The Acolyte is one of the many small screen entries of Star Wars on its Disney+ slate. Although the anticipation of fans has been mostly directed at Ahsoka and The Mandalorian, there's a lot to be excited about in the upcoming series, such as its exploration of the dark side of the Force.
Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland will serve as showrunner of the series. In addition, The Acolyte is being described as an action thriller with martial arts elements and it is said to be female-centric.
While a release date has not been set in stone, behind-the-scenes photos from The Acolyte revealed that the Star Wars series is beginning preparations for its production.
Now, a more concrete update has emerged.
The Acolyte Receives a Disappointing Release Update
The Bespin Bulletin revealed that The Acolyte is set to begin filming this October all the way through to May 2023, indicating that a potential 2024 release date could be expected for the series.
In the same report, Bespin Bulletin also unveiled a new batch of photos that showcase the development of an outdoor set that is being constructed behind Shinfield Studios in Berkshire, England.
The same outlet previously shared that the Star Wars series could debut during the Summer of 2023. However, this production delay might've pushed back its release date even further.
In relation, Nerdist recently noted that The Acolyte could be released in either late 2023 or early 2024, corroborating this potential timeline.
Why a Release Date Delay Benefits The Acolyte
A previous rumor from The Illuminerdi revealed that the initial plan was for The Acolyte to start filming in the Summer of 2022. However, this date was pushed, thus landing this October 2022 production start.
With filming expected to last for at least eight months (based on reports), it seems that an early 2024 release for The Acolyte is plausible, considering the timeframe for post-production and anticipated reshoots.
In many ways, this delay actually benefits The Acolyte since an early 2024 release window means that fans' attention will be directed solely to the series. At this stage, The Mandalorian Season 3 is expected to release sometime in early 2023 while Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew are also poised to premiere during the next fiscal year.
Given the unique exploration of storylines and themes that The Acolyte has to offer combined with its stellar cast led by Amandla Stenberg and Squid Game's Lee Jung-Jae, the upcoming Star Wars series has a golden opportunity to stand out similar to the success that Andor has been experiencing so far.
