Summary
Leslye Headland, the showrunner forThe Acolyte, recently explained that the new show will be a “fresh entry point” for new viewers to get engaged with theStar Warsfranchise. Since it was announced,The Acolytehas promised to show a new side ofStar Warsthat had never been brought to live-action before. It promised a darker story than the franchise is used to, along with a whole newcast of characters forThe Acolyte. Headland has now mentioned that she’s using the newness ofThe Acolyteto make it one of the most accessibleStar Warsprojects to new viewers.
In an interview withGamesRadar+, Headland spoke about howThe Acolyte’s setting distanced it from the rest of theStar Warsmovies and TV shows, and what challenges and benefits that distance brought.
“I think to draw audiences in and create a fresh entry point – meaning youdon’tneed to know a lot about Star Wars in order to watch the show – it felt natural to move back in time and set the story there,” Headland explains.
A new era, though, comes with its own fresh challenges. A step away from the Skywalkers and Sith of it all poses an obvious roadblock. When pressed on the biggest limitations of placing The Acolyte in a new setting, Headland felt the lack of familiarity was an issue – but one she was willing to embrace.
“We don’t have that immediate iconography of stormtroopers, for example. When you see a stormtrooper, you know you’re in Star Wars… We had some things we got to not fall back on, but utilize. It was harder but, in a way, it was freeing and easier,” Headland says.
She continues, “When audiences watch it, there will still be that wish fulfillment of seeing the Jedi in action and that’s what we get to do.”
It’s clear from Headland’s comments that a main goal ofThe Acolytewas to break into an entirely new part oftheStar Warstimeline. While that new era precluded her from usingStar Warsstaples like stormtroopers, it also opened up quite a few exciting opportunities. One of those opportunities is the chance to draw in new viewers to the franchise by telling a story that doesn’t rely on the Skywalker saga, or much ofStar Wars' backstory at all.
Everything You Need To Know Before Watching Star Wars: The Acolyte
Star Wars' next TV show, The Acolyte, will come to Disney+ on June 4. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this epic Star Wars series.
You Don’t Need To Know The Skywalker Saga To Appreciate The Acolyte
The Acolytetakes place during theHigh Republic eraof the timeline, about 100 years beforeStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.That distancesThe Acolytefrom the rest of the Skywalker saga, and theStar Warsmovies and TV shows that came before it, in a few important ways. Notably, Headland has said that the show will not feature cameos from established characters like Yoda, and will instead focus on new, original characters who don’t have as much lore and backstory. Viewers will instead be introduced to the characters in the show itself, rather than needing to know who they are beforehand.
Along with its new characters,The Acolytewill also present a new side of familiar groups, like the Jedi.The Jedi Order of the High Republic was very different from the Order featured in the prequel trilogy, and those differences will likely be explained inThe Acolyteitself. Again, this means viewers don’t need preexisting knowledge of the Jedi Order and what caused their downfall. It’s essentially a different group, and while some audience members may have already been introduced to it through the High Republic novels and comics, everyone who watchesThe Acolytewill have a similar idea of the era by the end of the show.
The Acolyte could spark a Star Wars renaissance, and Headland made the right call in allowing new viewers to enjoy it.
Headland’s approach toStar Warsis probably exactly whatThe Acolyte, and the franchise as a whole, needed.It can be daunting to try to engage withStar Warsfor the first time while knowing that there are hundreds of stories to catch up on. It’s a very big, multimedia franchise, and while it does a good job of letting anyone jump into its stories at any point, there’s still quite a bit of lore that can make it feel intimidating. Even the Skywalker saga movies, where many viewers' love forStar Warsbegan, have 12 feature-length installments, which creates a sort of barrier to entrance.
Headland clearly understood that some people aren’t familiar with the franchise’s extensive lore but still want to enjoyStar Wars. Because she’s craftedThe Acolyteas a blank slate for new viewers to jump into, it could very well bring in a whole slew of newStar Warsfans. That would revitalize the entire franchise, and could even inspire those who were apprehensive about the amount of lore it has to engage with olderStar Warsmedia.The Acolytecould spark aStar Warsrenaissance, and Headland made the right call in allowing new viewers to enjoy it.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
