The Acolyte producers tease that the show is different to what we've ever seen before, but "still utterly Star Wars in its essence"

The Acolyte looks like something all new for Star Wars. For one thing, it's the first live-action series to be set during the High Republic era of the Star Wars timeline – but that's not the only way it's shaking up the galaxy far, far away.

As producers Rayne Roberts and Simon Emanuel tell SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Doctor Who on the cover, the specifics of The Acolyte's genre is a fresh spin on Star Wars, too. "The detective element is very high in the mix," says Roberts. "I would say the story engine of the show is tracking down the assailant. It's not procedural, but they are on the hunt, looking at clues, talking to people and trying to figure out where things might go next."

"It's not a sleuthing show," expands Emanuel, "but it's a show with mysteries and reveals. Hopefully that comes back to [creator] Leslye [Headland]'s puzzle box storytelling, and I think it's going to be really rewarding to the audience to see how things unfold. It's a different genre take on Star Wars, but it's still utterly Star Wars in its essence."

Of course, Star Wars has dabbled in the sleuthing tradition before with Obi-Wan Kenobi's hunt for Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones – but, by the sounds of things, The Acolyte is bringing something new to the table. 

The Acolyte's cast includes Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Joonas Suotamo, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Charlie Barnett, and Lee Jung-jae. 

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It'll arrive with a double season premiere this June 5 on Disney Plus. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

The above is just a snippet from our interview, available in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Doctor Who on the cover and is available from Wednesday, May 15. See what you should be looking out for on newsstands below...

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