George Lucas unveiled footage from Star Wars: The Clone Wars in Las Vegas at ShoWest, the annual movie-exhibitors convention.

The animated feature serves as an extended pilot episode for a Clone Wars TV series, set to debut on Cartoon Network and TNT channels this autumn.

"'Clone Wars' is an extension of the 'Star Wars' story, which takes place between episodes two and three, where in two we start the Clone Wars and in three we end the Clone Wars," said Lucas.

"This is The Clone Wars, which is all the stuff that goes on in between. It has all of everybody's favourite characters and a few new ones. We got to do it in a new animation style, which is exciting and a chance to explore a different medium."

Lucas said putting the Clone Wars opener into theatres was an afterthought.

"Well, we looked at it on a big screen, and the quality we felt was really good enough to put into a theatre," he explained, "and the biggest issue we felt was that a lot of fans really wanted to see this on the big screen before it ended up as a television series."

Lucas certainly hasn't given up on live action, serving as writer and producer on the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But he said animation does have some advantages.

"Well, I think the biggest issue is that you don't have to don't have to get up at four in the morning and stand our in zero-degree weather and wipe the snow off your glasses."

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is set for U S release on August 15.