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Star Wars Rebels' Animated Series To Debut Fall 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS NEWS) - We sense a rebellion brewing in the Force. Production is now under way on "Star Wars Rebels," a new animated series based on the popular sci-fi franchise created by George Lucas.

"X-Men: First Class" producer Simon Kinberg will executive produce and write the pilot episode, to be presented as a one-hour special on the Disney Channel in the fall of 2014. If all goes well, "Star Wars Rebels" will run on Disney XD. Lucasfilm will produce the new series.

"I couldn't be more excited to explore new corners of the 'Star Wars' universe," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. "I think 'Star Wars Rebels' will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about 'Star Wars.'"

It looks like the new animated series will be combining the old with the new. While plot details have been kept closely under-wraps, we do know that "Star Wars Rebels" will be set in the era between the 2005 prequel installment "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and 1977's "Episode IV: A New Hope," a two-decade-long period never before explored on-camera.

This latest project comes following Disney's $4.05 billion buyout of Lucasfilm last October. A live-action "Episode VII" film is also in the works with an expected 2015 release date.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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