We’re pretty certain Turner Broadcasting didn’t employ any Jedi mind tricks to land the TV rights to hotly anticipated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the upcoming CGI series from creator George Lucas, but the force just may have been on its side.

The series will premiere this fall on Cartoon Network and then roll out on fellow Turner net TNT. And in a unique promotion, the inaugural ep of the Lucasfilm Animation production will premiere in North America in theaters on August 15 with help from Warner Bros. Pictures.

International broadcast deals for the series are currently in negotiation. The 30 x half-hour series promises a new look at the epic space opera, with familiar characters like Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vadar continuing the battle between the Jedi Knights and the dark side.