Star Wars intriguing The Acolyte series, which is said to delve deeper into the world of the Sith, always had its eyes set on The Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg for the lead role of the Disney+ show. Stenberg famously played the very important role of Rue in the first The Hunger Games movie. At just 13 years of age, Stenberg gave an emotional performance as the tragic young character, with Rue's shocking death setting up the future rebellion of the Districts through Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen. Now, Stenberg is set to join another major franchise as the lead character of The Acolyte.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stenberg confirmed that Star Wars' The Acolyte was created around her decision to star in the series. The High Republic-set The Acolyte series produced concept art with Stenberg as its main character before even approaching the actress, showing the faith the crew over at Lucasfilm had in Stenberg's acting skills. When asked if it was true that The Acolyte team had conceived the series with specifically Stenberg in mind, the actress confirmed it, saying "Yeah, that is how it happened. It was a very astounding moment for me."
Everything We Know About The Acolyte
The Acolyte began shooting on October 2022, and the production's still ongoing, as main star Stenberg could not be present at the Sundance premiere of her latest film, My Animal, due to her commitment to the Star Wars series. While there is currently no set date for The Acolyte to be released, there is precedent through the other Star Wars Disney+ shows to approximate when audiences could expect the new series to drop. Given its October 2022 production start, and how Star Wars shows usually take around one year to be released, The Acolyte could either arrive in late 2023 or early 2024.
A push to 2024 would not be surprising for The Acolyte, as three other live-action Star War shows are set to be released in 2023. The flagship Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian releases season 3 on March 1. The Mandalorian will be followed by Ahsoka, reportedly in the Spring, and the Jude-Law starring Skeleton Crew at some point in 2023. Even though 2023 will bring many Star Wars series, Sith-focused The Acolyte stands apart due to its subject matter.
In November, The Acolyte actress Dafne Keen (Logan) revealed in an interview that the series is "kind of an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi. It's a Sith-led story, which has never been done before." That statement reveals that the series is approaching how the High Republic fell to the Sith. The series has been described as a mystery-thriller, with The Acolyte being more akin to the universally beloved spy series Andor, than a more classic Star Wars adventure like Obi-Wan Kenobi. A former Padawan reuniting with her Jedi Master to investigate a string of crimes that expose the Galaxy's dark corners is what The Acolyte promises to deliver, whenever the series' eight episodes premiere.
Source: THR