The Acolyte: Leslye Headland Explains the Detective Angle in the New Star Wars Series and the Meaning of the Title of the Show

When the trailer for The Acolyte dropped online two weeks ago, it was met with a wave of skepticism by the online fandom primarily due to the presence of a red lightsaber at the end, and the tease of a fight between multiple Jedi and a red lightsaber-wielding entity. If the entity is a Sith, then that would seemingly contradict (the Internet argued) the Ki-Adi-Mundi line from The Phantom Menace in which the Jedi said that the Sith had been extinct for a millennium.



Whether or not that's the case, Leslye Headland didn't reveal any Sith-related details to Empire Magazine in an excerpt from the massive coverage that will be featured in the new issue, coming out next week. She's probably waiting for everyone to see the context of her story when the show releases in June in order to properly respond to that looming question. She did say, however, that this is essentially a story about the ticking clock on the Jedi Order and how it got to zero during the prequels. She said:

From the outside, it looks like quite the challenge. Headland has said over and over again that the focus will be on the villains with Amandla Stenberg's evil Mae being the indisputable main character of the show, and yet, there is a vast array of Jedi characters and plenty of storylines set up for them.







We'll meet Lee Jung-jae's Master Sol, described by Headland as “massively respected and incredibly powerful.' He has one Padawan during the main story of the series, Dafne Keen's Jecki Lon, who 'wants to be perfect for him,” said the actress. We will meet our first live-action Wookiee Jedi in Joonas Suotamo's Master Kelnacca, which was “another Star Wars dream come true' for him, after playing Chewbacca in Solo and the last two sequel films. There's also Jedi Knight Yord Fandar, who Charlie Barnett describes as “...kind of a jerk! He’s a little bit of a goody two-shoes.'



It's pretty clear by now that this will be an ensemble show with a lot of focus on character stories. Headland said as much:

But that is not all. Headland, as the lead writer along with her team, constructed this narrative from the very beginning as a mystery thriller, a detective story that will keep the audience guessing. She elaborated:

Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) in Lucasfilm's THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



The mystery aspect of the show goes as far as the title, even. Who is 'The Acolyte'? Headland addressed the question:

It would seem as if Amandla Stenberg's Mae is exactly that character, but the actress is not giving it away yet. They said:

All will be revealed in time. The series starts streaming on Disney Plus on June 4, at 6pm PT / 9pm ET / June 5, at 2am BST. The first two episodes will be available that day, with the rest coming out on a weekly basis thereafter.



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