Leslye Headland Reveals Key Influences for ‘The Acolyte’, Talks Casting and Plans for the Future

Only a couple days have gone by since The Acolyte received its first trailer, and promotion for the series has begun in full. We now know that it will premiere its first two episodes on June 4, and certain theaters that play The Phantom Menace in May will show additional footage of the upcoming series then.



As The Acolyte's premiere draws closer, showrunner Leslye Headland has begun doing more interviews for the series. IGN recently had the chance to speak with her about her main inspirations for the show, how she selected its impressive cast, and how The Acolyte's story will impact the saga going forward.







Headland kicked things off by discussing which previous Star Wars projects inspired her show and where those influences are most apparent:

The High Republic era has been going strong in novels and comics for about four years now, and The Acolyte represents its first venture into the live-action space. Given that this branch of Star Wars storytelling has involved collaboration amongst a multitude of writers and artists, it's only natural that some fans may wonder if we'll see story elements from The Acolyte later continued elsewhere. As Headland puts it, that may well be the case:

(Center): Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) in Lucasfilm's THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



A quick glance at the cast list for The Acolyte reveals that the series boasts some remarkable talent in front of the camera. Acclaimed actors like Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Carrie-Anne Moss, and many others will have major roles in the show. The cast is also noteworthy for its immense diversity. When asked if diversity was a goal during the casting process, Headland has this to say:

It's always interesting to hear creators who work on Star Wars projects discuss which earlier stories, both within the beloved galaxy and outside it, inspired their take on the mythos. That's especially true for a show like The Acolyte, which will be many viewers' first experience with a High Republic-set story. Based on the show's record-breaking initial trailer, a lot of fans are eager to see what Headland and her team have prepared.



For the full interview, you can go to IGN.



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