‘The Acolyte’ Pulling From ‘Star Wars’ Expanded Universe

The series takes place 100 years before The Phantom Menace.

Rayne Roberts Leslye Headland The Acolyte Star Wars The High Republic Disney Plus Amandla Stenberg

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealed The Acolyte series would pull from the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

The Acolyte remains the most mysterious out of all the upcoming Star Wars series in the works. The series led by Leslye Headland is described as a thriller that takes place 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace during the High Republic era.

One other tidbit known about The Acolyte is that it will reportedly star Amandla Stenberg. More details on the mysterious series could be coming on Thursday during the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase at Star Wars Celebration.

The EU Strikes Back

In the meantime, Vanity Fair revealed some more insight on The Acolyte, with Kathleen Kennedy sharing that Leslye Headland is a massive fan of the discarded Expanded Universe continuity, later re-labeled as Legends. The Lucasfilm president then went on to say the showrunner will be including elements of the EU in the series:

“[Leslye Headland] is a gigantic Star Wars fan. What’s wonderful about Leslye is she knows it all. I mean, she’s read a gazillion books inside the E.U. There are little bits and pieces that she’s drawing from that no one has explored yet in the onscreen storytelling.”

Here is the synopsis for the next Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi:

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi embarks on a crucial mission. Kenobi must confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.

Directed by Deborah Chow from Joby Harold’s scripts, the series stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie. The series will also see the return of legendary Star Wars composer John Williams, who scored a theme.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere May 27, 2022 on Disney Plus with two episodes. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming series as well as the future of the Star Wars franchise, and subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: Vanity Fair

Ryden Scarnato

Ryden Scarnato

Ryden's affection for all things DC, Marvel, and Star Wars has led him to entertainment journalism at Heroic Hollywood as a News Editor.