Those filling out their Star Wars crosswords will be delighted to hear that the answer to "another seven-letter word for Padawan" isn't just 23-Across. It's also the name of the next Disney+ series in the Star Wars universe. Titled, The Acolyte, the series will continue to tell smaller stories from the expanded canon. All that while placing popular characters (ahem, the Skywalker family) aside.
The eight-episode limited series will send fans further in the past than ever before. (Even though every Star Wars story technically takes place a long, long time ago.) Prequels are all the rage right now. Think of shows like Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, and Lucasfilm's own Andor. So why not get as prequel as Star Wars can get—and enter the era of the High Republic? With a fantastic-looking cast, an intriguing plot, and a new trailer out in the world, here's everything we know about The Acolyte.
The Acolyte will take place approximately 100 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It's entirely new territory for the Star Wars universe. Many of its shows have been set in between the established film trilogies. According to Lucasfilm, the series will be "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 Acolyte will follow a former Padawan who "reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated."
In the first trailer for the series, young Jedi are training during a golden era of harmony in the galaxy. We see a bit of action from Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Master Sol. As well as the obligatory new Star Wars alien who's so cute that you'd kill anyone to defend him. "The further you go back [in Star Wars history], the better things are," Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland said in an interview with Vanity Fair. "'A long time ago' actually becomes more futuristic. So while we are creating this type of world, we're trying to carry George's concept that the further you go back, the more exciting and new and sleek and interesting things look."
The Acolyte's lineup of talent is arguably the most exciting aspect of the series so far. Led by Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), the series will also star Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Jodie Turner-Smith (After Yang), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), and Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials). Joonas Suotamo, the former Finnish basketball player who took over the role of Chewbacca in the latest Star Wars trilogy, will also return as a Wookiee Jedi Master.
The Acolyte will hit Disney+ on 5 June, 2024. The limited series will run for eight episodes. South Korean filmmaker Kogonada (After Yang) will direct. Frequent Jordan Peele collaborator Michael Abels (Us, Nope) will compose the musical score. The Acolyte is part of a new Star Wars strategy for Disney. The company is currently working on a Mandalorian film, Andor season 2, and a new trilogy starring Daisy Ridley.
