The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland has revealed that one of the writers on her new Star Wars show was completely unfamiliar with the franchise, but that was beneficial to the series.
"I just thought it would be good to have the perspective of a person that had literally never seen Star Wars until she was in the room. And she said to me, 'Why do you want me in this room? I’ve never seen Star Wars. I have no idea. I think there’s a dog in it, but I don’t know anything,'" Headland recalled to The Hollywood Reporter.
"And I was like, 'First of all, you’re an incredible writer, but that’s why I want you here. I want you to be questioning narrative. I don’t want myself, who’s a lifelong fan, to just be relying on particular references in order to create emotional beats. I want those emotional beats to be earned and checked by someone that isn’t super familiar with it.'"
Set 100 years before The Phantom Menace, the show will take us into a world of shadows and crime in the galaxy far, far away, centering around a former Padawan (Amandla Stenberg) and her Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae). The cast also includes Carrie-Ann Moss, Manny Jacinto, and Dafne Keen. The show will consist of eight episodes airing weekly every Tuesday on Disney Plus.
The Acolyte arrives on Disney Plus on June 4 with a double episode premiere. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows on the way in 2024 and beyond.
