Host Krystina Arielle welcomes Rayne Roberts, a long-time member of the Lucasfilm development team and producer on the new series The Acolyte, to the Star Wars Celebration LIVE! stage. Arielle starts by asking what it is like working with series creator Leslye Headland [00:43]. Roberts describes Headland as a “dream come true filmmaker.” She had been tracking Headland’s independent films for a while, but when they finally met, Roberts was shocked to discover how much Headland knew about Star Wars [00:52]. Roberts notes that Headland immediately pitched an incredible, emotional story that was deeply personal to her, yet fit perfectly inside the Star Wars mythology [01:08]. Calling Headland an absolute delight, Roberts adds, “there’s lots of hugging and crying and pushing each other but it’s been really really fun” [01:25].

Designing a New Era

Arielle asks how the team goes about creating the authentic feel of Star Wars in a completely new, unexplored era in live-action [01:54]. Roberts explains that she learned a valuable lesson from Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy: “you just get the best people you can get” [02:04]. To build out this new world, they brought in production designer Kevin Jenkins, who worked on The Rise of Skywalker, alongside top-tier costume designers who referenced the High Republic book series [02:14].

Roberts highlights the enthusiasm of the department heads, who were eager to take the established mythology and add new elements. She references a philosophy from George Lucas and Doug Chiang, explaining that they try to add “20 percent more new” to make it feel different while still belonging to the world everyone knows [02:43]. She teases that fans will be excited to see the colors used in the spaceships and the Jedi costumes that clearly reference the High Republic era [02:52].

The Best Cast

When asked what she is most excited for fans to see in The Acolyte, Roberts immediately praises the actors [03:12]. “We have the best cast that anyone could ever ask for,” she says earnestly. She notes that the work they put into their performances, building out their characters, and tackling the intense stunt training has been truly remarkable to watch [03:33]. Beyond their talent, she notes that the cast has formed a “beautiful friend group,” which she believes will translate on screen and be something fans will truly enjoy watching [03:49].