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A galaxy far, far away unfolds one of the most shocking crimes ever to come in “Acolyte,” starring Amandla Stenberg and written by Leslye Headland.
“Extra” spoke with Amandla and Leslie about bringing a new level of confrontation to the “Star Wars” universe.
In this special episode of the series, Amandla had the opportunity to show off her incredible violin skills by playing the Star Wars theme tune on her grandfather’s instrument.
They said, “I’ve tried to play other violins before, but it just never felt right… I feel like my grandfather is there with me, like a guardian angel. So to be able to be with him in that moment and have the incredible honor and privilege of playing the Star Wars theme as part of the family was just amazing.”
Disney has high hopes for the series, investing $50 million in pre-production.
“You can expect a lot of action, a lot of intrigue,” Leslie said.
The show has already received rave reviews and generated a lot of buzz. “It’s hard for me to understand,” Amandla said.
Talking about her preparation for all the action, Amandla revealed that she started training six weeks before filming began.
They revealed, “I got so obsessed with my skills that I overtrained at times. I would tape crosses to cardboard boxes and trace them over and over with a knife. Then I graduated to learning how to throw punches.”
In the show, Lee Jung-jae plays a Jedi Master who reunites with his former student, played by Amandla, to investigate a shocking crime.
Lee told Extra that he was honored to play the Jedi Master, saying, “I wanted to be inspired by the great actors who have played Jedi before me, so I just watched the whole thing in one go.”
Rebecca Henderson plays fan-favorite Jedi Master Vernestra, who joked, “Vernestra means a lot to a lot of people, and I think people are really excited to see what she’ll do.”
Rebecca also featured co-star Jodie Turner-Smith, who played the powerful leader of the witches’ coven.
The role is “close to home” for Jodie, as “she’s playing the role of mother to the girls,” she said.
In real life, Jodie is a mother to a daughter, Juno, with ex-husband Joshua Jackson.
“Acolyte” is available to stream on Disney+.
