‘The Acolyte’: Leslye Headland Explains The Difficulty Of Making “A ‘Star Wars’ With No War In It”

What would a “Star Wars” film or TV show look like if everything was peaceful and there was no actual war to speak of? That’s the question that apparently caused quite a bit of discussion during the development of the upcoming “Star Wars” series, “The Acolyte.” 

In a new interview with EW, showrunner Leslye Headland explained how “The Acolyte” fits in the grand timeline of “Star Wars” stories. Set in what is called The High Republic era, the series is situated in a time when the Jedi are omnipresent and the dominating force in the galaxy. That means there isn’t a huge Empire of bad guys. The Jedi have brought peace to the galaxy. That would make for a pretty boring show, right? Well, no. It just meant Headland would have to get creative.

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“‘The Acolyte’ stands out because it is the earliest in the ‘Star Wars’ timeline that we have ever been in live-action,” Headland explained. “We are toward the end of the High Republic, leading into George’s prequels, so we are looking at a time period where the Jedi are at the height of their power.”

The showrunner added, “We’re looking at a time period where there is peace throughout the galaxy. It was very challenging and interesting to make a ‘Star Wars’ with no war in it. So the question became, ‘Well, what should the show be about if it’s not going to be about galactic conflict?’”

The answer to that question was quite simple—focus on the villains. You see, in “The Acolyte,” the villains are the underdogs and serve as the POV of the story.

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“I think that what makes this show different and interesting is that it’s from the perspective of the villains of ‘Star Wars,’” Headland said. “These are people who are using the Force in their own way, dipping into the darker sides of the Force and are doing it without being sanctioned by the larger institution, which, in this case, is the Jedi.”

Honestly, with everything Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are doing with “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka,” as well as whatever is in development, it’s nice to know “The Acolyte” is going to offer something unique in the world of “Star Wars.” Whether or not a “Star Wars” series can exist without a major war remains to be seen.

“The Acolyte” is expected to arrive on Disney+ in 2024.