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Star Wars: The Acolyte has officially entered production and some big names have been added to its impressive cast.
Revealed in a press release, Lucasfilm has confirmed that the next big Star Wars TV show has started filming. The Disney subsidiary also confirmed which actors will be joining lead actor Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), who joined the project in December 2021.
Among the household names to join the cast of The Acolyte, the most notable are Lee Jung-Jae (Squid Game Season 2), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections), and Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials). Jung-Jae was photographed, along with Stenberg, listening to showrunner Leslye Headland in the first behind-the-scenes image of the show’s production, which you can watch above (and in the tweet below):
Production has begun on ‘The Acolyte’, an upcoming Original Star Wars series from Lucasfilm coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/g6apnGXSmrNov 7, 2022
Here’s a quick rundown of the other actors who have joined the cast of The Acolyte:
There is no word on the character identities of this acting contingent, including Stenberg. However, thanks to an article posted on StarWars.com (opens in new tab)we have an idea of what the story of The Acolyte is all about.
“The Acolyte is a mystery thriller that takes viewers to a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark forces in the final days of the High Republic era,” the article reads. “A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they face are more sinister than they ever imagined.”
For those unfamiliar with the High Republic era, it’s a period in the Star Wars universe where the Jedi Order was at its peak. It is a historical era that lasted for centuries, with this particular age ending around the year 82 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and predating the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. If you want to learn more about the Star Wars timeline, you can read our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.
Headland (Russian Doll, Heathers) is the creator and executive producer of The Acolyte and will direct the show’s pilot episode. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, as well as Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and James Micaleff also executive produce the Disney Plus series.
The Acolyte doesn’t have a release date, but is expected to hit Disney Plus sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.
Analysis: Expanding the Star Wars Mythos
The Acolyte has the potential to become one of the best Disney Plus shows out there. Well, at least from a Star Wars perspective.
How so? Set in the era of the High Republic, it will explore an oft-overlooked period in the history of the epic sci-fi franchise that, as we explained before, sees the Jedi Order at the height of their powers. sees.
Most Star Wars movies and TV shows, such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor, are set in and around the three main film trilogies. The Acolyte will be a clear departure from that formula, choosing instead to explore a period in history when the Sith were not at their strongest and the Jedi were famous (not to mention loved) across the galaxy.
The era of the High Republic is starting to make its way into the public mind lately. In 2018, Lucasfilm announced a new multimedia project, tentatively titled Luminous, which grew into a multi-faceted series about The High Republic. A plethora of comic books, novels, web series, and audiobooks have been released in the past two years, detailing this period in Star Wars history.
The Acolyte, as well as the Quantic Dream-developed Star Wars: Eclipse game, will also introduce The High Republic to their respective live-action and video game media, expanding this era’s reach across the iconic history of Star Wars. After decades of playing it safe and building projects around its legendary film franchise, Lucasfilm is finally taking a bold, bold step into the unknown with productions like The Acolyte – and it will be a much richer series.
For more Star Wars-based content, read all about every new Star Wars TV show and movie. Or find out why we think it’s great news that Andor doesn’t feel like a typical Star Wars TV series.