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Disney was "happy" with The Acolyte – but explains why it was cancelled
The Star Wars show ran for just one season on Disney Plus.
LucasFilm/Disney+
- James Hibbs
Published: Friday, 20 December 2024 at 11:41 am
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Star Wars show The Acolyte proved to be divisive among fans, and was notably targeted by toxic online discourse, despite receiving predominantly strong reviews.
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It was cancelled soon after the first season had finished releasing new episodes, and now the co-chair of Disney Entertainment, Alan Bergman, has explained that this was not because of the show's quality, but simply because of the high budget and lower than necessary viewing figures.
Speaking to Vulture, 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 2. So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that."
He then also spoke about the potential for new show Skeleton Crew, which is currently releasing episodes, to continue beyond its first season, saying: "Skeleton Crew is in process now, so we’ll see. We’ve seen some growth on that. We’ll see how that goes. As you said, the reviews have been excellent on Skeleton Crew, so we’ll have to see how that all plays out as it moves forward."
Amandla Stenberg as Mae in The Acolyte. Lucasfilm Ltd/Disney+
Bergman also offered updates on the future of the franchise as a whole, both on Disney Plus and in cinemas, giving details on returning shows Andor and Ahsoka, and on the upcoming feature film The Mandalorian and Grogu.
He said: "In terms of what’s coming up, we have Andor season 2, which we’re really excited about. It is excellent. I’ve watched all the episodes, and it is a fantastic season.
"And then we have Ahsoka season 2, which Dave Filoni is leading. And then we’re looking at a number of additional series that are in development.
Read more:
- Jude Law terrified of 'disappointing' Star Wars fans after Skeleton Crew character theories
- Skeleton Crew showrunners reveal their favourite Easter eggs
"We’ll see what we decide to do. As I said earlier, they have to be great, and when we’re in the position where we think we have what we want, we’re going to move forward.
"In terms of the films, at this point we have Mandalorian, which is coming out Memorial Day of '26, and we’ve got a number of films that we are developing. When we’re ready, we’ll be making announcements as to what those are."
Andor star Diego Luna recently told RadioTimes.com of that show's second and final season: "I can't really tell you anything about Andor, but it's coming out. It's coming out, and it's great. The writing of Tony Gilroy is really powerful.
"I can't wait for the second season to come out, but this show is teaching me to be patient, basically, like no other job."
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Star Wars: The Acolyte is available to stream on Disney Plus. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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