Star Wars: The Acolyte just got a major cast update

Star Wars: The Acolyte has officially entered production – and some major names have been added to its impressive ensemble cast.

Revealed in a press release, Lucasfilm confirmed that the next big Star Wars TV show has started filming. The Disney subsidiary also confirmed which actors were joining lead star Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), who joined the project in December 2021.

Of the household names joining The Acolyte's cast, Lee Jung-Jae (Squid Game season 2), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections), and Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials) are the most notable. Jung-Jae was photographed, alongside Stenberg, listening to showrunner Leslye Headland in the first behind-the-scenes image from the show's production, which you can view above (and in the tweet below):

Here's a quick rundown of the other actors who have joined The Acolyte's cast:

• Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers, Brand New Cherry Flavor)
• Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn, Queen & Slim)
• Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll, Inventing Anna)
• Charlie Barnett (Arrow, You)
• Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones, 1917)

There's no word on the character identities of this acting contingent, including Stenberg. However, thanks to an article posted on StarWars.com, we have some idea of what The Acolyte's story entails.

"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," the article reads. "A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated."

For those unfamiliar with the High Republic era, it's a period in the Star Wars universe where the Jedi Order was at its prime. It's a historical era that lasted for centuries, with this particular age ending around the year 82 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and predating events in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. If you're interested in learning more about the Star Wars timeline, you can read our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.

Headland (Russian Doll, Heathers) serves as The Acolyte's creator and executive producer, and will direct the show's pilot episode. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, as well as Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and James Micaleff are also executively producing the Disney Plus series.

The Acolyte doesn't have a release date, but is expected to arrive on Disney Plus sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.

Analysis: expanding the Star Wars mythos

The Acolyte has the potential to be one of the best Disney Plus shows around. Well, at least from a Star Wars perspective, anyway.

How so? By being set in the High Republic era, it'll explore an often overlooked period in the epic sci-fi franchise's history that, as we explained earlier, sees the Jedi Order at the height of their powers.

Most Star Wars films and TV shows, such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor, have been set in and around the three main movie trilogies. The Acolyte will be a marked departure from that formula, then, choosing instead to examine a period of history where the Sith weren't at their strongest and the Jedi were renowned (not to mention beloved) throughout the galaxy.

The High Republic era has started to work its way into public view in recent times. In 2018, Lucasfilm announced a new, multimedia project, tentatively titled Luminous, that went on to become a multifaceted series depicting The High Republic. Over the past two years, a plethora of comic books, novels, webseries, and audiobooks have been released, fleshing out this period in Star Wars history in greater detail.

The Acolyte, as well as the Quantic Dream-developed Star Wars: Eclipse game, will introduce The High Republic in their respective live-action and videogame mediums, too, thus expanding the breadth of this era's reach across Star Wars' iconic history. After decades of playing it safe and setting projects around its legendary movie franchise, Lucasfilm is finally take a bold, brave step into the unknown with productions including The Acolyte – and it'll be a far richer series for it.

For more Star Wars-based content, get the lowdown on every new Star Wars TV show and movie. Alternatively, find out why we think it's great news that Andor doesn't feel like a typical Star Wars TV series.