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The Acolyte Preview Spotlights Lee Jung-jae's Jedi Master Sol (VIDEO)
Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) gets the spotlight in a new preview of Leslye Headland's (Russian Bride) The Acolyte - arriving on June 4th.
Set in a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers during the final days of the High Republic era, the Lucasfilm & Disney+ series sees former Padawan Mae (Amandla Stenberg ) collide with respected Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) while investigating a series of crimes. But the deeper their investigation goes, the more they realize that the forces they are about to confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. On June 4th, Leslye Headland's (Russian Bride) Star Wars: The Acolyte will take viewers back to where it all began – when things began taking a turn towards the dark side. Now – with only weeks to go until its June 4th premiere – viewers are getting a chance to know the major players a little better…
In the following featurette, we get a chance to hear from Lee Jung-jae, his co-stars, and the creative team behind the series as they offer some additional insights into what Sol is all about. In addition, the actor shares what it's been like since joining the "Star Wars" universe and much more – here's a look:
The Acolyte Honors/Challenges "Star Wars" Ethos: Amandla Stenberg
During an interview with C Magazine, Stenberg shared how Headland pitched to series to her. "All the artwork was conceptualized with my face, and Leslye was like, 'So I've been working on this for about three or four years for you. I don't know what I'm going to do if you don't do it. No pressure," Stenberg revealed. "So I was sent to the moon, of course."
Filmed mostly at Shinfield Studios in Berkshire, England, Stenberg found the experience quite different from past productions. "The crews are so hardcore, they're so hardworking, and it's very kind of hierarchical and competitive, and people work their asses off. It's very different, I think, than what I've experienced on most American sets," she explained. Another big difference between The Acolyte and Stenberg's previous work? "I have a really, really heavy load in this show, an abnormal load," she adds.
While she's understandably under strict "no spoilers" watch, Stenberg was able to discuss the show's thematic goals and the perspective that it's taking. "In the context of the Star Wars universe, it's a time of great peace, theoretically. It's also a time of an institution, and it's a time in which conceptions around the Force are very strict. And I think what we're trying to explore within our show is when an institution has a singular conception of how power can be used…we try to provide a lot of different perspectives and answers to that question," Stenberg explained. "The idea is to kind of honor the ethos of Star Wars and ideas around the Force and also challenge them, hopefully harmoniously."
Disney+, Lucasfilm, and Headland's The Acolyte stars Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Margarita Levieva (Revenge, The Deuce), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), and Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo as the Wookie Jedi Kel Naka. Headland directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102) – with directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) rounding out the lineup of directors. Along with Headland, Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef will executive produce (with Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson set to produce).