The Acolyte’s showrunner Leslye Headland has spoken to Total Film about how the series is a mystery, similar to Russian Doll, “giving the audience information episode by episode, this spiral of storytelling,” including references to almost every Star Wars era.
“The Acolyte is a mystery. It’s similar to Russian Doll, which was really about giving the audience information episode by episode, this spiral of storytelling,” Headland tells Total Film in our new issue out on Thursday April 25, which features Furiosa on the cover.
“This is a much larger landscape, but it similarly tackles the idea of ‘your eyes can deceive you’. You’re going to think the show is one thing, but then it’s going to gearshift into something else, and then do it again.”
The mystery in question sees crime spree investigated by Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) which, in turn, leads them on a collision course with more sinister forces.
While the premise feels slightly un-Star Wars, Headland promises that The Acolyte will be “packed” with nods to essentially every era.
“It’s a show packed with everything I wanted to explore: I wanted EU [Expanded Universe] stuff in there, references to the original trilogy, The Phantom Menace, the Disney sequels… it’s absolutely packed. Because you never know, you may not get the chance again.”
Headland adds, “[Cinematographer] Chris [Teague] and I talked a lot about honoring George Lucas’ camera moves. I would say the original trilogy became our touchpoint for how
Read more in the new issue of Total Film out on Thursday April 25th. Stream the first two episodes of The Acolyte on Disney+ from June 4th in the US and June 5th in Europe and the UK.
