Buckle in, High Republic fans. The first trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte is here.
Set in the final days of The High Republic, The Acolyte is a Noir-inspired show about a Jedi Master, played by Lee Jung-jae, looking into a deadly crime spree. This puts him on the path of his former padawan, portrayed by Amandla Stenberg, and the two team up. However, something more sinister is brewing in the final days of the Republic, which could be the first domino falling towards the end of the Jedi Order.
The Acolyte takes place roughly 50 years before the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which is the transition period to the end of the Jedi Order, as seen in the prequel trilogy. The multimedia project, The High Republic, starts during the golden age of the Republic and Jedi at their height, and it explores how those institutions have crumbled away over time.
Leslye Headland (Russian Dolls) is the showrunner and head writer for the series. Along with Stenberg and Jung-jae, The Acolyte also stars Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. The executive producers, along with Headland, are Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. It has also been confirmed that fan favorite High Republic character, Vernestra Rwoh, will be in The Acolyte. Headland's wife, Rebecca Henderson, will play her.
So far, we've only seen The High Republic era on screen in the Emmy Award-winning animated preschool series Young Jedi Adventures. The show gave us our first real look at the world of books and comics, but it also takes place before the events of The High Republic's first novel, Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. Young Jedi Adventures has its place, introducing the themes and concepts of The High Republic to a younger audience. However, fans have been ready to dig into the darker and grittier side, as seen in the teaser poster recently released.
Star Wars: The Acolyte will release on Disney+ on June 4. You can watch the first trailer below.