Lucasfilm has revealed the trailer for its newest Star Wars series The Acolyte. Set during the High Republic, The Acolyte follows an investigation into a shocking crime spree that pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Amandla Stenberg plays Mae, who gets swept up in this sinister mystery. Lee Jung-jae plays Sol, who is a wise and respected Jedi Master. Jodie Turner-Smith plays Mother Aniseya, the leader of a coven of Witches who value their independence. Carrie-Anne Moss plays Master Indara, a Jedi Master of great physical and mental skill. Joonas Suotamo plays Kelnacca, a Wookiee Jedi. Dafne Keen plays Jecki, a Padawan apprentice to Master Sol. Charlie Barnett plays Yord, a Jedi Knight and guardian from the Jedi Temple, who is an overachiever and a rule follower. Manny Jacinto plays a former smuggler named Qimir.
The Acolyte comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll). Headland also directed the premiere episodes (episodes 101 and 102). Directors Kogonada (episodes 103 and 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (episodes 104 and 105), and Hanelle Culpepper (episodes 106 and 108) round out the directing duties on the series. Michael Abels, known for his work on Get Out and Us, scored The Acolyte.
Headland revealed that The Acolyte is a love to some of her favorite martial arts sagas and samurai films, like Come Drink with Me and Yojimbo. Headland also has gone on record saying The Acolyte would be Frozen meets Kill Bill, and she’s also teased a Rashomon influence on the series.
The Acolyte will also be set during the High Republic, an era of Star Wars that has only been explored through books, comics, and a Disney Junior show. The series will also explore how an esteemed organization like the Jedi Order could be in its golden age and also on the cusp of the chaos that unfolds in the Skywalker saga.
The show will also work more in the grey area as the Sith will be seen as the underdogs when facing off with the powerful Jedi Order. The show promises mystery and intrigue and some of the narrative has been compared to Andor.
Headland is a huge Star Wars fan so she incorporated lore from the original films, current books, and even Star Wars: Legends (Expanded Universe) into the story. “There’s also some EU lore that I decided to put in because I thought it was so cool and no one told me I couldn’t,” Headland told StarWars.com, “There are a couple of really big EU ideas that are utilized both early on in the series and later in the series.” Headland also revealed The Acolyte will introduce a Zygerrian Jedi and canonize one species that’s yet to be seen. One aspect of the current books that Headland is adapting is Jedi Vernestra Rwoh from the High Republic books. More High Republic book characters are expected to appear in season two.
Headland also hopes that The Acolyte will be a welcome entry point for newcomers, whether or not they’ve read the books or watched other Star Wars series. “You don’t need to know too much to enter the story,” she told StarWars.com.
Leslye Headland also pitched The Acolyte as a multi-season series. She also confirmed there is a timeline for season two.
The Acolyte will have a two-episode premiere on June 4 on Disney+.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
