Amandla Stenberg is joining the Star Wars universe.
Stenberg is set to lead the upcoming Disney Plus live-action Star Wars series, series The Acolyte.
The mystery-thriller hails from Leslye Headland and will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. For context, the High Republic era is said to have ended about 50 years prior to the events of “The Phantom Menace.”
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Details on what character Stenberg would play are being kept under tight wraps, but an acolyte in the “Star Wars” universe has typically referred to a Sith who has just begun their training under an experienced Sith Lord. This, of course, was prior to Sith Lord Darth Bane instituting the Rule of Two, under which there are only ever two Sith in existence at a time — one master and one apprentice.
Headland will serve as writer, executive producer and showrunner. The Acolyte is set to begin production in 2022.
The show is among the next wave of Star Wars projects headed to Disney+. The upcoming projects include The Ahsoka Tano series, The Book of Boba Fett, and the in-development spinoffs of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor.
The Ahsoka Tano series led by Rosario Dawson has also begun to build out its cast, with both Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Ivanna Sakhno signing onto that series. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series and the Cassian Andor series are both in current development with returning stars Ewan McGregor and Diego Luna, respectively.
Up next in the franchise is The Book of Boba Fett which will debut on Disney Plus on Dec. 29.
Stenbergs’ credits include The Hate U Give, Dear Evan Hansen, The Hunger Games, Everything, Everything and more. They’s upcoming projects include Bodies, Bodies and Ozi.