Star Wars fans are eagerly anticipating the release of the upcoming Disney+ series, The Acolyte, which promises to be a groundbreaking addition to the franchise. Here’s what we know so far:
Sith-Focused Story Set In Pre-Prequel Era
The Acolyte is the first live-action pre-prequel era story in the Star Wars franchise’s history. The series will explore the origins of the Sith and their infiltration of the Jedi Order, asking questions such as “How did we get here? And why are the Jedi like this?” leading into The Phantom Menace.
Although no solid release date has been confirmed, The Acolyte is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2024. Filming is currently underway in the United Kingdom.
Record-Breaking Runtime
According to a recent listing, The Acolyte will feature eight episodes, each approximately 60 minutes in length. This would make at least one episode the longest live-action Disney+ Star Wars episode to date, surpassing The Bad Batch’s premiere runtime of 1 hour and 11 minutes. The Mandalorian Season 3 currently holds the record for the longest live-action episode, with its third episode running 56 minutes and 11 seconds.
In line with Other Star Wars Streaming Cohorts The Acolyte’s episode count of eight puts it in line with other Star Wars streaming series, such as The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2, which also have eight episodes each.
Legitimacy Of Runtimes
While some may question the legitimacy of the episode runtimes listed on an agency site for the project’s Intimacy Coordinator Adelaide Waldrop, it’s worth noting that the other titles listed on the site have correct episode counts and runtimes. Additionally, while not every episode of The Acolyte may be exactly 60 minutes, fans can expect the series to run on the longer side, getting closer to an hour than some of its streaming brethren.
Breaking New Ground
The Acolyte is breaking new ground in the Star Wars franchise as the first Sith-led project. Star Dafne Keen describes it as “kind of an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi.” This new perspective is sure to add an exciting layer to the already beloved Star Wars universe.
