Star Wars: The Acolyte': Plot, Cast, Episode Count, and Everything We Know So Far.

An insight into the crimes of the galaxy's past...

Star wars has expanded far past the original movies with a massive library of movies and shows already released or currently in production, ranging from political thrillers to action shows, and even shows for kids. While Andor has been one of the most "adult" and mature iterations of Star Wars so far, The Acolyte is sure to try and take that title away.

After waiting for more than a year, we finally have some casting information for the series, as well as several insights into what the show will be about. This show is definitely something to look forward to, especially for those audiences who enjoy a more mature Star Wars experience. Now with The Acolyte having started filming, here's everything we know so far about the series.

When and Where Is The Acolyte Releasing?

Currently, there is no exact release date for The Acolyte. With that being said, we expect it to be released in late 2023, most probably in the winter of 2023. Two primary factors play into this. The first is that the show just began filming in October 2022, and usually, Star Wars shows have taken just over a full year to reach audiences. So the timeframe on the production end lines up, as well as on the release end. We will have The Mandalorian Season 3 releasingin February 2023, followed by Ahsoka a short time later in Spring, and then we have Star Wars: Skeleton Crew releasing in either late fall or early winter. Assuming that Disney doesn’t want the live-action Star Wars shows to overlap (which is something they have avoided in the past), that sets up The Acolyte for a late fall or early winter release in 2023 but with possible delay, it may be pushed to 2024.

The show will also be released on Disney+ as with all of Star Wars. Thankfully for the international Star Wars fanbase, Disney+ has consistently expanded its serviceable locations so now over 140 countries have access to their favorite Star Wars content through the streaming service and its partners.

Who's In the Cast of The Acolyte?

If you were worried about the cast of the show not being able to pull this amazing mystery-thriller off, you can dispel that fear immediately. One of the absolute superstar actresses involved is Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) whose role is currently undisclosed. The main character is played by Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), who will be the former padawan that the show will focus on. The two main male leads (one of whom is presumably Amandla’s former master) are Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place). The show also features actors and actresses of all ages including Dafne Keen (Logan) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn). Rounding out the cast, we have Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), Charlie Barnett (Men in Black 3), and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones).

It should be noted that other than the three main characters, we are unsure as to how many of these actors and actresses will be seen in all episodes. It should also be noted that several cast members are on the younger side so we could be getting a closer look into the training of Jedi padawans or even more flashbacks to Yoda teaching them (or at least we hope).

Who Is Making The Acolyte?

The Acolyte is created by Leslye Headland, who is best known for co-creating Netflix's Russian Doll. Headland is attached to the project as a writer, director, and showrunner, as well as one of the executive producers alongside Jason Micallef, Simon Emanuel, Kathleen Kennedy, and Jeff King, with Damian Anderson and Rayne Roberts also credited as producers. Chris Teague and James Friend are the cinematographers. We're yet to hear about who else is writing and directing for the show but that information should be coming out any day now. In the meantime, feel free to check this link for the full crew credits.

What Do We Know About the Plot of The Acolyte?

We have multiple sources for information about the plot of The Acolyte, including some released pictures of the sets, an official description, and of course, speculation from those close to the Star Wars galaxy. We have already seen a few shots from sources that have given us some looks into the physical sets, including a town that has yet to be identified. It is important to note that the production seems to be using more traditional filmmaking techniques rather than the full LED screen that shows such as The Book of Boba Fett made extensive use of. Some people prefer the look of Andor because it uses that more traditional approach but both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages.

This show is covering a never before seen era from the Disney-created canon, which is the High Republic era. As of the writing of this article no shows, live-action or animated, have covered this era. Chronologically, the show will be set 100 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, so many beloved characters such as Count Dooku, Qui-Jon Jin, and Obi-Wan Kenobi would not even be born yet. That doesn’t mean we won’t see any familiar faces, however, with Jedi Masters Yoda, Yaddle, and others still alive during this time. We also know that Palpatine’s Master, Darth Plagueis, was also alive during this period, so we may get a chance to see the creation of Darth Sidious (which would make the reference to "sinister" forces some great wordplay).

How Many Episodes Are There in The Acolyte and What Is the Runtime?

There are a total of eight episodes in the upcoming series. These episodes do not have an official length as Disney+ rarely gives out the runtime this far ahead of the release, especially when the show hasn’t even finished filming yet. That being said, we can hope that the series will average about 30 minutes with each episode, which would give us about four hours of High Republic content to explore.

Will The Acolyte Have a Season 2?

The show so far has a lot of elements that are supposed to show the evolution of the republic through its equivalent of the Renaissance, which is essentially what the High Republic period was for the galaxy far, far away. This is a period that Disney has poured substantial resources into, and we can expect that trend to continue. That being said, we have not had any word on a potential Season 2 for The Acolyte or even on more continuing projects set in this era. That doesn’t mean that it cannot happen, just more of something that may be determined based on the success of the first season of the show.