Lee Jung-jae cast as lead in new Star Wars series ‘The Acolyte’

Lee Jung-jae, who rose to international stardom for his role in Netflix’s “Squid Game,” is joining one of history’s biggest film franchises as the male lead in the new Star Wars series, “The Acolyte.”

Lee will star alongside Amandla Stenberg, Deadline first reported. Jodie Turner-Smith (“Queen & Slim,” “Anne Boleyn”) was also announced as part of the cast for the Lucasfilm project.

Leslye Headland serves as showrunner, writer and director of the series, which is currently in development at Disney Plus and is expected to begin production in late fall.

While details for “The Acolyte” have mostly been kept under wraps, Disney Plus revealed in a 2020 announcement that the show is a “mystery thriller that will take us into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging Dark Side powers.”

The series is set in the final days of the High Republic, about 200 years before the timeline set in George Lucas’ prequels. It was a time of peace, when the Jedi Order was at its height and the evil Sith Lords had yet to begin their reign of terror.

Lee has been highly sought after by international studios after his performance in last year’s global sensation “Squid Game.” The Korean series has earned 14 nominations at the 2022 Emmy Awards, where Lee is in the running for the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

It was also recently announced that Lee and his “Squid Game” co-star Jung Ho-yeon will be presenters at the Primetime Emmy Awards scheduled for Monday.

Featured Image via Netflix

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