‘The Acolyte’ trailer looks “cheap”, say ‘Star Wars’ fans

The first trailer for Star Wars spin-off series, The Acolyte, has been released and fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts.

The series, which stars The Hunger Games’ Amandla Stenburg and Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae in the leading roles, is set approximately 100 years before the events of the Star Wars prequel series, starting with The Phantom Menace.

The action-packed trailer, which was released earlier this week, teases the new characters and events which will unfold, including a threat on the Jedi community. See the full trailer below.

Some fans, however, seem to be disappointed in the quality of the trailer, and many have taken to X/Twitter to share their thoughts.

Several fans have commented that the trailer for the show makes it look “cheap”, with one user asking why this seems to be the case for all products by the franchise.

Another acknowledged the franchise’s notoriously large budgets, comparing the upcoming series to recent Disney+ drama, Shōgun: “They spend a zillion dollars on these to come out looking like trash. Meanwhile Shogun uses the same tech and looks amazing for television.”

One user criticised the quality of the trailer, writing: “Looks like a fan made film”, while another said: “Was expecting better than this one”.

why do all star wars movies/shows look cheap ?

— ♱ (@wedonawtkare) March 19, 2024

They spend a zillion dollars on these to come out looking like trash.
Meanwhile Shogun uses the same tech and looks amazing for television.

— Bizlet (@bizlet7) March 19, 2024

Looks like a fan made film 😅

— Waivly (@Waivly) March 19, 2024

This is the type of show I’ve been waiting for since Disney bought Star Wars

— Dividend Rob (@DividendRob) March 19, 2024

The Force is strong with this one, can’t wait to see more!

— Antonio K. Ross Jr. (@FiscalPhenom) March 19, 2024

Some fans have been critical of the characters shown in the trailer, specifically the lack of aliens. One user wrote on X: “Looks alright, but there really should be more aliens. I know they’re trying to cut costs but this feels like it takes place on Earth somewhere…”

However, there are some positive responses to the trailer, with many users describing it as “cool”. One wrote: “This is the type of show I’ve been waiting for since Disney bought Star Wars” while another wrote: “The Force is strong with this one, can’t wait to see more!”

The series title for The Acolyte was announced in December, after filming wrapped up last June. It was created by Leslye Headland, the co-creator of the Netflix series, Russian Doll. The eight-episode series is set to air on Disney+ on June 4.