How Leslye Headland Turned ‘The Acolyte’ From a Dream Into Reality
The next chapter in the Star Wars story will be written on June 4, when The Acolyte premieres on Disney+.
Set roughly 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace in the era of the High Republic, The Acolyte will tell its narrative from the perspective of a former Jedi who has fallen to the Dark side.
![The Acolyte](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-19-at-10-42-48-The-Acolyte-Official-Trailer-Disney-YouTube-e1710865255163-1024x407.png)
![The Acolyte](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-19-at-10-42-48-The-Acolyte-Official-Trailer-Disney-YouTube-e1710865255163-1024x407.png)
Photo: Lucasfilm
“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 show’s synopsis reads.
Art Imitates Life
When coming up with the show’s unique perspective, showrunner Leslye Headland took inspiration from her own life.
![Lesley Headland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/leslye-headland-file-gty-jef-190909_hpMain_16x9_1600-1024x576.jpg)
![Lesley Headland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/leslye-headland-file-gty-jef-190909_hpMain_16x9_1600-1024x576.jpg)
Image: Getty
“I have a very strained relationship with my youngest sister, and I feel like one of the reasons it is strained is that we both see each other as the bad guy,” Headland told the New Yok Times. “And if I was going to tell a story about bad guys, it seemed to me that the place to start should be a familial relationship where one person is adamantly convinced of her correctness and the other person is also adamantly convinced of her correctness.”
Pitching The Series
After achieving success as the co-creator of the Netflix series Russian Doll, Headland reached out to Luafilm about producing a Star Wars series. As a lifelong fan of the franchise, creating her own Star Wars story was a dream come true.
![Star Wars](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1280px-Star_Wars_Logo.svg-1024x618.png)
![Star Wars](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1280px-Star_Wars_Logo.svg-1024x618.png)
Image: Star Wars
“I essentially cold-called Lucasfilm and, after a lot of conversations, found myself pitching a show — utterly elated, my ultimate career goal, the culmination of my fandom,” Headland said. “At the same time, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. There is so much pressure. It’s extreme. I had never done anything this big before.”
After reading the initial drafts of The Acolyte, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy was moved by the story. She did, however, have one piece of advice for the showrunner.
![Kathleen Kennedy](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Kathleen_Kennedy_Hollywood_Reporter_1_a_h.jpg)
![Kathleen Kennedy](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Kathleen_Kennedy_Hollywood_Reporter_1_a_h.jpg)
Photo: Hollywood Reporter
“You’ve written a great Star Wars show,” Kennedy said. “Now go write a Leslye Headland show.”
Early Reviews
While The Acolyte has yet to premiere on Disney+, early reviews of the series have been overwhelmingly positive. The series’ characters, tone, and writing have been highlighted in early reviews.
Although the series will still have to withstand the scrutiny of the ever-fickle Star Wars fandom, so far, it sounds like Headland has delivered.
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