High Republic fans, the wait just got that much more bearable. Ever since releasing its first trailer at Star Wars Celebration in London last year, the hype for Star Wars series The Acolyte has only grown, with fans eager for any update on the highly-anticipated project. Now, Collider has learned that the live-action High Republic-set series from creator Leslye Headland is set to release on Disney+ this summer.
Set 50 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte will follow a former Jedi Padawan, and her one-time Master as they fall into an investigation of sinister crimes in an ever-changing galaxy. The trailer that premiered at Star Wars Celebration only gave fans a hint at what they could expect when the series premieres, but even so, already impressed those lucky enough to see it with the bold visual take on an era that thus far has not appeared on screen.
The series also boasts a massive, and massively-talented, ensemble cast led by Amandla Stenberg. They will be joined by Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae as a Jedi Master, and Joonas Suotamo as a Wookiee Jedi named Kelnacca. Also in The Acolyte‘s cast are Jodie Turner-Smith, Manny Jacinto, and Charlie Barnett, though in typical Star Wars fashion, details about their roles are heavily under wraps.
‘The Acolyte’ Has a Connection to ‘The High Republic’ Books
Less under wraps, and perhaps most exciting to fans of The High Republic books, was the news that Rebecca Henderson, initially announced to be playing a Mirialan Jedi, would in fact be playing an older version of Vernestra Rwoh, one of the more prominent characters in Phase I and III of the books, and an all-around fan-favorite.
The inclusion of Vernsestra is an exciting one, not just because of the connection to the books, but because of what such an inclusion might spell for fans of both the books and the character in her on-page and on-screen incarnations. Headland told Collider at Celebration that the series would “not be kind” to the Jedi, and would call the fallibility of the institution into question. With all the struggles Vernestra has already been through, and those she still has to face, there are probably few characters better suited to tackle the imperfections of the Jedi Order from the inside.
The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ in Summer 2024.
via Collider