TheStar WarsDisney+ shows should be unique and fascinating explorations of the massive open universe of the film franchise. That was, presumably, the goal. Movies are more expensive, giving them an expectation of prestige. The shows can exist in another space, but Disney has rarely used that power.Andoraside,Star Warsshows have been even more risk-averse than the films in many cases.The Acolytelooks like something new, providing a new space to play in the galaxy far far away.
Live-actionStar Warsshows suffer the same problems as their big-screen comrades. They exist primarily tosell Disney+ subscriptions, which is a questionable business model. Disney has an unusual path to streaming success. Services like Netflix have to crank out new IP to guarantee long-term support. Disney came equipped with several massive entertainment empires, leaving only the question of execution. Disney routinely struggles with its shows, but a touch of experimentation could fix that.
June 4th, 2024
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Streaming On
Disney+
The Acolytetakes place a century before the eventsofThe Phantom Menace. Despite the ostensible eons of timeStar Warscould explore, the first prequel remains the earliest period in its timeline to date. This new series will be the first on-screen exploration of the High Republic Era. Its place in the timeline is far from the only deviation from the norm.The Acolyteis a crime drama taking inspiration from martial arts movies. While many previousStar Warsprojects featured elements of mystery or crime, none have locked down that genre.The Acolytefollows a Jedi Master as he struggles to solve a series of high-profile murders. The culprit, he’ll discover, is his former Padawan. While the overarching plot will involve investigation and discovery, the immediate conflicts are stripped down and direct. The trailers reveal several hand-to-hand fight scenes that feel unique intheStar Warsfranchise.
Creator and showrunner Leslye Headland cites several sources of inspiration. Perhaps the most interesting example is Akira Kurosawa’sRashomon. The 1950 samurai drama popularized the idea of covering a single event from several perspectives, unpacking a narrative through multiple unreliable narrators. This concept will likely appear inThe Acolyte, where the central murders may take the place of the dead samurai. Headland alsomentioned wuxia films bycreators like King Hu and Shaw Brothers Studio. Wuxia exists outside the martial arts movie subgenre, but shares some similar elements. These points of inspiration deviate heavily from George Lucas’s usual source material. The originalStar Warsfilms borrowed heavily from Kurosawa, butRashomonis new to the franchise. Some argue that wuxia provides more of the franchise’s DNA than samurai movies, but more explicit references will impact the presentation. Changing the ingredients will change the resulting outcome.
FutureStar Warsshows should play with genre
Many of the Disney+Star Warsseries struggled to differentiate themselves from the material fans have seen in the movies. Ostensibly,The Mandalorianis a western,The Book of Boba Fettis a crime drama, andAndoris a political thriller. OnlyAndormaintains any measurable element of its presumed genre.The Mandalorianonce felt like a classic space western, leaning into the cowboy elements that inspired the original trilogy to create a new sense of adventure. Unfortunately, future seasons abandoned that unique direction to lean into the classic blend.The Book of Boba Fettbarely maintainedfocus on its main character, let alone any expectation of genre trappings.Obi-WanandAhsokaleaned into familiar tropes, promising the most straightforward experience by delivering something inspired more by classicStar Warsthan anything else.Star Warscan’t continue to exist as a reference to itself. It needs fresh blood.
GenresStar Warsshould explore
Most currentStar Warsprojects remain quiet. It’s hard to say what’s coming next, aside from the second season ofAndorand theMandalorian and Grogumovie. They’ve gotLEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, a broad comedy miniseries designed to celebrate the collaboration between the sci-fi franchise and the beloved building toys.Skeleton Crewseems to be a coming-of-age story about young children falling into theStar Warsuniverse. These could be new frontiers, but there are so many other potential innovations.Star Warscould include a horror series on the level of something likeAmerican Horror Story. It could create war stories in a fictional universe. The franchise that gave the worldThe Empire Strikes Backcan put together a science fiction rival toGame of Thrones. All it needs is a willingness to take risks and try new things.
The Acolyteisn’t out yet. The crew may have lied about their inspirations or lost everything special about the show in round after round of studio notes. If the show fails because it fallsshort of its ambitions, it will at least be a worthwhile lesson. If it fails because Disney took another interesting idea and hammered it into the same bland mess, it’s a suitable reason for all but the most devoted fans to stop tuning in.The Acolytecould lead worlds of newStar Warsshows to find something new to say in the galaxy far far away.
