A Jedi Murder Mystery Leads to Dark Forces in New Trailer for ‘The Acolyte’

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Mae (Amandla Stenberg) 'The Acolyte.' - Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Mae (Amandla Stenberg) 'The Acolyte.' - Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

An intergalactic crime spree leads to the unraveling of a dark conspiracy in the new trailer for The Acolyte, the next Star Wars series set to premiere June 4 on Disney+.

The new series stars Lee Jung-jae and Amandla Stenberg, the former playing Sol, a revered Jedi master, and the latter playing Mae, his one-time padawan, who’s grown into a dangerous warrior. Their paths cross years later as they set out to investigate a series of harrowing murders targeting Jedi.

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That inquiry, as one would expect, leads somewhere much darker and sinister than ever expected — though you’ll obviously have to watch to find out what exactly that entails. “This isn’t about good or bad,” says Jodie Turner-Smith’s character, Mother Aniseya, the leader of a coven of witches. “This is about power and who is allowed to use it.”

Along with Stenberg, Lee, and Turner-Smith, The Acolyte boasts a stacked cast that also includes Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. The show was created by Leslye Headland — co-creator of Russian Doll — who also directed the first two episodes of the eight-episode series.

The Acolyte is one of two new live-action Star Wars series expected to arrive in 2024, along with Skeleton Crew. Not a whole lot of details are available about Skeleton Crew (including an exact release date), though it’s been described as a coming-of-age story about four children lost in the galaxy. The series is set to star Jude Law, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kerry Condon, and Tunde Adebimpe.

Last year, Disney and Lucasfilm also announced the first new live-action Star Wars movie since the conclusion of the the sequel trilogy with The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. The movie is expected to follow the events of that film, with Daisy Ridley returning as Rey as she sets out to establish a new Jedi Order. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct the movie with a script from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

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