Disney’s Executive Finally Explains Why ‘The Acolyte’ Was Canceled

Back in August, as you remember, news broke that The Acolyte, a highly anticipated and controversial Star Wars series, was canceled after only one season. Despite the show’s ambitious setting, set centuries before the Skywalker saga, and its intriguing cliffhanger ending, it won’t be coming back for another season, as you know.

This decision shocked a lot of people, especially those who were excited about its direction, as many fans wanted to see more of the controversial show. Fans have been speculating about the reasons for the series’ cancelation ever since.

Haters keep claiming that the show was horrible and woke and that their online campaign helped cancel it, while others claim that the high production costs caused the cancellation. But, it’s finally time to reveal the reason, as Disney executive Alan Bergman explained the reasoning behind it.

Bergman, who oversees all of Disney Entertainment’s content creation and platforms, addressed the situation in a 2024 round-up interview with Vulture. According to him, the decision to cancel the show came down to one major factor: cost. Here’s what he said:

Staying on the franchise front, let’s talk Star Wars. It feels like it’s had a bumpier road of late compared to Marvel. The Acolyte had many strong reviews and did well in the ratings its first week out, but you ultimately opted against a second season. Why didn’t you move forward? And can you offer any hint as to how Skeleton Crew is doing, or its future?  

Bergman: 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. 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.

Source: Vulture

The Acolyte was one of the most expensive Star Wars shows ever made, with reports estimating a budget between $170 million and $180 million. However, filings in the UK revealed that Lucasfilm actually spent £172 million (around $231 million) on the series.

With such a large investment, the show needed to pull in strong viewership to justify the cost of a second season. However, according to Bergman, while they were happy with the show’s performance, it simply didn’t meet the necessary demand given its high production costs.

The show’s cancellation left many viewers disappointed. The first season had built a story that ended on a cliffhanger, and some were hoping for more, especially with the promise of a second season that would dive into more exciting material.

One of the most anticipated parts of The Acolyte was a live-action glimpse of Darth Plagueis, a figure many Star Wars fans have been eager to see explored. But with the show now gone, viewers are left with frustration, feeling like they’ve missed out on something big.

Interestingly, The Acolyte wasn’t the only recent Star Wars series to face challenges. Skeleton Crew, another show in the franchise, has been reported to have a budget of around $136 million.

Early signs for Skeleton Crew weren’t promising—its premiere didn’t even make the streaming top 10—but word of mouth has been more positive since then. This raises questions about whether Skeleton Crew will face a similar fate to The Acolyte, or if it can continue to grow its audience.

While The Acolyte faced criticism and disappointment, Skeleton Crew seems to be receiving more favorable reactions. At least for now, Lucasfilm has a win on its hands with this show.

And there are other Star Wars series that are still to come. Fans can look forward to Andor season 2, Ahsoka season 2, and several unknown projects that may provide fresh stories in the Star Wars universe.

With The Acolyte out of the picture, it’s clear that Lucasfilm has some big decisions ahead. The cancellation of The Acolyte will surely influence how future shows are handled, especially when it comes to balancing budget and audience demand.

For now, though, it seems that the future of Star Wars TV remains in limbo, with both excitement and uncertainty surrounding the franchise’s next steps.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!