tied in with the film. Also released was the ''Clone Wars: The Visual Guide'', published by DK, and ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' in the UK, published by Puffin and in the U.S. by Grosset & Dunlap. The publishers also released a storybook, picture books and an activity book. At the
American International Toy Fair The North American International Toy Fair (formerly the American International Toy Fair and also known as Toy Fair New York) is an annual toy industry trade show held in mid-February in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and at t ...
,
Lego Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...
announced a product line for the film and the TV series, to be released in July 2008 in the United States and in August 2008 in the United Kingdom.


Video games

The
LucasArts Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as ...
video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...
adapted the film into '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Jedi Alliance'' for the
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
and '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lightsaber Duels'' for
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
.''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' video games.
LucasArts Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as ...
.com. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
A reviewer from PocketGamer.co.uk said his expectations for ''Jedi Alliance'' were low due to poor ''Clone Wars'' movie reviews, but he found the game "a varied and well-paced experience."Jordan, Jon
"GC 2008: Hands on with ''Star Wars The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance''

PockerGamer.co.uk
', August 24, 2008.
'' Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars'' adapted the film, along with episodes from seasons one and two of the 2008 TV series. The game released on all platforms in 2011.


Portable media players

A ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars''
MP3 player A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...
was released in August 2008. The player includes one gigabyte of memory, which holds 200 songs or 20 hours of music and comes with three interchangeable faceplates: a green one with Yoda and a lightsaber on it, a silver one with Captain Rex and a
Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...
logo on it, and one with two
clone trooper Clone troopers are fictional characters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. They have been featured in a number of ''Star Wars'' media, including the live-action films '' Episode II: Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and '' Ep ...
s on
Coruscant Coruscant () is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Its first appearance was onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'', but was first depicted and mentioned by name in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel '' ...
. One review claimed it improved upon a Darth Vader MP3 player released in July 2008, which featured only 512
megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Its recommended unit symbol is MB. The unit prefix ''mega'' is a multiplier of (106) in the International System of Units (SI). Therefore, one megabyte is one million bytes o ...
s of memory and a dated visual display. A ''Star Wars''
iPod The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about months after the Macintosh version of iTunes ...
iSpeaker (a speaker/dock for iPods, iPhones and MP3 players) was also released. The speaker includes an image of Captain Rex and three other Clone Troopers.


Racing sponsorship

A ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars''
open wheel car An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, Sports car racing, sports cars, Stock car racing, stock ca ...
for the
IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...
was unveiled at the 2008 San Diego
Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is c ...
. The No. 26 car, which also included
Blockbuster Inc. Blockbuster LLC, formerly known as Blockbuster Video, was an American-based provider of home video and video game rental services. Services were offered primarily at video rental shops, but later alternatives included DVD-by-mail, streaming med ...
decals was driven by
Andretti Green Racing Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andretti U ...
driver
Marco Andretti Marco Michael Andretti (born March 13, 1987) is an American auto racing driver who drives the No. 98 car for Bryan Herta Autosport, Andretti Herta Autosport part-time in the IndyCar Series. He is the third generation of the famous Andretti racin ...
in the
2008 Peak Antifreeze Indy Grand Prix The 2008 Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County was the fifteenth round of the 2008 IndyCar Series season. It took place on August 24, 2008. Race

{{s-end 2008 in IndyCar, Peak Antifreeze Indy Grand Prix 2008 in spo ...
, Andretti later said of the spnsorship, "I'm hoping that my upcoming battle at Infineon will be as exciting as anything in a ''Star Wars'' movie so I can win it for both Blockbuster and Lucasfilm." The car finished 14th at Infineon on the lead lap, which Andretti attributed to a slow
pit stop In motorsports, a pit stop is a pause for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, as a penalty, or any combination of the above. These stops occur in an area called the pits, most commonly accessed via a pit la ...
early in the race; he added, "I just don't think it was a very good performance for us today." The ''Clone Wars'' car was the second collaboration between Lucasfilm, Blockbuster and Andretti Green Racing. The first collaboration was an ''
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is a 2008 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and the fourth installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' series. Released and taking place 19 years after the previous ...
'' car which was also ran by Andretti in the
2008 Indy 500 The 92nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 25, 2008. Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the race from the pole position. It was the thirteenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing Leag ...
where it would finish in third place.


Novelization

A novelization of the film by
Karen Traviss Karen Traviss is a science fiction author from Wiltshire, England. She is the author of the ''Wess'Har'' series, and has written tie-in material based on '' Star Wars'', '' Gears of War'', ''Halo'', ''G.I. Joe'' and the newest ''Nomad'' Series wo ...
was released by
Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn, by Penguin Random House. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It ...
on July 26, 2008. In addition to narrating the film's plot from various points of view, it includes some of Anakin's memories of his early childhood as a Hutt slave, as well as some of Dooku's recollections of battling the
Mandalorian Mandalorians are fictional people associated with the planet Mandalore in the ''Star Wars'' universe and franchise created by George Lucas. Their most distinct cultural features are their battle helmets, chest armor, wrist gauntlets, and often ...
s (previously explored in the 2002 comic book '' Jango Fett: Open Seasons'').


