THE FORCE AWAKENS

A Jedi Master hunts a mysterious killer in a Star Wars origin series

- SEAN MARLAND

NEW SCI-FI

The Acolyte
From Wed 5 June, Disney+ (first two episodes from 5 June, then weekly)

Take a trip back to the very start of the Star Wars saga in this much- anticipated new series about the fall of the Jedi Order and the origins of their dark enemies, the Sith.

Set 100 years before the events of the first movie, Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the eight-part series takes place during the days of the High Republic, when the Jedi were all powerful.

It begins with respected Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) being sent to investigate a series of mysterious cases, which suggest someone is killing members of his Order.

‘Sol has a great sense of responsibility. As a Jedi Master, he is a highly skilled fighter, but he’s also someone who is willing to risk everything to protect peace,’ explains Lee, who found global fame as the star of Netflix hit Squid Game.

The South Korean star was the personal choice of The Acolyte’s creator, Leslye Headland, and learnt English especially for the role.

‘I had a hard time because there were so many English lines,’ he reveals. ‘If The Acolyte wasn’t a Star Wars series, I would have rejected it. But who could say no to Star Wars?’