The truth catches up with you. #TheAcolyte, double-episode premiere June 4 on #DisneyPlus.
Recently, Lucasfilm has made the decision not to continue with a second season of The Acolyte, a spin-off series from the Star Wars universe starring Amandla Stenberg. Although the series started with a strong audience, it failed to maintain the same level of interest throughout its first season, according to information from Deadline.
Earlier this year, The Acolyte premiered on Disney+ with two episodes, earning 4.8 million views on its first day and accumulating 11.1 million in its first five days. These initial numbers made it the biggest premiere on the platform so far this year and placed it in the Nielsen originals top 10 in the week of its launch. However, the success did not last and interest dropped significantly by the third week, extending into the season finale when the series remained outside the top 10 before briefly returning to the number 10 position following the premiere of the final episode, with 335 million minutes watched. This figure is the lowest on record for a season finale of a Star Wars series.
Leslye Headland, the creator, director, executive producer and showrunner of The Acolyte, had previously shared in interviews her desire for a second season and the ideas she had proposed for it. Despite these hopes, Lucasfilm’s decision reflects Disney’s strict renewal policies, which require high ratings due to the high production costs of over $100 million per season. Reviews for The Acolyte were mixed, with a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the series divided Star Wars fans, which impacted its overall reception.
The fact that the series failed to maintain its initial momentum also influenced the decision not to continue with a second season. Lucasfilm, however, is moving forward with other projects within the Star Wars universe. Its most successful series to date, The Mandalorian, is moving forward with new seasons and is expanding into the big screen with the upcoming production The Mandalorian: Grogu. Additionally, the Ahsoka series, which was released before The Acolyte, has been renewed to continue.
Image from ‘The Acolyte’
It is worth mentioning that Amandla Stenberg, the star of The Acolyte, had also been in the spotlight previously for publishing a song in response to a series of racist attacks she had suffered on social media. This situation generated both support and controversy among fans of the actress and the series.
Finally, although The Acolyte will not continue, the Star Wars universe remains a fruitful source of content for Disney, demonstrating its ability to evolve with new stories and characters that capture the imagination of its global audiences. The cancellation of the series is a sign of the demands of the market and the high expectations of the audience and the platform itself.
Disney and Lucasfilm continue to invest heavily in the Star Wars universe, with several series and films in production that promise to continue expanding this vast universe. The combination of action, adventure, and iconic characters remains a master formula that delights millions of fans around the world, ensuring that Star Wars remains an unstoppable force in global entertainment.
