Squid Games breakout star Lee Jung-Jae just joined The Acolyte, an upcoming series set in the Star Wars' High Republic period. According to Deadline, Jung-Jae has landed the male lead role in the series, which already counts with star Amandla Steinberg in another leading position and Jodie Turner-Smith.
Set a century before the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte will explore the moment of time when the Jedi were at the peak of their power. That sounds a game changer for the Star Wars universe, as the series will be the first live-action production to depart from the Skywalker Saga and explore new corners of a galaxy far, far away. It will also be interesting to learn more about what led the Jedi to become so entangled with the Republic’s political game that they lost touch with their original purpose: to protect the Galaxy from the Dark Side of the Force.
Jung-Jae helped turn Squid Games into an international success by playing the role of Gi-hun, a gambler who accepts to play a series of deadly games for a huge money prize. While Jung-Jae already had a prolific career in South Korea, the series allowed the whole world to see how much heart the star could put into his characters. The casting in a Star Wars series will help Jung-Jae with his Hollywood ascension. Besides that, the addition of Jung-Jae already teases a very interesting Lucasfilm production since The Acolyte sends a clear message about how diverse the Galaxy should really be by casting a South Korean actor in a leading position.
The Acolyte is being developed at Lucasfilm by Leslye Headland. While the series plot is being kept under absolute secrecy, Headland has previously confirmed the series will explain how a Sith Lord was able to infiltrate the Senate with ease while the Jedi were unaware of the danger. More information about the series should become available as the series starts shooting.
The Acolyte is part of the recent Star Wars expansion on Disney+ kickstarted by the success of The Mandalorian. Lucasfilm has also released limited series focused on beloved characters with The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano is ready to get her own solo series with Rosario Dawson in the leading role. It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan, as Disney is investing heavily in the franchise.
There’s still no release date for The Acolyte. The next Star Wars show to hit Disney+ is Andor, a prequel to Rogue One that premieres with three episodes on Disney+ on September 21. Check out Andor’s trailer below.