In a galaxy not so far away, a disturbance in the form emerged with the potential to shake the very foundations of the Star Wars universe to its core - the feared disbandment of Lucasfilm Animation. But as with every saga, separating fact from fiction is crucial.
To begin with, the pressing news making waves lately is the closure of Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) facility in Singapore. The facility, which has stood as an emblem of cinematic excellence for almost 20 years, is being shut down due to economic fluctuations impacting the entertainment industry and not just Disney. The repercussions of this are, if nothing else, undeniably severe, potentially leading to around 300 layoffs. This revelation triggered a slew of anxiety, misinformation, and hearsay, which brings us to where we are right now.
The immediacy and frenzy of the digital age often lead to the swift metamorphosis of a fact into a distorted reality. This is evident in the widespread misconception, stemming from an ambiguous interpretation of the initial report. Contrary to popular belief, Lucasfilm Animation remains untouched by this closure.
Joel Aron, Lucasfilm's director of cinematography, lighting, and VFX, took to social media to clarify this. He emphasized, "Just to be clear, we're not affected by this closure," asserting that their animation division is not based in Singapore but operates predominantly from San Francisco.
This clarification is essential given the ongoing production of The Bad Batch Season 3 and Tales of the Jedi Season 2. Both series have garnered immense adulation and expectation, with the latter remaining shrouded in a delightful aura of mystery. Dave Filoni, the creator of Tales of the Jedi, teased fans, hinting at the sheer exhilaration of the creation of the series but stopping short of revealing any intricate details.