Disney+'s The Acolyte Just Added A Hunger Games Star To The High Republic

The High Republic, within the context of "Star Wars" lore, is a time of vast prosperity for the galaxy. This period of time lasted around 200 years and spanned from 300 BBY to 82 BBY, and for those without extensive knowledge of "Star Wars" terminology, BBY stands for "Before the Battle of Yavin," also known as the events of "Star Wars: A New Hope." Since its acquisition of "Star Wars," Disney has worked tirelessly to expand on the "Star Wars" universe, which has included a new film trilogy, spin-off movies like "Solo" and "Rogue One," and live-action television shows like "The Mandalorian," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Announced in 2020, "The Acolyte" is yet another addition to the growing collection of live-action shows from the House of the Mouse. Variety reported that the series showrunner and writer will be Leslye Headland of "Russian Doll" fame, and the series will have a female-centric focus. IMDb notes that "The Acolyte" has a tentative release date of August 11, 2023, but little else is known about the series other than its setting. However, we just got our first bit of casting news, and it looks like a "Hunger Games" star will be joining "The Acolyte."

On Friday, July 22, "Hunger Games" alumni Amandla Stenberg took to Instagram and posted a throwback-style photo of herself wearing a Darth Maul T-shirt and standing next to R2-D2 with the caption, "Next stop: a galaxy far, far away...I am so excited to finally announce I'm joining Star Wars: #TheAcolyte! Honored is an understatement. May the Force be with you." Stenberg is probably best known for her role as Rue in "Hunger Games," but she also appears in the television show "Sleepy Hollow," and starred in the movie "The Hate U Give." There is no official confirmation as to which character she will be playing, but she will be the primary protagonist of the series.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, showrunner Leslye Headland spoke about the period of time in which "The Acolyte" is set by saying that the upcoming show is set about 100 years before the events of "The Phantom Menace," so many of the characters that people love may not have been born yet and that she always wondered how the Sith were able to so effectively manipulate events in their favor. "How did we get to where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it?" she added. "What went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment? So that's what I would say. That's how I would describe it to my friends, especially my non-Star Wars friends." 

Stenberg's upcoming role on "The Acolyte" should hopefully be a robust addition to the "Star Wars" cast of characters, and one that expands on the High Republic — a period of time that has been woefully under-served in the main "Star Wars" canon.