Release


Theatrical

''The Clone Wars'' premiered on August 10, 2008, at
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater ...
, followed by a
wide release In the American motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across the country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical re ...
five days later. It received largely negative reviews for its story, animation and repetitive action sequences and grossed $68.3 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing ''Star Wars'' film to date, but still a financial success due to its small budget.


Home media

The film's two-disc DVD and
Blu-ray Disc The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States and on December 8, 2008, in the United Kingdom. The film was released as a single-disc DVD, two-disc Special Edition DVD, and Blu-ray Disc. The standard-definition versions include the film in widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX sound, and with feature-length audio commentary. The film is also available on the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
streaming service, which launched on November 12, 2019.


Reception


Critical response

''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' received mostly negative reviews. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads: "Mechanical animation and a less-than stellar script make ''The Clone Wars'' a pale shadow of George Lucas' once great franchise." This constituted the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating of any ''Star Wars'' film; all nine theatrical films ranged from 51% to 95% and the made-for-television
Ewok The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the '' Star Wars'' universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in comp ...
films and the ''
Star Wars Holiday Special The ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' is a 1978 American television special that originally aired on November 17, 1978, on CBS. It is set in the universe of the sci-fi-based ''Star Wars'' media franchise. Directed by Steve Binder, it was the first ' ...
'' garnered higher ratings, although their averages encompassed far fewer reviews. On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 35 out of 100 based on 30 critic reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' listed ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' as one of the five worst films of 200810 Best Films of 2008: Owen Gleiberman's Picks
Panel 17: Worst films, No. 2
with critic
Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for ''Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...
saying,
It's hard to tell the droids from the Jedi drones in this robotic animated dud, in which the George Lucas Empire Strikes Back—at the audience. What wears you out is Lucas' immersion in a Star Wars cosmology that has grown so obsessive-compulsively cluttered yet trivial that it's no longer escapism; Because this movie has bad lightsaber duels and the lack of the original cast, it's something you want to escape from.
''
Ain't It Cool News Ain't It Cool News (AICN) is an entertainment news website founded by Harry Knowles and run by his sister Dannie Knowles since September 2017, dedicated to news, rumors, and reviews of upcoming and current films, television, and comic book proje ...
'' posted two reviews of the film during the week before its release, but pulled them down due to an embargo placed on those attending the screening its writers attended. The same reviews were re-posted on the site, on the day of the film's release. The retraction prompted some readers to allege a conspiracy by Lucasfilm to keep negative press out of circulation until the release of the film, but although the review by site creator
Harry Knowles Harry Jay Knowles (born December 11, 1971) is an American film critic and writer known for his website called Ain't It Cool News. Knowles was a member of the Austin Film Critics Association until he was removed in September 2017 "by a substanti ...
was negative, Drew McWeeny said that his review was positive and that no such conspiracy existed. Several critics compared ''The Clone Wars'' to a
Saturday morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...
Puig, Claudia
"'The Clone Wars': Cartoonish, in a bad way,"
''USA Today'', August 14, 2008, Life (section). Retrieved August 17, 2008.
and described it as little more than a plug for the upcoming animated series.Barnard, Linda
"'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' a clunky effort"
''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'', August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
Rickey, Carrie
"Animation adds little to 'Clone'"
''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'', August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
Linda Barnard, of the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'', said the movie "pretty much drives a stake into the heart of every loyal fan of the movies. And now eorge Lucas is/nowiki> out to stick it to those too young to know about
Jar Jar Binks Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character of the Gungan race from the ''Star Wars'' saga created by George Lucas. Jar Jar appears throughout the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy – as a major character in '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', with a ...
." ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine reviewer Todd McCarthy said, "This isn't the ''Star Wars'' we've always known and at least sometimes loved." Joe Neumiar, of the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', wrote, "If this were a true ''Star Wars'' film, right about now somebody would say, '...I've got a bad feeling about this.'" In his review for ''Entertainment Weekly'', critic Owen Gleiberman gave the film an F grade and wrote, "George Lucas is turning into the enemy of fun." Gleiberman, Owen
"Movie Review: 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' (2008)"
''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Iss. #1007/1008, August 22/29, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
Carrie Rickey, of ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'', said, "The best that can be said about the movie is that it's harmless and mostly charmless. ''The Clone Wars'' is to ''Star Wars'' what
karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
is to pop music." The main criticism toward the film was the animation. Many criticized it as cheap, wooden, non-engaging and out-of-date;Stasi, Linda
'More like 'Clone Bores'
''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'', August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
Rechtshaffen, Michael
"Film Review: 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'"
''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', August 10, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
some reviewers drew negative comparisons to 1960s
marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or reveale ...
-based shows ''Thunderbirds'' and ''
Fireball XL5 ''Fireball XL5'' is a 1960s British children's science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of ''Fireball XL5'', a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac, ''XL5' ...
'',Germain, David
"Review: Clone Scripts"
''
Clone Script Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
''
although George Lucas previously said the animation style was a deliberate homage to such shows. Tom Long of ''
MediaNews MNG Enterprises, Inc., doing business as Digital First Media and MediaNews Group, is a Denver, Colorado-based newspaper publisher owned by Alden Global Capital. The company has been growing its portfolio and as of May 2021, owns over 100 newspa ...
'' said the animation "is downright weak compared to what's generally seen onscreen these days"Long, Tom.
Review: Wooden 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' just another stiff
. ''
MediaNews MNG Enterprises, Inc., doing business as Digital First Media and MediaNews Group, is a Denver, Colorado-based newspaper publisher owned by Alden Global Capital. The company has been growing its portfolio and as of May 2021, owns over 100 newspa ...
'', August 14, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via ''East Bay News''.
and that the characters are so stiff they look like they were "carved by
Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
's
father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4 and said "the characters have hair that looks molded from
Play-Doh Play-Doh is a modeling compound for young children to make arts and crafts projects at home. The product was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s. Play-Doh was then reworked and marketed to Cin ...
, bodies that seem arthritic, and moving lips on half-frozen faces—all signs that shortcuts were taken in the animation work." McCarthy said "the movements, both of the characters and the compositions, look mechanical, and the mostly familiar characters have all the facial expressiveness of
Easter Island statues Moai or moʻai ( ; es, moái; rap, moʻai, , statue) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Rapa Nui in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but ...
." However, some of the same reviewers who criticized the animation acknowledged some positive elements about it; McCarthy said it allowed for "somewhat more dramatic compositions and color schemes," and Carrie Rickey, of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', said the scenery and backgrounds were "vivid and alive", although she said the characters "move as you would imagine the statues at a waxworks might." Reviewers also criticized the dialogue, which Ebert said was limited to "simplistic declamations" and Claudia Puig of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' described as "stilted and overblown, a problem also in some of the live-action incarnations." Many critics also said that the battle scenes were repetitive and lacked tension; McCarthy described the action sequences as "a little exposition, an invasion; some more exposition, a lightsaber fight; a bit more blah-blah, a spaceship
dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every majo ...
, and on and on." Linda Stasi, of the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'', also described the lack of character development in the film, writing that whereas the original ''Star Wars'' films dedicated time to allowing viewers to get to know the characters, "Director Dave Filoni is so concentrated on the action that we're never given the chance to care who lives and who is blown into spare parts." Jason Anderson, of the ''
Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', wrote that although ''The Clone Wars'' is intended for younger audiences, "parents may be perturbed by the film's relentless violence." Ebert also found protagonist Ahsoka Tano "annoying," and Michael Rechtshaffen, of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', said the attempts of humor amid the bickering between Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker are "strained". Puig said she enjoyed the character, and that "her repartee with Anakin enlivens things."


