Hasbro Inc apparently got its lightsabers crossed with Lucasfilm Ltd, making a splashy announcement during its fall 2007 analyst meeting on Thursday that a new Star Wars animated film was set to be released on 8-8-08.

The only problem — Lucasfilm says there’s no such definite plan.

Lynne Hale, the senior director of Lucasfilm Ltd, the entertainment company founded by George Lucas, said the company is indeed aiming to release a “Star Wars: Clone Wars” computer-generated imagery television series in fall 2008. 

She said it is a possibility to launch the series with some sort of theatrical release, but that “it is so early to even think about it.”

“It’s one of the many things we’re discussing, but there are no decisions yet,” Hale said. “We’re just finding creative ways to launch a breakthrough television series.”

Hasbro, which licenses the rights to make products based on Star Wars characters, told analysts that it had “big news” and stated the movie would be released on Aug. 8, 2008, and that it would be in theaters for some time.

“It’ll be like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” Hasbro Chief Operating Officer Brian Goldner said about a television series would quickly follow in the fall, noting the TV show would likely debut in primetime.

It has been rumored that a CGI series called “Star Wars: Clone Wars” would debut as a TV series in the fall of 2008 but not many further details have been available.

Clone Wars chronologically takes place during the three-year time period between the films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The story was originally a two-dimensional animated TV series on Cartoon Network from 2003 to 2005.

Hale said the new series will also take place between Episode II and Episode III, but is a completely new Star Wars project. “We’re thinking of a lot of innovative ways to introduce it,” she said.

 A Hasbro spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Photo credit: Reuters/Ray Stubblebine)