'The Acolyte' Lights Up Star Wars Day With Final Trailer
'The Acolyte' Lights Up Star Wars Day With Final Trailer
The High Republic-set series premieres June 4 on Disney+
May the Fourth be with you one and all. It’s Star Wars Day. There’s Fall Guys and Fortnite tie-ins on the video game side, The Phantom Menace is back in theaters for its 25th anniversary, and Tales of the Empire is now streaming on Disney+. Much like with the latter, the franchise’s socials marked being one month from the June 4 premiere on the streamer of the next live-action series The Acolyte by releasing its final trailer and a new poster/key art.
The trailer starts, after Mae (played by Amandla Stenberg) walks away from another successful hit, with Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) breaking the illusion of the Jedi. That their dominance in the name of peace is a lie. We next see her in confrontation with Carrie-Anne Moss’s Jedi Master Indara. More Jedi gather in worry as Mae takes more down. Sol believes their history entitles him to take her in. He is warned by fan-favorite Jedi master Vernestra Rwoh, who is played by Rebecca Henderson and originates from the High Republic novels, that this appears to be “only a small part of a much larger plan” as a young male Jedi’s eyes turn black before abruptly sinking to the ground. It’s time to face the past, and no one is safe from the truth. The thread is about to be pulled, and the red lightsaber wielder teased previously is helmeted and shrouded. Showrunner Leslye Headland says it’s their favorite character. “I hope audiences embrace the duality that exists in every character in the show,” she says.“The show is an onion. Each episode peels away to reveal something else. I hope the experience of watching it is both suspenseful and satisfying.” If she is that tight-lipped, and it’s already known that Dean-Charles Chapman has been cast in an undisclosed role, there might be a connection there.
The Acolyte also stars Dafne Keen as half-human, half-Theelin Jecki Lon, Manny Jacinto as former smuggler Qimir who now lives a more comfortable life, Charlie Barnett as by-the book Jedi Knight and temple guardian Yord Fandar, Jodie Turner-Smith as Force witch coven leader Mother Aniseya and Joonas Suotamo as Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca.
Indeed, while this Star Wars Day was probably “light” to some that didn’t find Tales of the Empire to be enough, it’s no different than Doctor Who releasing the teaser trailer for last year’s anniversary specials as a Christmas gift on Christmas Day 2022. That was the first festive season it didn’t have an episode for since they started intentional Christmas and New Year’s specials.
Sources: Star Wars, Entertainment Weekly