The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland is a huge Star Wars fan, but she's not intimidated by the franchise's fandom when it comes to creating her new series.
Headland spoke to AV Club about jumping from Russian Doll to a galaxy far, far away and what it means for her as a lifelong Star Wars fan. She dove into the politics of the franchise, talked being a queer woman helming a Star Wars project and touched on how she engages with the larger fandom of the property's universe.
"I really enjoy watching what people put together, whether it’s videos or memes," Headland said. "The participation of Star Wars fans in social media is something that just makes me excited. I don’t know how else to put it. It just makes me feel like everybody’s got their own thing that they love about Star Wars."
Headland went on to dissect her view on the Star Wars fandom and how the fervor can sometimes be challenging.
"To me, Star Wars has always been a little bit of a Rorschach test of a piece of art. A lot of times it is what you decide it is. I think The Matrix is a really good example of that as well. You have fans that really run the gamut, in terms of their political and social identities, and yet it’s still a piece of art that really speaks to people on a very base level. So to me, seeing a fandom as passionate as Star Wars, it’s certainly intimidating, but it’s also understandable because it’s a great work of art. And to be a part of it is—yeah, it’s daunting, but it’s also something that, if I didn’t feel passionate about my love for it, then possibly it would be something that was too frustrating or scary. But because I feel so passionate about it, I know that my love of it is rooted in a strong point of view."
Little is known about the series that Headland will develop with Rayne Roberts, but it's billed as a mystery thriller that will touch on the dark side of the Force.
The Acolyte is currently in development for Disney+ from Leslye Headland and Rayne Roberts. The Star Wars television series does not have a release date.
Source: AV Club