Star Wars: The Acolyte will show how the Sith infiltrate the Jedi order
Exclusive: ‘It’s a story that’s never been done before’
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The Acolyte will takeStar Warsfans on a journey that’s “never been done before”, according to one of its stars.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar during a junket forHis Dark Materials season 3, Dafne Keen teased that the forthcoming TV show – one of manynew Star Wars TV shows and moviesin development – will be unlike anything fans have seen from Lucasfilm’s legendary sci-fi franchise.
Given the secrecy around theDisney Plusshow, Keen, who wasrecently revealed as part of The Acolyte’s all-star cast, was hesitant to give too much away. However, the former Logan actor teased some bits about what fans can expect from The Acolyte, including a tiny but important piece of information about its plot.
“I can tease that it’s a prequel!” Keen joked when asked what she could say about The Acolyte. “No, I mean, as you know, it’s set 100 years before the prequel movies, and it’s kind of an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi. It’s a Sith-led story, which has never been done before.
“It’s been really fun to film – the cast is amazing, and the director and crew are just lovely. The whole experience is wonderful, and I’m already excited for people to see it.”
Production has begun on “The Acolyte,” an upcoming Original Star Wars series from Lucasfilm coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/g6apnGXSmrNovember 7, 2022
As Keen says, Star Wars: The Acolyte is set a century before the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The series, which began filming in late October, takes place during the High Republic era, a time when the Galactic Republic and the Jedi order were at the height of their powers.
However, not all is as it seems. The show’s plot synopsis – as revealed onStarWars.com– confirms that evil forces are stirring somewhere in the galaxy, and it’s these events, which play out in The Acolyte, that eventually lead to the Jedi and Galactic Republic’s downfall in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. As such, The Acolyte will be fullycanonin the Star Wars universe when it launches on Disney Plus.
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“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,” the story synopsis reads. “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.”
Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies) will be the series' primary protagonist, with the former Hunger Games starbeing cast as the show’s lead actor in December 2021. There’s no word on who Stenberg is playing, but it’s likely to be the former Padawan that the plot synopsis mentions.
Stenberg is joined by a number of recognizable stars in the show. As well as Keen, Lee Jung-Jae (Squid Game season 2), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), Jodie Turner-Smith (Without Remorse), and Manny Jacinto (Top Gun: Maverick) have been cast in supporting roles. Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) is on writing, directing, and executive-producing duties, while Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is among the show’s other executive producers.
Star Wars: The Acolyte will comprise eight episodes upon release, though it’s unclear when it’ll land on Disney Plus – and there’s a good chance that it’ll find its way onto our list of thebest Disney Plus showswhen it does launch.
For more Star Wars content, find outhow to watch the Star Wars movies in order. Alternatively, read our spoiler-freeAndor review, check out our hub onThe Mandalorian season 3, or learnhow Obi-Wan’s solo TV series redeems Star Wars' prequel film trilogy.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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