An upcoming Star Wars series may have found its lead actor, with Amandla Stenberg, who played Rue in The Hunger Games, being eyed for the starring role in The Acolyte.
Stenberg is in talks with Lucasfilm Ltd. to play the lead in The Acolyte, according to a report from The Illuminerdi, which has been corroborated by outlets like Variety. The main character is currently known only as Aura, and whether this is a new face in Star Wars lore or a code name for a legacy character has not yet been revealed. It was previously reported that The Acolyte was searching for a young woman of color for the part.
Little is known about the project so far, which was announced during Disney Investor Day 2020 and described as "a mystery-thriller that will take the audience into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic era." The show will focus on the end of an era, showing fans the downfall as the Republic is infiltrated by the Dark Side, rather than the glory days which have already been explored across comics and books.
Stenberg starred in 2012's film adaptation of The Hunger Games as Rue, a resourceful young girl who befriends lead character Katniss in the lethal competition, but comes to a tragic end. She has also appeared in several other films, including The Hate U Give and Dear Evan Hansen.
The Acolyte is being created by Russian Doll's Leslye Headland and will air exclusively on Disney+. At this time, a release date for the series has not been announced.
Source: The Illuminerdi