The Acolyte crew built lightsabers for the new Star Wars show that could be used "the way Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn use them"
Jun. 4, 2024The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland gives the lowdown on the Star Wars series' lightsabers
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The Acolytehas perhaps more lightsabers on screen at one time than any other Star Wars show before it – but they’re not just there for show.
To help make the most out of the martial arts-inspired fight scenes, the production team behind theDisneyPlus series built bespoke lightsabers to help its actors move like some of the prequels’ greatest lightsaber wielders, including a certain Darth Maul.
“I want[ed] to use the type of lightsabers that you can actually duel with as opposed to utilizing sticks that you then CGI in later,” The Acolyte creator and showrunner Leslye Headland tells GamesRadar+ ahead of the release of the new Disney Plus series.
Headland even learnt lessons from the sequel trilogy of Star Wars films, which featured heavier, bulkier lightsabers for its actors to throw down with. “That affected the way Daisy [Ridley] and Adam [Driver] fought because they wanted to have that practical lighting,” Headland explained.
Instead, the showrunner asked the props team “to create lightsabers that could be utilized the way Darth Maul or Qui-Gon Jinn use them, but they also had to light up for the practical light effects”.
Headland added: “I do have to thank the props department for making that happen – it did start with them saying we can’t do that!”
The end result? You won’t have to wait long to find out, but we expect there’s a reason why actor Manny Jacintoreferred to the iconic Duel of the Fates clashbetween Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn a year ago.
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The Acolyte is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus from June 4 in the US and June 5 in the UK.
For more, check outThe Acolyte release schedule,The Acolyte episodes 1-4 review, andour interview with creator Leslye Headlandon why she chose The High Republic era as the setting for the Star Wars series. Then, there’s all the latest news onupcoming Star Wars movies and shows.
I’m the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you’ll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
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