Lucasfilm cancels animated TV series 'Clone Wars'

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LOS ANGELES, March 11 (UPI) -- Lucasfilm Animation says it plans to "wind down" its "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" TV series, which airs on America's Cartoon Network.

The news comes as Lucasfilm is preparing to make three live-action, big-screen "Star Wars" sequels.

"As we enter into an exciting new era focused on the next 'Star Wars' trilogy, Lucasfilm has decided to pursue a new direction in animated programming," a statement posted Monday on the Disney-owned company's StarWars.com website said.

"We are exploring a whole new 'Star Wars' series set in a time period previously untouched in 'Star Wars' films or television programming. You can expect more details in the months to come.

As part of this shift, we have also made some key decisions affecting 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' and [the planned animated comedy series] 'Star Wars Detours,'" the statement said. "After five highly successful and critically acclaimed seasons of 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars,' we feel the time has come to wind down the series. While the studio is no longer producing new episodes for Cartoon Network, we're continuing production on new 'Clone Wars' story arcs that promise to be some of the most thrilling adventures ever seen. Stay tuned for more information on where fans can soon find this bonus content."