The Acolyte Update Raises Hopes For The Star Wars Show To a New Level
The huge budget suggests the series will show the High Republic era in all its glory.
The Acolyte, an upcoming Star Wars TV series, is still a long way from being released, but the anticipation seems to be getting less and less bearable for fans with each passing day.
Expectations for the show are extremely high for a variety of reasons. One is that the action will take place during the High Republic era, which hasn't yet been explored in films or other TV shows. And to make things even more exciting, a recent update suggests that the creators have more than enough funding to show the High Republic era in all its glory.
According to Forbes, pre-production for the series cost Disney a whopping $49.2 million, which is $5.5 million more than what was spent on pre-production for the entirety of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
It is also only 17% less than the pre-production costs for Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, which is quite impressive for a TV show without any long-running Star Wars actors in the cast. And while pre-production for another Star Wars show, Andor, cost 38% more, this was dictated by the COVID restrictions that were in effect during the filming of the project.
This news has raised fans' hopes and expectations to a new level, as the big budget suggests that we might see more colorful locations and battles. Since the show is set during the end of the High Republic era, it means that the Jedi Order is at its peak, and considering that the story will involve the Sith, this will most likely provide for a lot of lightsaber duels.
However, fans hope that the creators will avoid the mistake of the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series, where the lightsabers were too bright, which actively damaged the fight scenes.
With a solid cast and a whole new time period to explore, The Acolyte has every chance to be a huge success, although it is always better to keep expectations in check.
There are also rumors that Keanu Reeves will make a cameo appearance in the series, with fans speculating that he could play none other than Darth Revan, but no official confirmation has been made so far.
A release date for the new show hasn't been announced yet, and although it was expected sometime in 2024, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes could delay it even further.