It’s May 4th, and you know what that means. In honor of the annual “Star Wars” fan holiday (“May The Force”), Lucasfilm has revealed the new trailer for “The Acolyte,” and if you were maybe a bit underwhelmed by the secretive nature of the first teaser, well, this trailer rips off the mask, unveils secrets and looks pretty damn great. The suspenseful new live-action “Star Wars” series, which seems to have a lot of connections to “The Phantom Menace” era of conspiracy, lies, and hidden truths, premieres on Tuesday, June 4, with the first two episodes exclusively on Disney+.
In case you’re unaware, “The Acolyte” comes from filmmaker Leslye Headland, mostly known for many filthy, R-rated female-lead romcoms like “Bachelorette” and “Sleeping With Other People.” But the writer/director showed great genre ambition with Netflix’s time-looping series, “Russian Doll,” and that really seemed to pave the way for this new “Star Wars” series.
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“The Acolyte” will be the first of any “Star Wars” film or TV that’s takes place before the prequels and set at the end of what is known as the High Republic era in a world of “shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers.” Touted as a mystery thriller limited series, the show occurs approximately 100 years before “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” which would make it the oldest piece of content in the canon that’s not a book or comic book.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”) and Lee Jung-Jae (“Squid Game”) as a former Padawan (Stenberg) who reunites with her Jedi Master (Jung-Jae) to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
Headland’s series has a big cast, including Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Margarita Levieva. Joonas Suotamo, who now plays Chewbacca in the current “Star Wars” films, also appears as Kelnacca, a Wookiee Jedi master.
Here’s the the new synopsis:
In “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 Acolyte” is scheduled for a June 4, 2024 release on Disney+. Check out the new official trailer below.