'Star Wars' 'The Acolyte' had unseen 'Lord of the Rings' connection
Turns out, the canceled 2024 Star Wars series The Acolyte had a cool behind-the-scenes secret: creator Leslye Headland took inspiration from Gollum's creepy intro in Lord of the Rings to shape Darth Plagueis's brief appearance.
The goal was to make his presence feel mysterious and a bit unsettling, hinting at how dangerous he really is.
How creators wanted fans to sense Plagueis
Headland wanted fans to sense Plagueis without showing him fully—just enough to notice his eyes and coloring.
She explained that she wanted viewers to get a sense of this character, so the show used shots from the heroes' point of view, focusing on his moving hand as a warning something bad was coming.
More on Plagueis's look and positioning in the universe
VFX supervisor Julian Foddy based Plagueis's look on earlier Star Wars designs but kept things vague—think long fingers and just a little light on his face—to keep everyone guessing about who (or what) he really is.
Headland positioned Plagueis as a larger future threat, and actor Manny Jacinto said Qimir and Plagueis "aren't connected."