Rayne Roberts To Co-Produce 'Star Wars: The Acolyte'
Star Wars: The Acolyte is one of the various TV projects that was announced to be in development on Disney Investor Day a couple of weeks back. Headed by Leslye Headland, it has been described as a female-centric mystery thriller series set toward the end of the High Republic era (which is just beginning to get some exploration in new books and comics). Since it is set in an era that we have not seen on the screen and will be presented in a genre that we are not necessarily used to for the franchise, it sounds like it has potential to really push the boundaries of Star Wars.
Not a whole lot else is known about the series, but some people on the internet recently noticed an update to Rayne Roberts' page on the Lucasfilm website. For those unfamiliar, Rayne Roberts is the vice president of film development over at Lucasfilm. She has been with the company as far back as 2012 and has had a hand in the developmental stages of all five Star Wars films that we have gotten in the Disney era of the franchise. The new addition to her website reads as follows:
"Rayne is currently focused on developing new films for Lucasfilm’s theatrical slate, and is also co-developing the upcoming Leslye Headland-created Star Wars series for Disney+."
Of course, this refers to The Acolyte. Roberts has not been attached to a Star Wars TV series before, so this will be a first. What her addition to the production means could be anyone's guess. I myself am not very familiar with what ideas she may have brought to the previous projects to which she has been attached. But what this does remind me is that the live-action Star Wars TV shows feel very much like they are being treated as films, in terms of the scope and the budget. The Mandalorian feels like it could be a few films, each of which are cut up into different segments, or chapters, rather. The upcoming slate of Star Wars TV shows also seems to promise more of this cinematic approach. The lines between film and television are being blurred, and I am here for it. The franchise continues to push the envelope on these sorts of things.
Since Rayne Roberts' bio also says that she is developing new films for Lucasfilm, it may be safe to say that she has some involvement in the development of the Rogue Squadron film that is coming in December 2023. Perhaps she even has a hand in other projects that have been talked about, like Taika Waititi's upcoming film, which Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy alluded to during Disney Investor Day, and perhaps even the Kevin Feige project that was reported on but has not been given an update. There were also reports of a J.D. Dillard and Matt Owens Star Wars project, but we have not heard an update about that either. Perhaps these are far off, but could Rayne Roberts have a hand in them as well? Could she also have a hand in the Rian Johnson trilogy, if that is even still happening? (At this point, I doubt that it is still happening, but Lucasfilm has not confirmed this outright, so you never know.)
Only time will tell how any of these projects turn out. At the moment, many fans seem to be thankful that the near future of the franchise seems secure. There is a lot more Star Wars coming our way, so there is bound to be something for everyone.
Source(s): Star Wars News Net