The Acolyte is heading to Disney+ next week. As with most modern Star Wars things, it’s had its critics before it even came out. But it can’t be denied there hasn’t been an effort to give the fandom a balance of fan-pleasing Star Wars goodness and genuinely fresh perspectives. Indeed, Ghanaian-American writer Jocelyn Bioh has recalled how her lack of Star Wars knowledge got her a job. With its creator seeking a different take on the mega-franchise.
In an interview with The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland, we got a bit more insight into how the Star Wars fan made sure to have a writing team that wasn’t all necessarily into Star Wars.
The Acolyte writer Jocelyn Bioh wasn’t a ‘Star Wars devotee’
Jocelyn Bioh briefly chimes in on the interview. She tells the story of how her simplistic idea of what Star Wars is was exactly what Headland wanted to hear.
“Leslye wanted this show to be accessible — no homework needed before watching,” said Jocelyn Bioh. Headland added Bioh to the writing team for The Acolyte specifically because Bioh was not a Star Wars devotee.
“She asked me what I knew about ‘Star Wars,’ and my answer was, ‘Harrison Ford runs around space with a giant dog?’” Bioh recalled, laughing. “And Leslye said, ‘You’re hired.’”
“She wanted to potentially invite in new fans — people like me,” Bioh said.
The interview also features Lucasfilm’s President Kathleen Kennedy. She commented on the treatment of women in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars: The Acolyte is set during the High Republic, approximately 100 years before The Phantom Menace. An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.”
The Acolyte stars Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The first two episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte premiere on June 4, 2024, on Disney+. The next six episodes will be released weekly.
