Bespin Bulletin (via SFFGazette.com) has revealed that Star Wars: The Acolyte is now in pre-production in Reading, England. Apparently, the Disney+ series will shoot at the newly constructed Shinfield Studios, though the site has yet to confirm whether it houses a Volume.
Filming is expected to start in November, with cameras rolling through to next May. They don't have much to share beyond that, but we obviously know that Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) is serving as Head Writer on a show that will take us back to a period known as The High Republic era.
This was a time when the Jedi were at the height of their power, hundreds of years prior to The Phantom Menace. It's an era we've so far seen mostly explored in novels and comic books, though Lucasfilm has used those mediums to set the stage for this TV show and others.
Interestingly, Making Star Wars (also via SFFGazette.com) has since added to the story, revealing that two different sources have told them that Loki director Kate Herron is involved in some capacity. We don't know if she'll direct a handful of episodes or the entire series, but the British filmmaker feels like a perfect fit for this Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Both Herron and Headland are part of the LGBTQ+ community, so we're optimistic that this Star Wars TV series will explore the sort of diversity the franchise has thus far shied away from.
This is just a rumour for now, but Herron decided against returning for Loki season 2, so she certainly has the time to take a crack at The Acolyte.
Hopefully, some official details will be revealed during this September's Disney+ Day. For now, we're expecting The Acolyte to premiere either sometime next year or in 2024.