Tax returns reveal thatThe Acolytewas significantly over-budget, further explaining Disney’s decision to cancel the show. Helmed by showrunner Leslye Headland,The Acolyteintroduced viewers to theHigh Republic Era, a century before the Skywalker saga. TheStar WarsTV show met with mixed reviews, andDisney ultimately canceledThe Acolyteseason 2.
New tax filings, unearthed byThat Park Place, offer new insight intoThe Acolyte’s cancelation. According to tax documents filed by the Walt Disney Company’s UK branch,Lucasfilm spent £172 million ($231 million) on the show, meaning the budget ballooned to an eye-watering $28.75 million per episode. This comes in significantly over-budget, given previous comments that had seemed to indicate it cost $180 million - making it the most expensiveStar WarsTV show to date.
What The Acolyte’s Budget Means For The Future Of Star Wars
Did The Acolyte ever really have a chance?
The Acolytewas controversialfrom the outset, with a vocal review-bombing campaign throughout its streaming run. Its cancelation has left theStar Warsfandom divided, with critics of the Disney era feeling emboldened and those who’d enjoyed it demotivated and discouraged. But these tax filings show the real reason the Disney+ TV show was canceled;costs were incredibly high, making it one of the most expensive TV shows ever made.The Acolyte’s viewershipjust wasn’t good enough given those costs. Here’s howThe Acolytecompared even to otherStar Warsshows.
Star Wars TV shows by reported budget
$90 million
$100 million
$105 million
$120 million
$136 million
$231 million
Andor
$250 million
It’s unclear quite whyThe Acolytewas so over-budget, but this certainly explains why Lucasfilm invested heavily in tie-ins and merchandise. While all attention is on viewership, merchandise is probablyStar Wars' biggest source of income, so Disney is using merch to make up for the costs. At the very least, this likely meansThe Acolytetie-in novelsare safe. Some lovers ofThe Acolytehad been deeply concerned.
Lucasfilm Really Do Need To Relearn George Lucas' Most Important Lesson
George Lucas excelled at keeping costs under control
The streaming era has had a massive effect on TV show budgets, and it frankly doesn’t feel sustainable. Budgets have gone through the roof, episode counts have dropped, and seasons release with years in between rather than annually.Star Warsin particular needs to relearn a simple lesson from George Lucas; he excelled at keeping the costs under control, meaningeven the more expensive prequels were a tremendous return of investment.
The Acolyte Failed Because Star Wars Forgot George Lucas' Most Important Lesson
Lucasfilm and Disney have canceled The Acolyte after just one season, and the decision points to a major failure to learn from George Lucas himself.
Lucasfilm is reportedly reducing its number of live-action TV shows, turning a lot of attention back toward the big screen. This is probably a good idea, because the kind of budgets seen byThe Acolyteshould really be reserved for theatrical releases. It is to be hoped Lucasfilm learns a lot from whatever went wrong withThe Acolyte, resulting in these high costs.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
