While some may be experiencing a bit of Star Wars fatigue lately, it's difficult to deny how easy it can be for many to keep getting excited for every new project that comes along. Turns out, Star Wars: The Acolyte lead Amandla Stenberg is among those excited fans.
It's easy to forget that a number of the actors and creators taking part in these Star Wars projects are among those same diehard fans. There's a reason The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni is idolized by Star Wars fans, after all. So it should come as little surprise that this practice of bringing fans into the fold is still in vogue for other upcoming shows. It's even gotten to the point where at least one talented diehard was in the running before they even auditioned.
Last month, news broke that Stenberg has joined Star Wars: The Acolyte in the series lead role. As exciting as the prospect is for those looking forward to watching the show, it turns out that Stenberg is arguably more excited. They recently spoke with The Face magazine about the upcoming series and revealed something surprising about the whole casting experience. "The Lucasfilm team came to me with this project which was fully conceptualized with me in mind," Stenberg said, "and I was astounded."
That's right, it looks like the role was tailor-made for them, at least from a visual standpoint. The studio reportedly designed the character to be played by Stenberg even before approaching them, which would probably streamline some of the costuming process. It may have also helped things along knowing that Stenberg was already a huge Star Wars fan. "I get to read, watch and breathe Star Wars. It's my job to get lost in it, I'm so lucky," they said about their excitement for the unexpected casting. "My plans were interrupted by a very different life path, but one that I think is going to be a huge blessing."
Stenberg, who uses she/her and they/them pronouns, is perhaps best known for their breakout role in The Hunger Games as Rue (yep, that's how long it's been. Welcome to being old.) In the years since, they have also cultivated a respectable career with a short stint on Fox's Sleepy Hollow as well as the lead role of Starr in 2018's The Hate U Give. Aside from their acting career, they've spent a lot of time championing the rights of LGBTQ+ youth. This goes well in line with The Acolyte, which showrunner Leslye Headland has said will reflect her own queer identity.
There is still a significant void of knowledge regarding The Acolyte, other than that it will be set in the High Republic era of Star Wars lore, long before even the prequel trilogy. So here's hoping more info will be revealed soon. It will be exciting to see who Stenberg's character ends up being.
Star Wars: The Acolyte is expected to release sometime in 2023 on Disney Plus.
Source: The Face