We’re less than two months away from the premiere of The Acolyte, the new live-action Star Wars series from Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland. It marks the first project to take place during the High Republic, a period of time that saw the Jedi at the height of their power before The Phantom Menace laid the groundwork for their downfall.
Speaking of The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte reportedly has an ambitious goal in mind regarding the classic film. Dafne Keen, who plays Jedi Jecki Lon, recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the martial arts-based series is hoping to top the iconic lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul. It’s arguably one of the best lightsaber fights across the nine-film Skywalker Saga, so The Acolyte is writing one pretty huge check.
“That was a very frequent conversation we had,” Keene said. “It was very much: We want to top the Darth Maul fight — the most iconic fight, I think, in the Star Wars cinematic universe. It’s such an amazing fight and we were all so excited about the saber fights. There’s such a skill and a craft to it that it feels so OG Star Wars and feels so impressive when you see it as a viewer.”
According to Keene, she and the cast went through intensive fight training for The Acolyte, but she ran into a problem when it came time to actually wield a lightsaber on set.
“I kept smiling,” Keene told EW. “I was so excited and they kept having to come up to me and be like, ‘Dafne, you need to stop smiling. You’re fighting someone.’ And I’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m sorry. This is just so fun. I love this.'”
Here’s the official synopsis:
In Star Wars: The Acolyte, 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 premieres June 4 on Disney+.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
