Thursday’s Disney investor call released news for Star Wars fans from every corner of the galaxy with expansions to the ongoing story of The Mandalorian, new animated projects and deeper explorations into iconic characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lando Calrissian and Cassian Andor. Newly announced series The Acolyte and Droid Story promise glimpses into recognizable corners of the Star Wars universe as well as introducing some entirely new stories and characters.
Droid Story will deliver fans an animated series that follows the adventures of a brand new droid hero, but will be narrated by some old friends. According to Deadline, The practically inseparable droid duo of R2D2 and C3P0 will guide audiences along the journey of the series’ unnamed droid protagonist. The presence of the robotic rebel companions as narrators indicates that Droid Story will likely tell the tale of the light side of the force.
Droid Story will join upcoming animated projects Star Wars: Visions and Star Wars: The Bad Batch at Disney+. As with past and upcoming entries to the Star Wars animated television universe, a family-friendly story can likely be expected from Droid Story.
Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Sleeping with Other People) hints that she’s bringing fans something much darker and wholly original with her Star Wars mystery-thriller series, The Acolyte. Bloody Disgusting speculates that The Acolyte “will surely appeal to horror fans like ourselves who appreciate the darker sides of the franchise.” While the overall story is mystery, Collider reports the series will tell a female-driven story that includes martial arts elements.
Unlike Droid Story, which will feature the familiar voices of R2D2 and C3PO, Headland aims to introduce new characters and concepts to the Star Wars vast universe. “There’s going to be some things we haven’t discussed in the canon yet,” Headland is quoted via Collider “there are going to be some characters you don’t know about.” The producer refers to the entirety of Star Wars as religion and her contribution to the universe as a “tent revival”, according to Collider.
Out of the ten new Star Wars series announced today, Droid Story and The Acolyte were the two with the least details available as their still in pre-production. However, from the few pieces of information known about both series, Star Wars fans can expect original stories and characters to come from these tonally opposite shows.