'The Acolyte's cancellation is a huge mistake for Star Wars
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Amandla Stenberg and Manny Jacinto star in the upcoming Lucasfilm Ltd. series "The Acolyte."
For seven amazing weeks during the months of June and July, I felt a renewed enthusiasm for Star Wars, all because of The Acolyte.
Leslye Headland's newest Star Wars series brought new life to a franchise that had mostly relied on tired Easter egg hunts in its live-action TV shows. While The Acolyte did include some Easter eggs, it was mostly focused on original content.
We were introduced to the High Republic Era in Star Wars live-action for the first time. New heroes Mae and Osha, played by Amandla Stenberg, along with a new Sith Lord named the Stranger, played by Manny Jacinto, kept things exciting. The show, called The Acolyte, featured mostly new characters and avoided unnecessary appearances by the Skywalker family. The action scenes were intense, there were hints of a romance between enemies, and the Jedi Order was explored in depth. By the end of the season, the show had me hooked and eager for more, with plenty of new possibilities on the horizon.
According to Deadline's report on Tuesday, Lucasfilm has decided not to continue The Acolyte for another season. The decision was said to be based on ratings, as the season finale apparently had the lowest viewership for a Star Wars finale. This information was provided by unnamed sources.
Manny Jacinto and Amandla Stenberg star in the upcoming series "The Acolyte," produced by Lucasfilm Ltd.
The decision to cancel The Acolyte may have been based on financial reasons, as it had a budget of $180 million for eight episodes. However, in terms of storytelling, this move does not bode well for the future of Star Wars. It suggests that original storytelling will be overlooked in favor of safer, more familiar options. This leaves little room for new ideas or for shows to evolve beyond their first season, unless they are immediate hits. It raises the question of why fans should even bother investing in a new Star Wars series in the first place. It is worth noting that Andor, a successful Star Wars series, was already guaranteed a second season. Imagine if its initial low viewership had led to a cancellation similar to The Acolyte.
The cancellation of The Acolyte is disappointing for its fans, including myself, who viewed the series as a chance to reconnect with a franchise that had let them down in the past. Whether it was seeing themselves represented in The Acolyte's diverse characters or enjoying the enemies-to-lovers romance in Star Wars, it was exciting to see viewers enthusiastically discussing each episode every week.
The fact that Lucasfilm and Disney remained silent about the hate surrounding The Acolyte is very telling. It also says a lot that they are ignoring fans who are excited for something fresh. As someone who was excited about The Acolyte, it made me feel optimistic about the direction of Star Wars. However, now I have doubts.
The first season of Acolyte is available for watching on Disney+ right now.
Belen Edwards writes about movies and TV shows that are based on fantasy or science fiction, as well as animated adaptations and other geeky topics. She works as an Entertainment Reporter for Mashable.
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