How Leslye Headland Told The Story of ‘The Acolyte’ From the Sith’s Perspective
When Leslye Headland set out to write The Acolyte, she knew she wanted to turn the familiar Star Wars structure on its head and tell the show’s story from the point of view of the Sith.
To do so, however, Headland would have to roll back the clock and introduce audiences to the era of the High Republic, a time when the Jedi were at the height of their power and the Sith moved in the shadows.
“The logical conclusion would be to set this show in a time period where the Sith are the underdogs,” Headland said.
Photo: Deadline
Debuting today on Disney+, The Acolyte follows “an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems…”
Exploring a New Era of Star Wars History
As Headland and her team got to explore an era of Star Wars history that has never been shown on screen before, The Acolye had a sense of creative freedom about it.
Photo: Disney
“We actually can explore something new here and we don’t have to worry about stepping on anything else and preserving something else,” Headland noted.
Still, The Acolyte‘s story had its fair share of challenges.
“There’s a lot tonally to try to accomplish,” Headland explained. “I was hoping to have a combination of a darker tone, but still there would be a decent amount of fun and games, and then also an intriguing mystery.”
Lucasfilm Was Nothing But Supportive
While Headland is primarily known for her work on independent films, she is also a lifelong Star Wars fan. Still, actually entering a galaxy, far, far away, can be intimidating.
Luckily, Headland says she always had Lucasfilm’s support.
Photo: Lucasfilm
The showrunner says she was “overwhelmed by the support that I got from Lucasfilm.” Working on independent productions, Headland says she was “always fighting uphill to get something made. I had never been in the position where there were a dozen people cheering you on.”
This time around, however, Headland affirms that “a lot of people at Lucasfilm supporting me, my designers, my writers, my cast.”
Photo: Lucasfilm
“I felt like I had a vision and I had something that had a lot of merit and could work really well in this world,” Headland noted. “But I think without that level of support, it would have been difficult to walk that tightrope.”
The Dream Comes Ture
Now that The Acolyte has finally arrived, Headland got to see her name leading the credits of a Star Wars production. As a lifelong fan, it was a dream come true. Making the moment even more special was the second name that appeared in the credits — George Lucas himself.
Photo: Variety
“Don’t think I didn’t notice that,” Headland, who is a long-time Star Wars fan, said. “When I first saw that, my heartbeat quickened. That was one of the moments where it really felt real.”
Image: Star Wars
The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+.
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