With Disney shutting the door on Star Wars: The Clone Wars in March, the House of Mouse has now announced the production of the animated series Star Wars Rebels, which will bow in 2014.

The series will debut as a one-hour special on Disney Channel before rolling out as a series on Disney XD channels worldwide.

From Disney-owned Lucasfilm Animation, the series will feature many of the talents that made Cartoon Network’s Clone Wars. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes) is an executive producer on the series and he will pen the premiere episode. Former supervising director of The Clone Wars Dave Filoni will also serve as executive producer, as will Greg Weisman of Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles fame.

The action series takes place between Episode III and IV – an era that has yet to be explored on-screen, when the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights.