Lucasfilm has taken its share of shots for the sheer amount of Star Wars content they’re putting out. However, it’s likely in response to it that a show like The Acolyte can exist, because nobody can complain that it’s been done before. The series by Leslye Headland takes place during the High Republic, the era between The Old Republic and about 100 years before events in The Phantom Menace. This is a golden age for the Jedi when they are at the height of their power and influence.
It is perhaps the most intriguing Star Wars show lurking around the corner, because so much mystery still surrounds it. Some of that was cleared up today at Star Wars Celebration, where brief footage was shown to the attending audience.
We know the series will be seen from the perspective of the Dark Side, who are at their weakest point. Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) stars as a former Padewan who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes. The emergence of the Sith, the dark Jedi who become the scourge of the galaxy, is said to be a key plot point in the story.
Here’s how Variety described the footage shown:
“The footage, shared only at the Celebration as the show is still filming, included shots of a Jedi temple, Moss in a fight with Stenberg that recalled the former’s “Matrix” performance, a gold lightsaber, and a pivotal shot at the end with a group of Jedis lighting up their sabers in unison.”
The cast also includes Lee Jung-Jae (Squid Game), Dafne Keen (Logan), Jodie Turner-Smith (White Noise), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Rebecca Henderson (Werewolves Within), Manny Jacinto (Top Gun: Maverick), Charliet Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), and Margarita Leveiva (Adventureland).
It was also revealed that Joonas Suotamo, who played Chewbacca in Solo: A Star Wars Story, will return as a Wookie Jedi, which is already incredibly cool.
The Acolyte runs for eight episodes and will hit Disney+ in 2024.