How Qubic Pictures United Star Wars and Anime for Star Wars Visions Volume Three

Star Wars: Visions has emerged as a groundbreaking anthology series that blends the iconic Star Wars universe with the dynamic artistry of Japanese anime. Central to this success is Qubic Pictures, an independent production company dedicated to bridging cultural divides and delivering high-quality animation to a global audience. CEO Justin Leach reveals how Qubic facilitated collaborations with renowned studios like Trigger, Production I.G, and Wit to craft unique stories that resonate beyond traditional Star Wars narratives.

Leach’s extensive experience in both Japanese and Western animation industries enabled Qubic to serve as an effective bridge between Lucasfilm and multiple Japanese studios. This role involved not only selecting studios based on quality, style, and passion for Star Wars but also managing complex bilingual communications and production workflows. Qubic respected each studio’s unique production pipeline, focusing on coordinating milestones and ensuring smooth collaboration without imposing a rigid global process.

The anthology format allowed creators significant creative freedom to interpret Star Wars through their own cultural and artistic lenses, resulting in a diverse range of storytelling styles and animation techniques. This approach not only honored the franchise’s legacy but also expanded its appeal to new audiences, demonstrating the power of international partnerships in media production.

Beyond Star Wars: Visions, Qubic is actively pioneering similar East-West collaborations, such as the upcoming anime adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk novel Leviathan, produced alongside Netflix and Studio Orange. These projects highlight a growing trend of animation anthologies serving as incubators for emerging talent and innovative storytelling, bridging cultural divides and expanding the global reach of anime and animation.

Key Strategies Behind Qubic Pictures’ Success

• Leveraging long-term relationships with top Japanese studios and creators to ensure passion and quality.
• Facilitating bilingual communication and cultural translation to navigate differences between Hollywood and Japanese production cultures.
• Allowing studios to maintain their unique production pipelines while coordinating milestones and deliverables centrally.
• Empowering creators with creative freedom within the Star Wars universe to produce authentic, diverse stories.
• Utilizing modern project management tools like Smartsheet and Notion to streamline communication and track progress across multiple studios.

The Broader Impact and Future of Animation Anthologies

Star Wars: Visions has revitalized the anthology format, showcasing how diverse international studios can contribute unique perspectives to a beloved franchise. This model nurtures emerging talent, encourages creative experimentation, and expands audience reach. Industry insiders anticipate more major IPs adopting similar anthology projects to explore fresh narratives and test new creative directions without the risks of long-form commitments.

Qubic Pictures’ ongoing collaborations, including their work on the anime adaptation of Leviathan with Netflix and Studio Orange, exemplify the growing trend of East-West creative partnerships. These projects blend cultural influences and storytelling techniques, pushing the boundaries of animation and appealing to global audiences. As anime’s popularity continues to surge worldwide, such collaborations are poised to become a cornerstone of the animation industry’s future.