Highlights
- The upcoming Star Wars series, The Acolyte, has a budget of $49.2 million, surpassing Rogue One by $5.5 million, showcasing Disney's investment in the show's pre-production.
- During production, The Acolyte was codenamed Blue Stockings, which cleverly references Blue Harvest, the codename used for Return of the Jedi. This nod to the past also aligns with the show's feminist outlook and the showrunner's queer identity.
- The Acolyte is set to bring a refreshing change of pace to the Star Wars franchise with a diverse cast and a Sith-led story set in the High Republic era. The show aims to create inclusive representation for viewers, set to premiere in 2024 on Disney+.
New Star Wars: The Acolyte info trickled its way onto the information swamp of the internet. Among the tidbits is a confirmation of how much the show cost to make. But in addition, it also appears to share a delightfully obscure connection with the original Star Wars trilogy.
It was recently revealed that The Acolyte is inspired by unexpected areas such as the divisive Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is one way it's been setting itself apart from its peers. Another way it's doing that is via its budget, with Disney now revealed to have spent $49.2 million on the Star Wars show's pre-production. While not the highest in the franchise, it beats out the beloved film Rogue One by $5.5 million. No small feat when comparing a streaming series to a blockbuster film. But it's only one of several ways The Acolyte is outside the box.
In a recent report from Forbes, along with details like the budget, it was revealed that The Acolyte's codename during production is Blue Stockings. Some films use codenames to avoid drawing attention from fans during production, and it appears this one is no different. In this case, many long-time Star Wars devotees will likely immediately latch onto half of the name as it shares a rather clever similarity with Blue Harvest, the one used during the production of Return of the Jedi back in the day. It's certainly a nice little nod to the past, but there's more to it.
The Blue Stockings were a women-led group in the 18th century that focused on education and literature, flying against the rules of the time that informally (and often formally) forbade women from academic pursuits. This seems to drive home the series' feminist outlook, which is no accident. The Acolyte is also set to reflect the showrunner's own queer identity, as confirmed by creator Leslye Headland since early in production. So the codename seemingly serves a double purpose, nodding to returning fans while showing newcomers that all are welcome.
This isn't the first time in recent memory that this classic Star Wars codename has come back into play in creative ways. Family Guy famously titled one of its Star Wars parodies Blue Harvest, and it's been in the fandom's lexicon since its original use. However, this may be among the slickest references to the codename, tying the original into a classic feminist movement to subtly tie the show's inclusivity beyond typical straight, white characters to the franchise's history. The Acolyte appears to have a richly diverse cast, including series star Amandla Stenberg, Logan's Dafne Keen, The Good Place's Manny Jacinto, and Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae, among many others.
Those are only a few of the many new characters expected to appear in The Acolyte. Between them and The Acolyte's reported Sith-led story featuring mystery and intrigue in Star Wars' High Republic era, there will be a refreshing change of pace in the franchise when the premiere finally arrives. Everybody deserves to see themselves in the media they love, and The Acolyte appears ready to make that a reality for many viewers.
The Acolyte is set to premiere in 2024 on Disney Plus.
Source: Forbes