The Amazing Cast Of Star Wars: The Acolyte Has Been Announced By Disney And Lucasfilm
Following the disappointing end to the Skywalker Saga, the "Star Wars" universe found a new home on Disney+. Heralded by franchise legends Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, "Star Wars" quickly hit its stride on the streaming service, with releases of "The Mandalorian," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Subsequent premieres of "Andor" and numerous animated shows only cemented the franchise's spot on Disney+, and the release of "The Mandalorian" Season 3 will undoubtedly add to its success.
One highly-anticipated future "Star Wars" project is "The Acolyte." Lucasfilm first announced the series as part of their May the Fourth celebrations in 2020, with "Russian Doll" writer Leslye Headland on board for development. Later that same year, at Disney's Investor Day, Lucasfilm further expanded on the project, revealing the show's title and that it would focus on the Dark Side of the Force during the final days of the High Republic.
The premise of "The Acolyte" intrigued "Star Wars" fans, exploring a setting that the movies haven't touched on before — the High Republic Era. During this period in "Star Wars" history, the Jedi were at the height of their power, holding peace throughout the galaxy. "The Acolyte" will dive deep into the rise of the Dark Side, marking the end of the High Republic.
"Star Wars" fans have patiently waited for more news regarding "The Acolyte," but given the state of production during the pandemic, Lucasfilm put any new announcements on the back burner. In 2022, Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-Jae joined the show, and now fans know who will join them.
The Acolyte cast is absolutely stacked
Production on "The Acolyte" has officially started, and to celebrate, Disney and Lucasfilm have revealed the cast of the highly-anticipated show.
Disney+ announced the cast on Twitter. Joining Amandla Stenberg ("Hunger Games") and Lee Jung-Jae ("Squid Game") are Manny Jacinto ("The Good Place"), Dafne Keen ("Logan"), Jodie Turner-Smith ("Queen & Slim"), Rebecca Henderson ("Inventing Anna"), Charlie Barnett ("Russian Doll"), Dean-Charles Chapman ("1917"), and Carrie-Anne Moss ("The Matrix"). Lucasfilm did not include any character information for the cast, but Stenberg and Jung-Jae will play the lead roles. "The Acolyte" has officially started production in the United Kingdom, with Leslye Headland serving as creator, showrunner, and executive producer.
Lucasfilm also released further plot details for "The Acolyte," saying, "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. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated."
"The Acolyte" is gearing up to be an incredibly exciting "Star Wars" project, and it looks like it's in great hands with Headland. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy told Vanity Fair that the showrunner is a massive "Star Wars" fan who's read an unbelievable amount of Expanded Universe content, which she will bring to "The Acolyte." As of now, the series does not have a release date, but signs point towards a 2024 premiere on Disney+.