Emmy-nominated Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae has been cast as the male lead in the upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte opposite Amandla Stenberg, Deadline reports.
It will be his first major role following the international success of the beloved Netflix series. Stenberg, who recently starred in the A24 horror-comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, is set to play the female lead in the show. After Yang and Queen & Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith has also joined the cast, while Russian Doll co-creator Lesyle Headland is on board as director, writer, executive producer, and showrunner.
The news comes just days ahead of the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, where Lee has been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series thanks to his portrayal of Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game. He did, however, make his directorial debut earlier this year with the Korean action-thriller Hunt. The details regarding his role are being kept under wraps, but Lucasfilm has already shared a few tantalizing details regarding the series.
The Acolyte has been described as a mystery-thriller that Headland said will take place “in a pocket of the universe and a pocket of the timeline that we don’t know much about.” As revealed at Disney Investor Day 2020, the show will offer a look at the final days of the High Republic era, which means it’s set before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Disney has yet to announce a release date for The Acolyte.
It’s safe to assume Lee will be very busy, then, as Netflix recently confirmed that Squid Game will be getting a second season in the future. The streamer hasn’t revealed when Season 2 will arrive, but series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said that Lee’s character Gi-hun will return in the new episodes.
