Disney confirmed that production has started on the new Star Wars spin-off series, The Acolyte.
Star Wars fans once had to wait decades for a new chapter in the saga, but now it seems there’s a conveyor belt of spin-off movies, TV series and video games.
However, The Acolyte looks set to offer something fresh. While several other series have retconned canon and placed themselves between films, this series will be set centuries before events of the prequel trilogy. That makes it the earliest period of Star Wars lore ever to make it to screens.
Here’s all you need to know about the spin-off series.
When is The Acolyte released?
Production kicked off in November 2022, so there is still a while to wait until The Acolyte arrives on screens.
Expect it on Disney+ in very late 2023 or early 2024.
What is the series about?
The Acolyte is described as being a mystery-thriller that will ‘take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era’.
The series will follow a former Padawan – a student Jedi – who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes. They are soon confronted by forces more sinister than they ever expected, which almost certainly will be the Sith, with the film set centuries before events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
An ‘acolyte’ is defined as ‘a follower’, often in relation to worship and religion, so it’s easy to see how that could connect to a conflicted padawan potentially turning to evil.
Production has begun on “The Acolyte,” an upcoming Original Star Wars series from Lucasfilm coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/g6apnGXSmr
— Star Wars | Andor & Tales of the Jedi On Disney+ (@starwars) November 7, 2022
When is The Acolyte set in the Star Wars timeline?
It will take place during the High Republic era, roughly 300 years prior to events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
The High Republic saw the Jedi Order at its prime, with the Republic relying on the Jedi to keep the peace throughout the galaxy using mostly non-offensive methods.
Who is in the cast of The Acolyte?
The cast of The Acolyte has now been confirmed and it’s got some big names attached.
It had previously been announced that Amandla Stenberg will take on the lead role.
While their roles are all undisclosed for now, we do know that The Acolyte cast also includes The Matrix star Carrie-Anne Moss, 1917’s Dean-Charles Chapman, The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto, His Dark Materials’ Dafne Keen, Queen & Slim’s Jodie Turner-Smith, and Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae.
Russian Doll co-stars Rebecca Henderson and Charlie Barnett will also appear in the spin-off series.