The Big Picture
- The mysteries surrounding the Jedi deepen in a new trailer for
The Acolyte. - Lightsaber action in
The Acolyte
promises to impress, with hand-to-hand fights and intricate combat sequences. - Early reactions for
The Acolyte
have been positive, praising practical effects, stunt work, and Amandla Stenberg’s performance.
The Jedi are at the height of their power in new Star Wars series The Acolyte. Set a century before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the cast and crew have emphasized the effort put into the combat sequences of the show. We have gotten a look at some very slick hand-to-hand combat in sneak peaks, and an intense new sneak peek teases the lightsaber action we can expect to see.
Series creator Leslye Headland has spoken about the influence of martial arts films on The Acolyte. This has been very clear in the action sequences we have gotten a look at so far. A clip released earlier this week showed off a tense, hand-to-hand fight sequence between Lee Jung-jae‘s Jedi Master Sol and Amandla Stenberg‘s Mae, a shadowy assassin. We have also seen Mae confront The Matrix‘s Carrie-Anne Moss, a confrontation that eventually involves Jedi Master Indara’s green lightsaber coming out.
‘The Acolyte’ Hopes to Surpass ‘The Phantom Menace’
In this new promotional video, we get a brief look at more lightsaber-centric action. This includes a shot of Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi who has generated much excitement. He appears to be fighting against an acrobatic fellow Jedi, indicating a training sequence, or possibly something much darker. We also see Charlie Bennett‘s Jedi character Yord Fandar crossing blades with the mysterious figure revealed in a trailer earlier this month. This appears to be in defense of fellow Jedi Jecki Lon, played by Dafne Keen. A lot has been said of The Acolyte‘s ambitions for its combat sequences, including that they were hoping to surpass the iconic Duel of the Fates in The Phantom Menace, an extremely high bar to shoot for.
The hard work and training of the cast and crew seems to have paid off, as early reactions on social media for The Acolyte have been very positive. Collider’s own Perri Nemiroff had specific praise for the show’s practical effects and stunt work, as well as Stenberg’s performance and commanding presence in fight scenes.
Fans can see for themselves how well the Jedi’s skills are shown off in The Acolyte, as well as Stenberg’s portrayal of Mae, and the eventual unraveling of a dark mystery when the series has its two-episode premiere on June 4, exclusively on Disney+.
The Acolyte
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. 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.
- Release Date
- June 4, 2024
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Studio
- Disney+
- Franchise
- Star Wars
Watch on Disney+
