Disney’s $645M Gamble: ‘Andor’ Sets Record as Most Expensive Star Wars Series
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Although it hasn’t gotten as much attention as other Star Wars shows, Andor is widely considered one of the best Star Wars series and a standout in the Disney era. Starring Diego Luna, Andor showed that a great Star Wars story can work without focusing on Jedi and Sith, at least not in main roles.
Fans were excited for Andor Season 2 as soon as Season 1 ended, eager to see what happens next. Disney did a great job with the series, staying true to the core ideas of George Lucas’ original vision, which is why it connected so well with viewers.
Season 2 will premiere on April 22, 2025, and as the release date gets closer, more details about its long and difficult production are being revealed.
Disney has announced that making the Andor Star Wars series has cost $645 million so far, including a record $290.9 million spent on its second season, which will be released in April 2025.
This makes it the most expensive Star Wars production in a single year, beating the $280.7 million spent on The Last Jedi in 2019 and the $243.8 million spent on The Force Awakens in 2016.
The $290.9 million spent on Andor‘s second season so far doesn’t cover the entire production cost. Filming started in November 2022 but was paused in the summer of 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. It resumed in January 2024 and finished in February, but costs are still expected to increase.
Andor had relatively low viewership during its first season, but it received an impressive 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than any other Star Wars show on Disney+ and most of Disney’s Star Wars movies, except Rogue One. This positive feedback is why the show got a second season, though it came with a big price tag.
Recently, Star Wars productions have been getting more expensive, with The Acolyte being a recent example. Despite having only 8 episodes, its production costs ranged from $160M to $180M, even though the show received poor reviews.
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