Scrapped STAR WARS Show THE ACOLYTE Reportedly Cost Disney $230.8 Million
A new report has shed light on just how much Lucasfilm and Disney spent on the scrapped Star Wars series The Acolyte, and the price tag is jaw-dropping.
According to Forbes, the show racked up a total cost of £190.8 million, which translated to $230.8 million at the time of the earnings report filings, or about $256.7 million in today’s currency.
While a few final filings are still pending, the outlet reports that this figure represents virtually the entire cost of production, with only “minimal costs” left to account for.
The report also confirmed that the series ran over budget. Before filming began, The Acolyte was on track financially, but once production got underway the spending started to spiral. By September 24, 2023, while post-production was still unfinished, costs had already positioned the show to go beyond its initial budget.
Disney was able to get some money back thanks to UK tax credits, with $43.8 million being returned, which brought the final spend closer to $187 million. Even with that rebate, though, the price tag remains staggering for a series that ultimately ended up canceled.
The show did pull strong numbers early on, becoming the second-most watched Disney+ release of 2024. Unfortunately, that momentum didn’t hold, and it’s reported that the series was canceled due to declining viewership, leaving fans hanging on a major cliffhanger.
One of the breakout stars of the series, Manny Jacinto, who played the mysterious Sith Lord known as the Stranger, is still hopeful about returning to the galaxy far, far away.
He previously said, “Always, always hopeful. I would love to run it back… A lot of fans out there being like, ‘We love The Acolyte!’ Like, ‘Qimir come back!’ Things like that, it’s all love and it’s so special. We’ll put it out there. Fingers crossed.”
The cast also featured Amandla Stenberg in dual roles as Osha and Mae, Lee Jung-jae as Sol, Charlie Barnett as Yord, and Dafne Keen as Jecki.
While The Acolyte won’t be returning for another season, Star Wars is far from slowing down. Next up on the release calendar is The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will bring the fan-favorite duo to the big screen on May 22.