SAN FRANCISCO — Forget the new “Star Wars” movie for now. At Lucasfilm headquarters here, the pressure is arguably more intense on a new animated TV series: “Rebels,” making its cable debut early next month, not only represents a dramatic shift back to non-prequel stories — for the first time since 1998 — it also formally ushers in the studio’s Disney era.

In short, “Rebels” is the runway that J. J. Abrams’s “Episode VII” will use next year in its bid for box office lightspeed.

But nobody can say for sure how the very vocal “Star Wars” fan base will react to the TV show, which will have its premiere on Friday on Disney Channel before moving to its brother network Disney XD. George Lucas is no longer involved, having sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion two years ago, and more than a few “Star Wars” loyalists still distrust the Magic Kingdom’s intentions. Will “Rebels” be overly cute? Jedi Minnie and Obi-Wan Mickey?

“If you mess up,” said Freddie Prinze Jr., who voices a ponytailed Jedi in the new series, “there is no cage.”