A Disney exec is finally explaining why The Acolyte was canceled and it may be a letdown for Star Wars fans!
Entering 2024, The Acolyte was one of the most buzzed-about new shows arriving. A Star Wars TV show is always a big deal, and this was a fun spin. Set 150 years before the movies, the series explored the “High Republic” Era when the Jedi were in full power. The plot revolves around a young former padawan, Osha, and her twin sister Mae (both played by Amandla Stenberg), who are on opposite sides of a clash for power that hints at the return of the Sith.
The show had a big promotional push and generally good reviews. The fan reception could be divisive (not that that’s unusual for a Star Wars series), yet seemed set for another year. Instead, shockingly, the show was canceled after just one season.
There have been questions as to the reasons from quality to the fan reception. In an interview with Vulture on Disney+, Disney Entertainment co-chair Alan Bergman is saying it came down to economics, not quality.
When pressed about The Acolyte, Bergman said “So as it relates to Acolyte, we were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two. So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that.”
This does seem the logical answer as by reports, The Acolyte (originally budgeted for $180 million) ended up costing a reported $230 million. While not the most expensive TV show around, that’s still a pretty hefty fee, even for a Star Wars project.
As season 2 was likely going to be even bigger, the budget would have increased, and if the viewing numbers didn’t justify that, it’s logical Disney would cut their losses. It's harsh, but it's the nature of the business.
It’s sad, but quite a few TV shows (especially streamers) have likewise ended because of the high budgets. This comes with Disney, like other studios, tightening their belts following the 2023 Hollywood strikes and Disney’s box office flops of that year. Had the numbers been higher, The Acolyte might have earned another year, albeit with a more tightly controlled budget.
Bergman was a bit more upbeat on Star Wars’ future, noting the strong response to Skeleton Crew and called what he’d seen of Season 2 of Andor and plans for a second season of Ashoka. There are also other Star Wars projects about such as the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie.
So while fans (and haters) can debate it was the show’s quality that led to The Acolyte being canceled, it was the far simpler and brutal truth that it was the huge cost that ended the series after just one season and make it a rare misfire for the Disney+ Star Wars output.
The Acolyte Season 1 streaming on Disney+.