Amandla Stenberg will be headlining the new Star Wars series called The Acolyte. The news was confirmed when Star Wars tweeted a welcome to the series for the actress. This confirms rumors that have been circling about her involvement since late last year.
The Acolyte will take place about 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. This is during the peak of the era of the High Republic. It is believed that the Galaxy is in order with the Jedi at their strongest and the Sith nonexistent… or so it is thought.
Leslye Headland is the showrunner for the series. Some inspiration is said to be pulled from the Star Wars: The High Republic series. The series includes comic books, audio dramas, web series, and novels.
“We’re taking a look at the political and personal and spiritual things that came up in a time period that we don’t know much about,” Headland shared with Vanity Fair. “My question when watching ‘The Phantom Menace’ was always like, ‘Well, how did things get to this point?’ How did we get to a point where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? Like, what went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment?”
Stenberg broke onto the stage in the role of Rue for The Hunger Games in 2012. Since then, the star has appeared in films that include The Hate U Give, The Darkest Minds, Everything, Everything, and Dear Evan Hansen. Stenberg has also appeared in television roles on Sleepy Hollow, The Eddy, and Mr. Robinson.
What do you think of Amandla Stenberg leading the cast of The Acolyte? Are you excited about this series? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
