Pop culture worlds are colliding, as Lee Jung-jae, the star of Netflix’s international hit series Squid Game will reportedly take the role of the male lead on the upcoming Star Wars series, The Acolyte, which is currently in development on Disney+.
In contrast to most of the other Star Wars TV series to date like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, which take place during or around the events of the main Star Wars movies, The Acolyte is set 100 years before the Star Wars prequels, during the period known as the “High Republic.” During that time, the Jedis were in power and the evil Sith were essentially non-existent. The era has been the focus of a series of recent Star Wars comics and novels, but this will be the first time it’s been explored onscreen. The show comes from Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland, who has been developing the project at Lucasfilm for a number of years.
According to Deadline, Lee will star opposite Amandla Steinberg; here is how the describe the series:
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging Dark Side powers in the final days of the High Republic era, Disney+ said in announcing the project in December 2020. In the real universe of Star Wars, “acolyte” can refer to individuals with Force abilities who learn from a more experienced Sith Lord.
In a previous interview, here was how Headland herself talked about the show’s basic concept:
How did we get to where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? What went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment? So that’s what I would say. That’s how I would describe it to my friends, especially my non-Star Wars friends.
Star Wars: The Acolyte does not have a release date yet. Squid Game Season 2 is in early production, but it too is still awaiting an official release date.
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