"In an age of light...a darkness rises."
Lucasfilm has shared the first poster for Star Wars: The Acolyte, the upcoming Disney+ TV series which we now know launches on June 4.
The bloody one-sheet shows a lightsaber that, in place of an ignited blade, leaves us with the sort of violent imagery which is far from typical for the Star Wars franchise. The question is, who does that blood belong to?
A brief new synopsis for the series has also been released. "In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg)," it reads. "As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems..."
Nothing we've heard about this series suggests it's a "typical" Star Wars story and that's far from a bad thing. By taking us to The High Republic Era, the series has a chance to shed new light on the franchise's past and perhaps even lay the groundwork for what we saw in George Lucas' Star Wars prequels.
Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the studio has largely played it safe, mostly setting stories between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. However, by taking us to this time before The Phantom Menace, who knows where the story will take us?
Will this be the Sith "origin story" many fans are expecting? That remains to be seen, though speculation continues to run rampant that we might meet Palpatine's Master, the mysterious Darth Plagueis.
Check out the first poster for The Acolyte below and check back here tomorrow for the trailer!
The Acolyte will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era with the story of former Padawan who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The Acolyte comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
As noted, the next Star Wars TV series will premiere on Disney+ on June 4.