Star Wars: The Acolyte Includes Nods to All Franchise Eras

Star Wars: The Acolyte's showrunner is teasing nods to every era of Star Wars. Leslie Headland sat down with Total Film to discuss her approach to the upcoming Disney+ series. For the Russian Doll creator, getting to do a big Star Wars project is something of a dream. If this ends up being her only attempt at making a project in this universe, she doesn't want any idea to be left on the cutting room floor. Headland explained that there are some elements from almost every corner of this franchise that appeal to her. So, a lot of different fans will find somethign to be delighted by in The Acolyte.

The showrunner shared, "It's a show packed with everything I wanted to explore: I wanted EU [Expanded Universe] stuff in there, references to the original trilogy, The Phantom Menace, the Disney sequels… it's absolutely packed. Because you never know, you may not get the chance again."

"[Cinematographer] Chris [Teague] and I talked a lot about honoring George Lucas' camera moves," Headland would add. "I would say the original trilogy became our touchpoint for how to craft the world, while the Episode I-ness of the show is a bit more thematic."

When Does Star Wars: The Acolyte Take Place?

When it comes to nailing down a specific time period, Star Wars: The Acolyte is at the tail end of The High Republic era of the franchise. For the uninitiated, that means the show occurs before the Prequel Trilogy. The Jedi are still flying high, but this era of prosperity has a shelf life. In a conversation with Total Film, Amandla Stenberg talked about this particular period of Star Wars history. It's one that we haven't really seen on film before and that possibility feels exciting and fresh.

"We are the prequel to the prequels," Stenberg told Total Film. "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."   

What Is Star Wars: The Acolyte About?

Here's how Disney describes the upcoming series: "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…."

Star Wars: The Acolyte streams on June 4, exclusively on Disney+.  

What is your favorite era of Star Wars? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!