We’re finally exploring new eras on the Star Wars timeline. On Monday, Lucasfilm announced that its Disney+ series The Acolyte will premiere on June 4, 2024. Unlike other live-action Star Wars shows, this one is set in the High Republic era, which occurred prior to the events of the prequel trilogy. In addition to the release date, Lucasfilm also shared a poster for The Acolyte, which hints at a much darker tone than the Mandoverse shows.
We will also get our first official trailer tomorrow, so be on the lookout for that.
“In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg),” reads the description of the show from Lucasfilm. “As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems…”
Based on the poster and the synopsis, it certainly looks like the tone of The Acolyte will be more similar to Andor than The Mandalorian or Ahsoka. Leslye Headland, creator and showrunner of The Acolyte, is best known for Netflix’s Russian Doll, which successfully balanced humor and levity with an increasingly dark and mysterious plot.
In addition to stars Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) and Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), the cast features Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dean-Charles Chapman, Rebecca Henderson, and Joonas Suotamo.
This will be the first time we’ve ever seen The High Republic portrayed in live action. If you want to learn more about this era, there’s a helpful manual on StarWars.com, but the gist is that these stories take place around 150 to 300 years before Anakin Skywalker was born. The Jedi Order was strong and esteemed, and the Galactic Republic reigned supreme.
The Acolyte happens to take place at the tail end of this era, so we’ll get a hint of what the galaxy far, far away was like when Jedi were plentiful. If the series is a success, I have a feeling we’ll backtrack further to see more of The High Republic in future shows and movies.
