Lee Jung-Jae is headed to a galaxy far, far away with the new Star Wars Disney+ series, The Acolyte. A Deadline report confirmed the news on Sept. 8, as the actor prepares for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards next week. Jung-Jae rose to global stardom last year when he starred in Squid Game as Seong Gi-hun, the main character of the series, which shattered records for Netflix and streaming in general.
The casting is a big win for Disney and Lucasfilm, as Jung-Jae became an in-demand actor in 2021. Squid Game was the biggest launch of all time for Netflix, and a year later, it still holds the top spot after Stranger Things 4 failed to meet the global heights of the Korean drama series. The Acolyte will be the first major studio role following Jung-Jae’s breakout performance, and he’s joining one of the biggest franchises in the world. The actor proved his ability to hang with the best of the best in Hollywood throughout his performance in Squid Game. Jung-Jae currently holds an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and he hopes to turn this into an Emmy win on Sept. 12.
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Details surrounding his character are being kept under wraps, and you can expect to find out more as we inch toward the release set for 2023. Hunt is the latest project for Jung-Jae, which the actor starred in and directed. The film is a spy movie based on the 1980s National Security Planning. Hunt was released theatrically in South Korea on Aug. 10.
There’s A Lot of Hype Surrounding The Acolyte
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The Acolyte is described as a series taking its viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. In the Star Wars universe, an acolyte refers to an individual with force abilities they learned from a Sith Lord. The Acolyte showrunner says the crew was heavily inspired by The Phantom Menace, which should be a breath of fresh air for Disney+ as most of the available shows focus on a period after the prequel trilogy.
Lee-Jung Jae isn’t alone in the series, as two cast members, including the female lead of the series, have previously been announced. Amandla Sternberg will join The Acolyte opposite Jung-Jae in starring roles, while Jodie Turner-Smith rounds out the three cast members announced thus far. The Acolyte is currently headed for Disney+ next year, scheduled to arrive on the streaming platform on Aug. 11, 2023.
