The Jedi Are Under Threat in the New Trailer for 'Star Wars' Murder-Mystery Series 'The Acolyte' 

What has Jedi, Wookiees, a spate of deaths, and a new villain swinging around a red lightsaber and wearing a zipper-faced black mask? According to the first trailer from back in March and the new sneak peek that's just dropped for May the fourth, The Acolyte does.

Star Wars, but make it a murder-mystery thriller? If that's your dream for a galaxy far, far away, it's looks like it's coming true in the sixth live-action series in the George Lucas-started sprawling saga to hit Disney+. This eight-episode effort will plunge into a grim spree — someone is killing Jedi — when it joins your streaming queue this winter, debuting its first two instalments on Tuesday, June 4.

The Acolyte follows a Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game) who is forced to face a mysterious warrior (Amandla Stenberg, Bodies Bodies Bodies) from his past when bodies start piling up. Also in the stacked cast: Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Jodie Turner-Smith (Sex Education) and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections).

Rebecca Henderson (You Hurt My Feelings), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) and Joonas Suotamo (who played Chewbacca in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) also co-star.

It was true in the first trailer and it remains that way now: the vibe in these two first glimpses is deeply moody, leaning into the dark side and filled with confrontation. Visually, there's a gloomier look to much of the trailers as well, with creator Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) adding something distinctive to the ever-expanding space-opera franchise.

Also different is the fact that The Acolyte takes place during High Republic era, which means that its events precede Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace by a century. Don't go expecting a heap of familiar faces popping up, then, whether Stenberg's assassin is attempting to slay Moss' Jedi, lightsabers are being swung, or a Wookiee or a never-bef0re-seen Sith are making an appearance.

On the small screen, The Acolyte slips into the Star Wars realm after The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor and Ahsoka, all of which have arrived since 2019. Both Andor and Ahsoka also have second seasons on the way.

Only one film in the saga has been released in that period, with The Rise of Skywalker closing out the third big-screen trilogy in the franchise just a month after The Mandalorian premiered. The next movie expected: The Mandalorian spinoff The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Check out the new trailer for The Acolyte below:

The Acolyte will stream via Disney+ from Tuesday, June 4, 2o24.

Images: ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.