Known for his breakout role in Squid Games, Lee Jung-Jae has joined the cast of The Acolyte, a new Star Wars series set in the High Republic era. Deadline reports that Jung-Jae has been cast as the male protagonist in the series, which also features Amandla Steinberg and Jodie Turner-Smith. The Acolyte will examine the time when the Jedi were at their most powerful, a century before the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The series will be the first live-action Star Wars production to diverge from the Skywalker Saga and explore uncharted territory in that vast and mysterious galaxy.
Understanding why the Jedi became so involved in the political game of the Republic and forgot their mission to safeguard the Galaxy from the Dark Side of the Force would be fascinating as well. The character of Gi-hun, a gambler who agrees to participate in a series of deadly games for a massive cash reward, which Jung-Jae played, contributed to the film’s success across the world. Although Jung-Jae was already well-known in South Korea, the series gave viewers elsewhere a chance to observe the emotional investment the actor could muster for his roles. Jung-Hollywood Jae’s career would benefit from him being cast in a Star Wars series.
The Acolyte’s hiring of a South Korean actor in a key role sends a strong statement about how varied the Galaxy should actually be, therefore his addition alone promises a highly fascinating Lucasfilm production. Leslye Headland, a Lucasfilm employee, is working on The Acolyte. The series’ narrative is being kept under wraps, although Headland has said the show would explain how a Sith Lord infiltrated the Senate undetected by the Jedi. As filming on the series begins, more details will become accessible. The Acolyte is a part of Disney+’s ongoing Star Wars expansion, beginning with The Mandalorian and continuing with other shows including The Resistance and The Last Jedi.
Lucasfilm has also published limited series centred on fan-favourite characters, such as The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and now Ahsoka Tano will receive her own solo series with Rosario Dawson at the helm. A Star Wars fan could not live in a better time, what with Disney pouring so much money into the series. The Acolyte has not yet been scheduled for publication. On September 21, Disney+ will release the first three episodes of Andor, a Star Wars series that serves as a prologue to Rogue One.