There are a lot of promising upcoming Star Wars movies and shows on the way, and at the top of that list is The Acolyte. The long-in-the-works streaming series, which debuts in the very near future, will take audiences back farther than ever before on the franchise’s timeline, and introduce characters we’ve never met and only heard about in the past.
But before the show debuts and gives the world another reason why Disney+ is one of the best streaming services around, we are going to stop and take a look at everything we know so far. From its release date to its cast to how the series plans to outdo one of the most iconic scenes in any Star Wars movie to so much more, here’s everything we know about The Acolyte.
What Is The Acolyte Premiere Date?
There isn’t all that long to wait until The Acolyte joins the list of great Disney+ original shows, as the new Star Wars series is set to premiere on Tuesday, June 4th. Before you know it, we’ll be starting a story set a long time ago (more so than the franchise’s other titles) in a galaxy far, far away.
How To Watch The Acolyte
When The Acolyte premieres on June 4th, everyone with a Disney+ subscription will be able to watch the first two episodes, according to StarWars.com. After that, new episodes will drop weekly. This release model has essentially become the standard for Disney+’s Star Wars shows in recent years, as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and have all premiered at least the first two episodes of their respective seasons at the same time.
Stream The Acolyte on Disney+ starting June 4th.
The Acolyte Trailer Teases The Fight Between Good And Evil, And An Epic Lightsaber Battle
After years of hearing about the show and getting pumped up for a new adventure in the galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars YouTube channel finally released The Acolyte trailer in March 2024, and it was awesome. Clocking in at little under two minutes, the trailer goes into great detail about the Jedi, Sith, and everyone who falls in between as it teases a showdown between the forces of good and evil:
But the best parts of the trailer come in the final moments when we get to see the beginning of an epic lightsaber battle between a group of Jedi and a lone figure. After watching the clip, which cuts out just before the fight gets underway, it’s hard not to be excited for what’s to come.
Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae And Manny Jacinto Lead The Acolyte Cast
The Disney+ Star Wars shows have done a great job of bringing together large groups of talented actors so far, and that trend will seemingly continue with The Acolyte cast, which is led by Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, and Manny Jacinto. Let’s take a look at everyone who’s set to appear on the upcoming show.
Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland Is The Acoltlye’s Showrunner
Amandla Stenberg, who has been on the rise as of late with strong performances in The Hate You Give, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, will lead The Acolyte as former Padawan learner who has taken her own path that differs from that of the Jedi Order.
Lee Jung-jae as Sol
Lee Jung-jae will take on the role of Master Sol, a powerful, respected, and wise Jedi Master investigating a series of crimes in the High Republic. Lee, who is best known for his portrayal of Seong Gi-hun on Squid Game, has dozens of credits to his name in his native Korea.
Manny Jacinto as Qimir
Qimir, a smuggler-turned-trader with a certain knack for obtaining strange and unusual objects, will be played by Manny Jacinto. Between his time on The Good Place and his appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, Jacinto has done a little bit of everything in the past few years.
Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon
Dafne Keen will show up on The Acolyte as Jecki Lon, Master Sol’s Padawan apprentice who accompanies the Jedi Master on his investigation and subsequent adventures. Best known for her portrayal of Laura / X-23 in Logan, Keen also had a major role on His Dark Materials.
Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar
Taking on the role of Yord Fandar is Charlie Barnett, who will be portraying the young Jedi Knight and Jedi temple guardian. A staple of Chicago Fire during the show’s earlier seasons, Barnett has gone on to appear on Arrow, You, and most recently, Ordinary Joe.
Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya
Jodie Turner-Smith will show up as Mother Aniseya, the leader of a coven of witches when The Acolyte premieres. The star of After Yang and Queen & Slim, Turner-Smith has built up a strong filmography for herself in the past decade.
Carrie-Anne Moss (Indara)
Carrie-Anne Moss will take on the role of Indara, a powerful and wise Jedi Master whose mental abilities are just as strong as her physical traits, if not stronger. Moss, best known for her portrayal of Trinity in The Matrix movies, has recently appeared on shows like Wisting and Tell Me a Story.
