The Acolyte is bringing a lot of new ideas to Star Wars. The latest Disney+ show will be the first time the High Republic has been used as a live-action setting, the first time a series has focused on the Sith, and, of course, the first time we’ve seen a lightsaber whip. But one of the series’ most intriguing elements is copied from another Star Wars show.
According to Disney+’s June programming preview, The Acolyte’s two-episode premiere will be available on June 4 at 6:00 p.m. PST/9:00 p.m. EST. This is technically a slight delay, as it was assumed the series would premiere at midnight PST, but it’s a change that establishes an important precedent.
Ahsoka was the first Star Wars series to be given this release time, which has since been reserved for high-profile shows like Loki Season 2 and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The primetime slot allows for a more unified viewing experience for North American fans, and forces series to compete with traditional broadcast TV, which gives these streaming series more weight and relevance.
The Acolyte is a relatively risky project. Unlike Ahsoka or Andor, it’s not a spinoff of an existing Star Wars story, which implied a primetime release wasn’t guaranteed. Since it’s going to premiere the same way Ahsoka did, it seems safe to assume this will be the new normal for live-action Star Wars series. Disney wants everyone to sit down and watch these adventures together, and then generate as much buzz as possible.
With the live-action Star Wars series Skeleton Crew also slated for a 2024 release, we’ll soon see if this pattern continues. But for now, this decision proves Lucasfilm believes The Acolyte, despite its many differences from recent Star Wars projects, will be able to stand alongside other high-profile TV shows. Whether that proves true could decide just how many storytelling risks Lucasfilm takes in the future.
