As fans anticipated the potential announcements for several upcoming Star Wars projects at this year's D23, Deadline reports that Queen & Slim star Jodie Turner-Smith is in talks to star in The Acolyte, an upcoming series set for Disney+. Production on the show is reportedly set to commence in London later this fall.
While the announcement revealed little information about the series and who Turner-Smith will be playing, The Acolyte is reportedly set to take place during the end of the High Republic era, long before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and will focus on the secrecy of the dark side, the Sith, and its emerging powers. More information about the series, such as further casting and plot details, will likely be revealed as production gears up.
Alongside the appearance of Turner-Smith, it was previously reported that Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) would also star in the series in an undisclosed role. Disney initially announced the series alongside other upcoming projects during their Investor Day meeting in December 2020, which led many to speculate about the mysterious nature of the show and its exciting premise. With the show focusing on the dark side of the force during an early era, The Acolyte could be an exciting series for fans to look out for when it debuts on Disney+ in the future.
Alongside The Acolyte, Turner-Smith is also set to appear in White Noise, an upcoming comedy film set to be released on Netflix this December. She will also star in The Independent, a political thriller with John Cena (Peacemaker) and Brian Cox (Succession). Outside The Independent, she also stars in the upcoming Netflix film Murder Mystery 2, a sequel to the Adam Sandler-starring comedy.
As fans continue to anticipate and speculate about the eventual release of The Acolyte, they can also look out for several upcoming shows such as Andor, which serves as a Rogue One spinoff and will debut on Disney+ later this month. Following Andor, other Star Wars projects in development for fans to look out for include The Mandalorian Season 3, which premieres next February, and Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson, which will be released sometime in 2023.
Due to the film's status in early production, no release date for The Acolyte has been set yet. Check out the official trailer for Andor, which debuts on Disney+ later this month, below: