The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland recently discussed the influences behind the new mystery-thriller Star Wars series.

The Acolyte is an ambitious new series set in the Star Wars universe, which takes place during a previously unexplored era of the space-opera franchise. The series is created by Leslye Headland, who also serves as the showrunner, and follows a Jedi Master and former Padawan’s quest to solve a series of unsettling murders.

Amandla Sternberg as Mae in The Acolyte
Ahead of the show’s premiere later this year, Headland discussed the themes and inspirations behind the series. During an interview, Headland revealed certain aspects of the series were inspired by elements from the Star Wars franchise that had previously been sidelined under producer Kathleen Kennedy. Here is how these elements inspired Headland’s The Acolyte.

The Acolyte Showrunner Leslye Headland Reveals Star Wars Extended Universe Inspiration

Lee Jung-jae as Sol in The Acolyte
Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is the mind behind the live-action series The Acolyte, which is set in the Star Wars universe’s High Republic era. The series recently dropped its first trailer online, sparking excitement for the mystery-thriller series.

After the trailer’s release, Headland gave an in-depth interview to StarWars.com, wherein she discussed the influences for the series. Headland revealed that she adapted some elements from the franchise’s now de-canonized Expanded Universe media. She said:
“There’s also some EU lore that I decided to put in because I thought it was so cool and no one told me I couldn’t.”

While Headland hinted that some major EU lore would factor into the show’s early and latter episodes, the showrunner did not comment on the details of these elements. Nonetheless, Headland’s words made it clear that The Acolyte would canonize at least some parts of the EU.

The Star Wars Extended Universe Was Previously Erased Under Kathleen Kennedy

For the uninitiated, the Star Wars Extended Universe was a multi-media franchise of stories set in the universe created by George Lucas, which was adjacent to the prequel and original trilogy of Star Wars films. The term was previously used for all Star Wars media other than the films, and the Clone Wars animated series produced before April 2014.
A still from Star Wars: High Republic novels
In 2014, after Disney purchased Lucasfilm, it was announced that the EU stories would no longer be considered canon. Instead, these pieces of media were rebranded as Star Wars Legends. According to a press release, this decision was taken to allow new filmmakers to have complete creative freedom while carving the sequel trilogy, which was in development under Kathleen Kennedy at the time.

Almost a decade after Kennedy distinguished and simplified the Star Wars canon by erasing the EU lore, it seems the franchise will inevitably return to it with Headland’s new show. Of course, this isn’t the first time the EU lore has influenced the main Star Wars canon as Grand Admiral Thrawn remains a prime example.

The character originally introduced in the EU media, was later canonized in Star Wars Rebels and made his live-action debut in Ahsoka. Therefore, given Headland’s recent comments and the rich history and lore of the EU, it will be interesting to see which elements will be canonized in The Acolyte. The eight-episode first season of The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ on June 4, 2024.