In an age of light, a darkness rises, and finally. Lucasfilm is pretty guarded about its secret, arguably even cagier than Marvel. Take “The Acolyte,” series from writer/director Leslye Headland (“Russian Doll”). Announced in 2020, while it, granted, only went into production in 2022, it’s been four years, and all we’ve ever seen is one behind-the-scenes photo. Today, that finally changes as Lucasfilm has finally pulled back the curtain on their latest “Star Wars” series, revealing a summer release date and the first moody trailer.
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What’s it about? “The Acolyte” is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era (100-odd years before the events of “A New Hope,” making it the earliest “Star Wars” movie or show in existence thus far). The series centers on a former Padawan who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
In those lead roles, the former apprentice and master “The Acolyte” stars Amandla Stenberg (“The Hate U Give”) and Emmy Award-winner Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”).
The series also stars Manny Jacinto (“Nine Perfect Strangers”), Dafne Keen (“Logan,” “His Dark Materials”), Jodie Turner-Smith (“Queen & Slim”), Rebecca Henderson (“Inventing Anna”), Charlie Barnett (“Russian Doll”), Dean-Charles Chapman (“1917”) and Carrie-Anne Moss (“The Matrix”).
Here’s the official synopsis:
“An investigation into a shocking crime spree 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 was created by showrunner, director, and executive producer Leslye Headland, known for “Russian Doll” and raunchy comedies like “Bachelorette” and “Sleeping With Other People.” Executive producers on the project include Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing. Headland, Alex Garcia Lopez (“Cowboy Bebop”), and Kogonada (“After Yang”) direct episodes of the series.
“The Acolyte” debuts on Disney+ on June 4, 2024, with two episodes, the rest to follow each week. Watch the first trailer below.
