Hello there! Today it’s being reported by MakingStarWars.net that filming on the upcoming High Republic era series created by Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland, The Acolyte, has wrapped filming after principal photography began back at the tail end of October last year.
Before we continue with The Acolyte news, I’d just like to share that you can now support my work in two ways. Firstly it’s via my newly created Patreon page which has a single tier at this time simply to support my work. Secondly you can tip me with a simple one off payment on my Ko-Fi page or you can choose to support my work monthly on the platform. I’d truly appreciate it if you decided to support my work, but no pressure, I know things are pretty tough out here. Anyway, back to the reason you came here – the news!
I spoke with MakingStarWars last week who had been informed via a source of theirs that filming had wrapped on the The Acolyte, and that he was in the midst of attempting to get more confirmation on what he was told. Shortly after I learned from my own independent sources over this past weekend that The Acolyte had finished filming and I passed on my information to further verify what the outlet had been told. However by that point other sources had come forward for MakingStarWars to confirm what he had been hearing.
As mentioned, I reached out to my sources over the weekend who confirmed to me that principal photography on the series and that both the first and second units, which included the ‘talent’, have wrapped. One of my sources said that though the first and second units along with the cast have wrapped, there are other units active, but that principal photography has concluded. My sources added that principal photography on The Acolyte wrapped last month as planned and stated by the series creator, Leslye Headland, at Star Wars Celebration.
The Acolyte had been filming since October in the United Kingdom, with filming taking place primarily at Shinfield Studios located in Berkshire. In addition, the production ventured out to various locations around the U.K. including the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, as well outside of the United Kingdom, shooting scenes in Portugal in the Spring.
The Acolyte, which is set during the High Republic era, will follow a former padawan and her Jedi master as they investigate a series of crimes, but encounter forces more sinister than what they’ve imagined. The series stars Amandla Stenberg (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies) as the lead, as well as Lee Jung Jae (Squid Game), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Jodie Turner-Smith (After Yang), Charlie Bennett (Russian Doll), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Dean Charles Chapman (1917), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) and Margarita Levieva (Daredevil: Born Again).
At Star Wars Celebration which took place in April, a trailer for The Acolyte debuted and was shown exclusively to those in attendance, with the trailer once again being shown in May at Disney’s Upfront showcase. The trailer has yet to be officially released, but you can read a description of it below.
The trailer opens with Lee Jung Jae’s Jedi master teaching a group of younglings inside of a Jedi temple. We cut to a mysterious purple-hooded figure from behind making their way through a bustling town before walking into a bar of some sort as we see them targeting a character played by Carrie Anne Moss, who appears to be a Jedi. The mysterious figure is revealed to the series lead, Amandla Stenberg, who’s sporting red dreadlocks, a black cloth mask, a metal plate on her chest, and what appears to be chain mail beneath as she swings a small dagger in an attempt to kill Moss, but Carrie Anne dodges every swing with ease.
The trailer continues and shows us Charlie Barnett’s character using the force, complete in the recognisable white and gold robes of the High Republic era Jedi. We see two Neimoidians aboard a star ship in a quick shot inter-spliced with Stenberg’s character creeping around corners and Jung Jae continuing to teach the younglings. Stenberg whips out her dagger and swings it at an unknown character, as Charlie Barnett ignites a yellow lightsaber whilst exploring caverns with what appears to be Dafne Keen’s character in alien make-up.
We see an Rebecca Henderson’s Jedi character with white and gold robes opening a door in a Jedi temple with the force and Manny Jacinto’s character looking disheveled peaking around a corner. Jodie Tuner Smith’s character is seen looking regal as what appears to be her followers open their hands in front of her as she walks through them. We see Stenberg swing at Moss once again with her trusted dagger which is blocked by Moss using the force. We see Lee Jung Jae, Charlie Barnett and an unknown female character, all Jedi, walking up a snowy mountain in the midst of a blizzard. The final shot of the trailer see’s Lee Jung Jae and seven other Jedi ignite their lightsabers in a forest location.
The Acolyte will release exclusively on Disney+ sometime in 2024.
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