As we count down to The Acolyte, the show reveals more of the lightsaber action in store. 

Updated 20/05/24: With just over two weeks until The Acolyte lands in a double-premiere, Disney+ are running a new shorter trailer.

With an emphasis on the show’s action aspects, there’s a couple of new key shots.

First up, we spotted a purple lightsabre, (the colour favoured by Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy, but it appears to also have a whip function.  So that’s a lightsaber whip? A “lightwhip”?

Secondly, there’s a good look at the Jedi Wookiee Kelnacca, played by Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo who inherited the hairy role from the late Peter Mayhew for the sequel trilogy and Solo.

There are comments from the actor in the June issue of Empire, which has the show on its front cover and speaks to the main cast.

The Acolyte begins with that two-episode premiere on 4th June, 2024. Subsequent episodes in the eight-part show land weekly.

Original article (of 07/05/24) follows…

The Acolyte – Second Trailer for the new Star Wars series

Plus, Skeleton Crew aims for a December launch date.  

With a month to go, the official Star Wars site has dropped a second trailer for its new series The Acolyte.

The show is set during era of “The High Republic” – years before the events of the Skywalker Saga – and gives us the Jedi Order at its prime.

Here’s the premise:

In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….

The eight-part show is described as a mystery-thriller full of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers.

Showrunner Leslye Headland says

“I hope audiences embrace the duality that exists in every character in the show. The show is an onion. Each episode peels away to reveal something else. I hope the experience of watching it is both suspenseful and satisfying.”

Headland directs the opening two episodes, with Kogonada, Alex Garcia Lopez and Hanelle Culpepper also helming two each.

Poster

The Acolyte also has a shiny new poster to showcase its characters – the assassin Mae (Amandla Stenberg), Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss), the Wookie Master Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), Master Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson), and the rest of the Jedi Order

The Acolyte begins with a two-episode premiere on 4th June, 2024. Subsequent episodes in the eight-part show will drop weekly.

Skeleton Crew for Christmas?

Meanwhile, in the Mandoverse-era of Star Wars, Collider has an interview with Skeleton Crew‘s Jon Watts. He confirmed to them as the recent CCXP event that his show is aiming for a December launch.

Skeleton Crew follows four kids as they navigate a dangerous galaxy in search of their way home.

While there’s a scarcity of official information on the show so far, we know it features Jude Law, Kerry Condon and a cast of child actors; Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, and Robert Timothy Smith. The wider cast also includes Tunde Abedimpe, Michael C. Bradford, Cass Buggé and M.J. Kang.

There’s no suggestion of any crossovers so far, but we wouldn’t be overly surprised to see a Mando and Grogu cameo.

As well as Jon Watts, the show’s directors are David Lowery, The Daniels, Jake Scherier, Lee Isaac Chung and Bryce Dallas Howard.

There’s also a fascinating piece on Collider about Skeleton Crew‘s use of stop motion techniques and matte paintings, rather than creating the whole show in the digital realm.

We’ll keep you posted on Skeleton Crew.