Box office

''The Clone Wars'' earned $68,282,845 worldwide, including $35,161,554 in North American domestic box office grosses and $33,121,290 in international grosses. The film earned $14,611,273 on 3,452 screens in its opening weekend, including $6,228,973 on its opening day, August 15. It was the third-highest earning film of the weekend in spite of negative critical reception, behind ''
Tropic Thunder ''Tropic Thunder'' is a 2008 satirical action comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, who wrote the screenplay with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. The film stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson as a gro ...
'' and ''
The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero, Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005) and the second insta ...
'', which earned $25.8 million and $16.3 million, respectively. Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., said that the box office performance met expectations because two-thirds of the audience were families and the budget for the film was $8.5 million, frugal considering it was a CGI film and because the film was meant to introduce the animated series. Fellman said, "It was targeted to a specific audience for specific reasons. We accomplished that mission, and it will continue in another medium." When ''The Clone Wars'' dropped to $5.6 million in its second week of release, ContactMusic.com described it as "the first bona fide ''Star Wars'' flop." The film also earned $23,428,376 from DVD sales in the US.


Accolades

The film was nominated for a
Golden Raspberry Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
in the category "Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel", but lost to ''
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is a 2008 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and the fourth installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' series. Released and taking place 19 years after the previous ...
''.


References


External links

* * at * * * {{Authority control Star Wars: The Clone Wars 2008 films 2000s English-language films 2008 computer-animated films 2000s adventure films 2000s science fiction action films 2000s American animated films American sequel films American animated science fiction films American science fiction action films American science fiction war films American science fantasy films American space adventure films Animated science fiction films Animated space adventure films Animated war films Films about cloning Military science fiction films 2000s science fiction adventure films Films scored by Kevin Kiner Interquel films Star Wars spin-off films Lucasfilm films Lucasfilm animated films Warner Bros. films Warner Bros. animated films American children's animated science fiction films Films with screenplays by Henry Gilroy American prequel films