‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’ Finds Its Lead With Amandla Stenberg
by Erik Amaya
The upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte finally has its star.
Variety reports The Hunger Games‘ Amandla Stenberg will lead the Disney+ program from executive producer Leslye Headland. Set toward the end of the High Republic era (roughly 50 years before the Skywalker Saga), it will revolve around a growing darkness in the galaxy and a rise in the Dark Side which could destroy the Republic. At the center of it all is a Force-sensitive who sees the attraction to the Dark Side. Well, we’re presuming that based on the title. Also, we’re presuming Stenberg will be that Acolyte. Details about her character are, of course, a closely guarded secret.
The series represents the first live-action break from the period of Galactic Civil War. All of the movies, canon animated programs, and television series produced thus far stick within the human lifetimes of the Battle of Yavin (the climatic event in the first Star Wars film). The fictional history of Star Wars extends much further out into its past and The Acolyte will chart some of that territory. Those of us still faithful to the Old Republic shard of Star Wars lore hope the program’s success may lead to projects set during Darth Revan’s reign of terror.
In the interim, though, it will be interesting to see how The Acolyte develops as program free of most established live action Star Wars characters. Of course, Yoda may appear, as might characters from the High Republic publishing initiative. Nevertheless, the series has a freshness to it even anticipated programs like The Book of Boba Fett and the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series can never offer.
The Acolyte is set to being production in 2022.
