It looks like the upcoming Disney PlusStar WarsshowThe Acolytemight be shying away from too much CGI in favor of more practical effects and creatures. Series star Amandla Stenberg seemed to hint as much in a recent interview, suggesting a rather grounded feel to this new story set in a galaxy far, far away.
There’s always abalance to strike between practical effects and CGI in sci-fi, andStar Warshas been on all sides of that spectrum. From the arguably excessive blue screen in the prequel trilogy to the masterful puppetry seen with Yoda and Jabba the Hutt, the manner of achieving the desired visuals really shows off the creative diversity among the folks in charge of each project. Now, withThe Acolyteaiming to tell some pretty dark stories during the fall of the High Republic, a more subdued visual style may be exactly what it needs. According to Stenberg, that may be exactly what audiences will get.
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Stenberg recently spoke withComicBook.comabout the upcoming series. But while they were expectedly unable to reveal much, there was still a bit they were excited to gush about. (Note: Stenberg uses both she/her and they/them pronouns.) “What can I say that won’t get me fired?” they mused. “Walking onto set, I’ll just say this, this is vague enough. You know that it must take a lot of technical ability and craftsmanship to makeStar Wars, but you have no clue how expansive it is until you’re a part of it. Whether it’s the puppeteers or the costume designers, or all of the folks from all the different departments who build the sets, you don’t realize how much incredible technology and foresight there is in every element until you’re there.”
While that might not seem like much to go on, it’s worth noting that they specifically highlighted things like puppeteers and set designers. These roles in any given production are essential whenopting for more practical effectsover CGI. The presence of puppeteers suggests the possibility of lots of creatures and aliens like those seen in the cantina inStar Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, all of which were obviously done with costumes and puppetry. While it may be tempting for a project to use CGI for its aliens, something is always lost in terms of realism when such things happen. So this could be a really good sign for those hoping to see a more tangible feel fromThe Acolyte.
Meanwhile, set designers may seem like a given. But Stenberg’s mention of them could also be teasing something more substantial than a few enclosed sets amongvirtual ones using the state-of-the-art Volume filming tech. Naturally, nothing is confirmed, though it doesn’t hurt to hope a bit. Practical sets don’t necessarily translate directly to a better end product. However, it’s difficult to deny that productions likeAndor, which built an entire outdoor city set, are better off for it.
Stenberg got to see what goes into aStar Warsproject firsthand, and they came away in awe. While their mention of puppeteers, costume designers, and set creators may not necessarily mean anything substantial, that reverence should inspire a few extra hype levels from fans eager to see whatThe Acolyteshowrunner Leslye Headland and her team have in store.
Star Wars: The Acolytecurrently has no confirmed premiere date, but the 8-episode series will release on Disney Plus.
