Disney+ Star Wars Series The Acolyte: Amandla Stenberg Officially Set to Star

It’s a done deal: Amandla Stenberg is headed to a galaxy far, far away.

The Hate U Give actress has closed a deal to headline The Acolyte, an upcoming Disney+ series set in the Star Wars universe. The news — which was first leaked last December — was made official on Friday via the Star Wars twitter account.

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The Acolyte was officially confirmed as an in-the-works Lucasfilm project in 2020. It’s described as a mystery-thriller set in the final days of the High Republic era. Per the initial description, the series will unearth “a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers.”

Additional plot specifics, and details about Stenberg’s potential role, are being kept under wraps. Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland will serve as executive producer, writer and showrunner on the series, which is slated to start production this fall.

In addition to starring in the 2018 film The Hate U Give — which earned her the 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture — Stenberg has appeared as Rue in The Hunger Games and recently co-starred in the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. On the television side, her credits include Sleepy Hollow, Mr. Robinson and The Eddy.

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