There’s a major connection between the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the divisive Disney+ series The Acolyte.
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker left theaters nearly six years ago and divided fans as part of the divisive sequel trilogy. A few years later, The Acolyte went into production for Disney+. One would think that showrunner Leslye Headland might have tried to distance herself from the sequel trilogy despite its canonical status.
However, the upcoming book, The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte, reveals that Headland intended to tie them together.
By The Book
Though The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte won’t arrive in stores until early next year, fans can pre-order the hardcover now for $50. The official description says the book “showcases the production art, character, and vehicle designs, planets, storyboards, and other breathtaking work created during the production of the Disney+ series.” It adds, “filled with interviews with key creatives from the series, this book offers a firsthand account of working within this new era.”
(L-R): Amandla Stenberg , set PA Taylor Young, director Leslye Headland and director of photography Chris Teague on the set of Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
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That even the Disney marketing machine would offer such an expensive piece of merchandise for a show so poorly received may seem odd. After all, its star, Amandla Stenberg, released a diss track retaliating against anyone who criticized it. Still, there’s clearly a market for it — it’s currently Amazon’s number one new release in the Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Television category.
Hardcover books with glossy pages of artwork are expensive to print, regardless of content or demand. And it seems few would argue that storyboards alone look good, even if they feel that the resulting story left something to be desired. But it isn’t the early images released as part of the book’s promotion that have fans talking — it’s the text.
Apparently, Headland had Star Wars sequel-connected backstory in mind that The Acolyte never got to reveal.
The Stranger and a Familiar Face
As you may recall, in Star Wars continuity, the events of The Acolyte take place 100 years before The Phantom Menace. Manny Jacinto plays Qimir, who is later revealed as The Stranger, a red lightsaber-wielding former Jedi Padawan. Headland had plans for him if The Acolyte received a second season, including revealing his true name and exploring his relationship with Darth Plagueis.
Now, thanks to the art book, we know that her ultimate plan was to make Qimir the founder of The Knights of Ren, the Sith-adjacent cult, first introduced to the Star Wars sequels in The Force Awakens. According to the official Star Wars databank, The Knights of Ren are the “elite, fearsome enforcers of Kylo Ren’s dark will.”
Kylo Ren in the Star Wars Sequels – Disney+
At the climax of Rise of Skywalker, the redeemed Kylo Ren, now Ben Solo, single-handedly wipes out the Knights in a mostly off-screen skirmish. With their ignoble demise already established, it seems odd that Headland decided to make the cult a key plot point in her show.
Does The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte make this connection to Kylo Ren canon? Perhaps it’s a moot point.
What Might Have Been
Since none of Headland’s plans made it to the screen, this new information is likely nothing more than trivia for a show many would rather forget. Arguably, it hardly rises above an outline for some fan-fiction by someone who used to work on Star Wars.
(L-R): Director Leslye Headland and Lee Jung-Jae on the set of Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Those buying the art book might be better served by skipping the text and allowing the images to inspire fan-fiction of their own.
Do you think Headland was onto something connecting The Acolyte and the Star Wars sequels? Or is The Acolyte something you’d rather forget? Let us know in the comments!
Hedland has dirt on everyone, that’s how she’s in a job, it seems.
It could be worse, she could have tried to tie to one of the good Star Wars movies. Fortunately, by tying it to the sequels they can be collectively ignored.
I can’t believe people are actually pre-ordering this book. Considering the typical audience size for The Acolyte I would have bet money that it would only sell a handful of copies.
Absolutely no one cares.. This untalented DEI hire can suck a duck and go spit!