In a galaxy far, far away, a new chapter in the Star Wars saga is about to unfold. The Acolyte, an upcoming television series created by Leslye Headland, is set to premiere on Disney+ on June 4, 2024. The eight-episode series takes place at the end of the High Republic era, approximately 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
The series follows a former Padawan, Mae (Amandla Stenberg), who reunites with her Jedi Master, Sol (Lee Jung-jae), to investigate a series of crimes. As they delve deeper into the mystery, they confront forces more sinister than they ever anticipated, uncovering shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers.
Headland, a self-proclaimed Star Wars fan, expressed interest in working on the franchise as early as 2019. By April 2020, she was developing a new series for Lucasfilm, which was confirmed on Star Wars Day, May 4, 2020. The series title was announced in December, and filming began in October 2022, wrapping up in early June 2023.
The Acolyte boasts an impressive cast, including Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, Margarita Levieva, Joonas Suotamo, and Amy Tsang. Suotamo, who portrays Kelnacca, a Wookiee Jedi master, is no stranger to the Star Wars universe, having previously portrayed Chewbacca in the sequel trilogy films and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
This isn’t about good or bad. It’s about power, and who is allowed to use it.
The series is co-developed by Lucasfilm executive Rayne Roberts and Headland, who drew inspiration from the games and novels of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Alex Garcia Lopez, Kogonada, and Hanelle Culpepper have been hired to direct episodes of the series.
The Acolyte feels like a welcome spring breeze in the increasingly complex Star Wars saga. We applaud the increasing reference to the mystical properties of the Force, leading us further and further from the Midichlorian disaster that was introduced into the timeline in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. From the looks of The Acolyte, we still have a lot to look forward to.
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