The Acolyte Will Follow A Young Padawan As She Teams With Her Jedi Master To Investigate A Series Of Crimes
Set approximately 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, according to Vanity Fair, The Acolyte will follow a Jedi Master and his young Padawan as they investigate a series of crimes that may or may not have been committed by one of his former students.
Fans who have long wished for a Star Wars show to take place outside of the Skywalker Saga are in for quite a treat when The Acolyte premieres unless it introduces some distant ancestor we’ve never met before.
Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland Is The Acoltlye’s Showrunner
The creator of another awesome show is going to be heading the team for The Acolyte. In April 2020, Variety revealed that Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland had been tapped to work on this new show, and is set to bring it to life. In addition to being the creative force behind the show, Headland also directed the first two episodes of the series. Other episodes were helmed by After Yang directed by Kogonada, Alex Garcia Lopez, and Hanelle Culpepper, according to Slash Film.
The Thriller Is Influenced By Martial Arts Films
If you’re a fan of martial arts movies or maybe Bruce Lee films, and also happen to enjoy the Star Wars universe, then The Acolyte might be for you. During a panel at the April 2023 Star Wars Celebration, Leslye Headland revealed (via Variety) that she initially pitched the series as “Frozen meets Kill Bill” in the sense that it will show the perspective of the bad guys.
This is similar to previous statements made by Headland during a Vanity Fair interview where she noted that the show was influenced more by old martial arts films than samurai classics that inspired George Lucas decades earlier, saying she wanted to go in a little bit of a different direction than other Star Wars show creators:
Jon Favreau said that when you're working in this world, you want to go back to what George was inspired by. There were Westerns and then of course, Akira Kurosawa samurai films, and the fact that he originally offered Obi-Wan Kenobi to Toshiro Mifune…so I actually went more toward martial arts films, and storylines that are a little bit more personal and less global and galactic. Those warriors were on missions that were deeply personal, with people feeling wronged and having to make it right. Wuxia Films and martial arts films from King Hu and the Shaw Brothers, like Come Drink With Me and Touch Of Zen. They're monks that are also martial arts heroes.
As you hear more about this show, you can’t help but wonder exactly how cool it is going to be. A Star Wars show that is based on martial arts movies and has a thrilling mystery behind it? Sign me up.
The Acolyte Cast Aims To Top The ‘Duel Of The Fates’ Lightsaber Fight
Though the Star Wars prequel trilogy receives a lot of criticism, and rightfully so, there’s no denying that George Lucas’ return to the galaxy far, far away, gave audiences one of the most iconic movie moments of the 20th century with the epic “Duel of the Fates” lightsaber duel. During an interview with EW, Dafne Keen opened up about the cast and crew wanting to not only match the intensity and artistry of the epic fight from The Phantom Menace, but they wanted to top it, saying.
It was very much: We want to top the Darth Maul fight — the most iconic fight, I think, in the Star Wars cinematic universe. It's such an amazing fight and we were all so excited about the saber fights. There's such a skill and a craft to it that it feels so OG Star Wars and feels so impressive when you see it as a viewer.
We’ll have to wait and see if The Acolyte can accomplish that feat and outdo what is often considered one of the best duels in the Star Wars universe and cinema in general. But hearing of the cast’s desire to make something iconic is very, very exciting.
What Is The Acolyte’s TV Rating?
Like a lot of the Star Wars shows that came before it, it appears that The Acolyte will have a darker tone and more violence than George Lucas’ original trilogy. That being said, the show has a TV-14 rating (the TV equivalent of a PG-13 film rating), as pointed out on its Disney+ listing page.
How Many Episodes Will There Been In The Acolyte Season 1?
The Disney+ Star Wars shows have had seasons with anywhere from six to eight episodes apiece, and The Acolyte appears to be on the longer side of the spectrum. Disney announced in March 2024 that The Acolyte Season 1 would consist of eight episodes, which will be released weekly after the show’s two-part premiere on June 4th.
Before you know it, we’ll be going back to the High Republic era with The Acolyte and its impressive cast. But until then, now would be a good time to take a look at the 2024 TV schedule to see what else is coming to Disney+ and other streamers in the weeks and months to come.
