BY DEVIN MEENAN/MARCH 19, 2024 11:03 AM EST
Since 2012, Lucasfilm and parent company Disney have not produced a "Star Wars" movie, instead telling stories through Disney+ TV shows as well as books and comics related to "Star Wars: The High Republic."
"The High Republic," set centuries before "The Phantom Menace" (returning to theaters this May), follows both the Republic and Jedi Order during an era when their power had reached a pinnacle point. Sith are thought to have been vanquished while Jedi instead battle a pirate horde known as Nihil.
"The Acolyte," a new Disney+ show set during the High Republic era, marries these two methods of "Star Wars" storytelling perfectly. We first witnessed it during 2023's Star Wars Celebration (at which its creators described their series as being likened to Frozen meets Kill Bill). Now its initial trailer has dropped and gives viewers another peek into this cornerstone of Star Wars lore!
The darker sides of the Force
Still, the officially released material focuses more on the Jedi. The synopsis of "The Acolyte" is as follows: "A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated."
The series lead is Amandla Stenberg as the former Padawan, while other Jedi cast members include Carrie Anne-Moss, Lee Jung-jae, and Dafne Keen. Rebecca Henderson plays the previously established High Republic Jedi, Vernestra Rwoh, while Joonas Suotamo plays the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca. Manny Jacinto plays a non-Jedi (per Collider), while Jodie Turner-Smith plays a character who wields the Force without being a Sith or a Jedi (also via Collider).
"The Acolyte" premieres June 4, 2024, on Disney+.