SUMMARY
  • Leslye Headland talks about the fight sequences in Star Wars: The Acolyte.
  • Fans are disappointed with show runner stating she wanted to top some of the most iconic fight sequences in cinema for The Acolyte.
  • Leslye Headland teases the storyline she'd like to explore in Season 2.

Created by Leslye Headland, Star Wars: The Acolyte is a television series that follows a Jedi Master investigating a series of crimes. The Jedi Master, while investigating, comes into contact with his former Padawan learner. The events in the show are set before the events of the Skywalker Saga and at the end of the High Republic era.

Leslye Headland's The Acolyte
Leslye Headland explains the action in the series | Lucasfilm

The ensemble cast of the action-adventure series includes Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, and more. The first season of The Acolyte premiered on June 4th, 2024, and has received mixed reactions from critics and ardent Star Wars fans who labeled the series ‘woke’. The showrunner recently detailed the action sequence in the series.

Leslye Headland compares the action sequences in The Acolyte to The Matrix

In a recent interview with Collider, the showrunner of Star Wars: The Acolyte Leslye Headland was asked about the action sequence in the series. She said,

Second unit director Chris Cowan and I were shooting for immortality. We were like, ‘We are f**king going for it. We want to top Duel of Fates; we want to top the train station in The Matrix. We will settle for nothing less.’ I will leave it up to the viewer as to whether or not we achieved that, but in my heart of hearts, I was like, ‘We achieved that’. As far as I’m concerned.

Talking further about the action sequences in the series, the showrunner noted that she has always loved the artistry of the fight sequence, along with the wirework and everything that the stunt team does. She acknowledged that Lee Jung-jae, who plays the Jedi Master in the show, does his action. Headland added that his expressions and the way he conveys both confidence and frustration about wanting to defeat his competition are commendable.

Leslye Headland's The Acolyte
Leslye Headland praised Lee Jung-jae for his performance | Lucasfilm

As soon as the showrunner commented that she desired to top the Matrix’s iconic action sequence, it did not sit right with the fans who took to their social media accounts to express their opinion. A user wrote, ‘All that just for me to say it didn’t top it, not even remotely close’.

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Another user commented that the fight sequences in the series didn’t even go where she aimed for them to go. Fans wanted the showrunner to work on the storyline more than the fight sequence. A fan mentioned that ‘Duel of the Fates is the most iconic fight scene ever; there is no way she is going to top that with her shitty writing and, not to forget, the unforgettable irritating music.’

Some users mentioned that the fights were good, but not that good for her to say that they surpassed the most iconic ones. The reaction to the series hasn’t exactly been how Headland had expected it to be, but there is a community that does like what she has decided to showcase on-screen, but mostly her show couldn’t impress the ardent Star Wars fans.

Leslye Headland gives an update about The Acolyte Season 2

The Acolyte season one has come to an end, with those who liked the show waiting for season two updates. Leslye Headland, in her conversation with Inverse, noted that she does not know if there is going to be season two or not. She was, however, asked about what she was going to explore if she did get Season 2, to which she said,

I am really excited about the prospect of the Mae-Vernestra relationship. I really love the idea that Vernestra now has in her hands a force-sensitive, powerful woman who is, at this point, docile enough that Vernestra would be able to educate and form an allegiance with. So that was very exciting for me to set up.

Leslye Headland's The Acolyte
Amandla Stenberg in The Acolyte | Lucasfilm

She noted that she would like to explore Osha and the Stranger’s relationship as well in season two, pointing out that it’s the juiciest relationship and that she has ideas on how she’d like to explore the power dynamics them.

Headland mentioned that she would also like to dwell on Osha’s character growth as a warrior and see her with a lightsaber. The show runner revealed that she has been talking to Lucasfilm executive Pablo Hidalgo about some characters from the High Republic she’d like to explore in Season 2.

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She noted that it warmed her heart when she got to know about #RenewTheAcolyte, and she added that she felt like people were invested in the story she was trying to tell.

All episodes of The Acolyte are streaming on Disney+.

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