Star Wars: The Acolyte Star Says Series Will Feel Both Contemporary and Prestigious

The upcoming adventure will blend together various tones.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

The Star Wars prequels introduced audiences to a world with a much different tone from what was seen in the original trilogy, and with the upcoming Star Wars: The Acolyte going back even further in time in the galaxy far, far away, star Amandla Stenberg promises the new series will blend together the regal tone of the prequels yet also feel contemporary. Given that the prequels saw a Jedi council waxing poetic about the fate of Anakin Skywalker and that this new series takes place more than a century earlier, The Acolyte will feature fresh perspectives for the franchise. Star Wars: The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ on June 4th.

"We are the prequel to the prequels," Stenberg explained to Total Film, per GamesRadar. "And the prequels have this kind of prestige to them, this monarchical vibe. So one of my main questions going in was: are we going to maintain that sensibility? And yes, in many ways we do, while also incorporating elements that feel really contemporary and relatable. When I watched [the finished episodes] I was really struck by how universal the story was."   

In Star Wars: 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). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems....

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

In addition to Stenberg claiming the series will borrow elements tonally from the prequels, her costar Keen claimed that the project surpassed some of the accomplishments of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

"Yeah, that was a very frequent conversation we had," Keen shared with Entertainment Weekly about the showdown in The Phantom Menace. "It was very much: We want to top the Darth Maul fight -- the most iconic fight, I think, in the Star Wars cinematic universe. It's such an amazing fight and we were all so excited about the saber fights. There's such a skill and a craft to it that it feels so OG Star Wars and feels so impressive when you see it as a viewer."  

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Star Wars: The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ on June 4th.  

Are you looking forward to the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!  

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