As the Star Wars franchise creeps toward its next phase, The Acolyte will harken back to the last big trilogy to hit theaters, specifically Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi.
The Acolyte will take place towards the end of the High Republic era - hundreds of years after the fall of the Old Republic and about one hundred years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Created by Leslye Headland and starring Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae, Star Wars: The Acolyte will follow two Jedi as they investigate a series of crimes leading to a shocking and sinister discovery. Although a release date has yet to be announced, production for the eight-episode series is well underway.
Recently, Headland revealed new details about the show. Speaking with Steve Weintraub of Collider, Headland compared The Acolyte to Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Headland discussed her thoughts about exploring the fallibility of the Jedi Order, saying, "I think it’s difficult to do a show that is critical in any way of the Jedi. And I think that you saw that with [Rian Johnson’s] film. Do you know what I mean? Like, I think that, especially in that moment, people were very nervous about saying this particular institution may not be the light and perfect, stunning group of heroes that are totally nobly intentioned. And one thing that I think Dave would say is that they are fallible. That's really the story that George told with the prequels, right? The fall of this particular group."
While his exploration of the more problematic sides of the Jedi Order inspired some of the most fervent backlash, it wasn't the only element of the movie fans took issue with. Some criticized the movie's sillier moments, as they felt the moments were totally out of place in the movie. Others specifically disagreed with Johnson's decision to make Luke Skywalker bitter and disenchanted with the ways of the Jedi - which seemingly found its foundation in George Lucas' ideas for his own Star Wars sequel trilogy. The art book for The Last Jedi featured Lucas' ideas - many of which Johnson used as inspiration for the movie. So, while presenting the Jedi as imperfect may not always be popular among fans, it's something Lucas thinks is important to the franchise.
Although it's far too early to gauge how fans will react to The Acolyte, there's plenty of reason to believe it will be received well. The franchise's television shows have received praise from fans and critics, with even the weaker entries like The Book of Boba Fett still garnering praise. In contrast, the movies have gotten mixed reviews. It may be that an eight-episode series will be able to explore the imperfections of the Jedi Order better than a two-hour movie. However the series lands among fans, it will be exciting to see a new part of the Star Wars timeline explored.
The Acolyte will premiere in 2024 on Disney Plus.
Source: Collider