Last year, we made the woeful mistake of underestimating Andor, Tony Gilroy’s Rogue One prequel series that went on to nab series star Diego Luna a Golden Globe nomination. With respect to that, it’s perhaps in our best interest to not do the same with The Acolyte, an upcoming Star Wars mystery thriller series that Lucasfilm has been anything but shy about championing.
Set during the end of the High Republic era, The Acolyte stars Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies) as a yet-unnamed former padawan who, alongside her former Jedi Master played by Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), seeks to solve a string of mysterious crimes as a darkness begins to loom over the galaxy.
Once described as “Frozen meets Kill Bill,” we seem to have gotten all the hype we need even for the many months we’ll have to wait before the show’s debut, but the cast of The Acolyte are determined to keep our appetites whetted as much as possible until then.
In a group interview with Screen Rant, the cast was all too happy to explain how The Acolyte sets itself apart from the Star Wars mythos like never before, with Dean-Charles Chapman assuring us that the series will bring with it a brand new tonal shift; a safe bet considering the previously-mentioned description we got the other day.
“It’s an original story to start off with. So, it’s a story that’s never been shown before. I’d say the tone exists in its own world. Yeah, tonally, I feel like it’s going to be different.”
Manny Jacinto (A Good Place) offered a tease on where those Kill Bill comparisons came from, noting that the physicality and fight choreography of the series, which will heavily involve martial arts, is no small component of The Acolyte.
“It’s that action. The guys that have done our action are on another level, and it’s something that I feel like we’ve kind of been missing out on in the Star Wars universe. It’s how Leslye described it; that Kill Bill aspect of it. It’s as raw as we can go, considering it’s Disney, but it’s the physicality of things. We’re hopefully gonna take it to the next level.”
And Jodie Turner-Smith was all too happy to simply heap praise on Stenberg, who alone sounds to be bringing something extra special to the Star Wars universe.
“We have a Black lead, and that alone is so groundbreaking and amazing and encouraging and exciting as a fan. To have someone as talented as Amandla? As an actor, that was very exciting. She was what made me want to sign up for it, because I respect her so much as an actor. She’s so talented, and you guys have no idea what’s coming.”
Indeed, it sounds like The Acolyte has more than enough goodies in its arsenal to warrant the hype that it’s been receiving. We may not get to indulge ourselves for a while yet, but if Disney can keep these delectably insightful teasers coming until that sweet release date, such is a day we’ll happily wait for.
The Acolyte will release to Disney Plus sometime in 2024.
