Squid Gamesbreakout starLee Jung-Jaejust joinedThe Acolyte, an upcoming series set in theStar Wars’High Republic period. According toDeadline, Jung-Jae has landed the male lead role in the series, which already counts with starAmandla Steinbergin another leading position andJodie Turner-Smith.
Set a century before the events ofEpisode I: The Phantom Menace,The Acolytewillexplore the moment of time when the Jedi were at the peak of their power. That sounds a game changer for theStar Warsuniverse, as the series will be the first live-action production to depart from the Skywalker Saga and explore new corners of a galaxy far, far away. It will also be interesting to learn more about what led the Jedi to become so entangled with the Republic’s political game that they lost touch with their original purpose: to protect the Galaxy from the Dark Side of the Force.
Jung-Jae helped turnSquid Games into an international success by playing the role of Gi-hun, a gambler who accepts to play a series of deadly games for a huge money prize. While Jung-Jae already had a prolific career in South Korea, the series allowed the whole world to see how much heart the star could put into his characters. The casting in aStar Warsseries will help Jung-Jae with his Hollywood ascension. Besides that, the addition of Jung-Jae already teases a very interesting Lucasfilm production sinceThe Acolytesends a clear message about how diverse the Galaxy should really be by casting a South Korean actor in a leading position.
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The Acolyteis being developed at Lucasfilm byLeslye Headland. While the series plot is being kept under absolute secrecy, Headland has previously confirmed the series will explain how a Sith Lord was able to infiltrate the Senate with ease while the Jedi were unaware of the danger. More information about the series should become available as the series starts shooting.
The Acolyteis part of the recentStar Warsexpansion on Disney+ kickstarted by the success ofThe Mandalorian. Lucasfilm has also released limited series focused on beloved characters withThe Book of Boba FettandObi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano is ready to get her own solo series withRosario Dawsonin the leading role. It’s a great time to be aStar Warsfan, as Disney is investing heavily in the franchise.
There’s still no release date forThe Acolyte. The nextStar Warsshow to hit Disney+ isAndor, a prequel toRogue Onethat premieres with three episodes on Disney+ on September 21. Check outAndor’s trailer below.
