Star Wars: The Clone Wars Could Leave Cartoon Network After Season 5

With news of the recent acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, Star Wars fans have been left to speculate over the fate of the franchise and how it will affect its various offshoots. We know that there's a new trilogy coming. That in itself is big news, but what about the fate of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, George Lucas' 3D CGI animated series on Cartoon Network?

Some were already speculating that the animated series, which - like its predecessor, Star Wars: Clone Wars, is set in the time period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith - might be relocated from the Cartoon Network to Disney XD. Today, THR has reported that Disney is expected to move the animated spinoff to one of its own channels when the series' contract with the Turner network is up, which is at the end of the current (2012-2013) season. Disney Channel's sister network Disney XD is the likely destination for the series.

Right now, it sounds like nothing is official, and from what reps from both Lucasfilm and Turner have reportedly said, the decision won't be made until closer to the end of the show's current season. But given how well the series has performed at Cartoon Network, it would make sense for Disney to move it over to one of their own channels, and Disney XD, a network known to air more action-oriented series, would be a fitting home for the series. In the meantime, fans can continue to catch new episodes of the current fifth season on Saturdays on Cartoon Network. The series' 94th episode is set to air tomorrow, and it's looking like the show will cross the 100-episode mark at the Cartoon Network.

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly put her life-long love of movies, TV and books to greater use when she joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006, and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before joining the staff full-time in 2011 and moving over to other roles at the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing features, analyzing site data, working with writers and editors on content planning and the workflow, and (of course) continuing to obsess over the best movies and TV shows (those that already exist, and the many on the way). She graduated from SUNY Cortland with BA in Communication Studies and a minor in Cinema Studies. When she isn't working, she's probably thinking about work, or reading (or listening to a book), and making sure her cats are living their absolute best feline lives.