Star Wars: The Acolyte was actually announced back in December of 2020, but details about the project remained sparse for quite a while. Most of what was known about The Acolyte was that it is set in the newly-established High Republic era, which ends about a hundred years prior to the original trilogy, with the birth of Darth Sidious himself, Sheev Palpatine. The series is also set to explore the shadowy workings of the Sith, who were underground and in hiding during this period of time, and now Deadline has just announced the second of two confirmed cast members.
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Jodie Turner-Smith’s casting is a mystery, but back in July, it was confirmed that Amandla Stenberg would be starring as the lead on the project. But even Stenberg’s character is being kept under lock and key, with the character’s very name remaining a mystery. Disney has remained reticent about The Acolyte, perhaps as a bit of meta-marketing, given the notoriously secretive nature of the Sith. Production on the series is expected to begin in London in late fall 2022.
It is known that Disney appears committed to portraying marginalized communities in this project, both in front and behind the screen. Stenberg is nonbinary, using “she” and “they” pronouns, and has come out publicly as gay. LGBTQ+ filmmaker and Loki director Kate Herron is also rumored to be directing over the course of the project, while showrunner Leslye Headland has previously gone on record as saying her own personal experience as a lesbian will shine through in The Acolyte.
The Acolyte provides some interesting possibilities in terms of storytelling. While the old expanded universe delved into the inner workings of the Sith and even focused a novel on Darth Sidious and his master, Darth Plagueis, the current Disney era has yet to produce a live-action project centred on Dark Side characters at all. Undoubtedly, the show will introduce some new lore (and probably re-canonize some old stories and myths as well), which is a tantalizing prospect. There will probably be connections with the Skywalker Saga - a hundred years is a blip of time in the Galaxy far, far away, after all.
And the show’s commitment to representation is a worthy endeavor as well. Disney and Star Wars have previously been criticized for their lack of LGBT+ representation on screen. A background kiss between two women was included in The Rise of Skywalker, but it was very brief, hard to spot, and was cut in foreign markets. Hopefully, this show gives the company a chance to rectify its past, which has overlooked a community that strongly supports the Disney brand.
Star Wars: The Acolyte will likely premiere on Disney Plus at some point in 2023 or 2024.
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Source: Deadline
