Star Wars will be getting a new show next month called The Acolyte. The mystery thriller show is reportedly set before the events of the Star Wars films (even the prequels) and follows the murder of multiple Jedi Knights. Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland acts as the creator and showrunner of the Disney+ series.
While the show has been in the making for the past four years, it has reportedly cost Disney a lot of money. According to a new report, the eight-episode series cost the studio $180 million, which is a lot considering the show features none of the characters previously seen in the franchise. Even the Ewan McGregor starring Obi-Wan Kenobi had a budget of $90 million.
Star Wars Series- The Acolyte Reportedly Cost $180 Million To Make
The Star Wars franchise has increased its long-form content offerings ever since the end of the sequel trilogy in 2019. Apart from continuing shows such as The Mandalorian, the franchise has also spawned multiple miniseries for Disney+ such as Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and more. The reception for these shows has been mixed.
In 2020, the makers announced The Acolyte, a new show in the franchise created by Russian Doll showrunner Leslye Headland. Starring Amandla Stenberg, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Dafne Keen in lead roles, the show is reportedly set at the end of the High Republic Era and follows the mysterious murders of Jedi Knights (via THR).
While fans were initially apprehensive about the show, a recent report’s indication that the series cost $180 million has been drawing a lot of attention. The news was reported in an interview with Headland in The New York Times. Compared to other shows in the franchise, the figure does seem high for a series with no big names or characters attached.
That equates out to $750,000 per MINUTE of footage (if each is 30 minutes).
— Tharin White (@TharinWhite) May 30, 2024
30 MIN LIVE ACTION STAR WARS IS INSANE! AT LEAST MAKE EPISODES AROUND AN HOUR … wtf
— jack (@_jackgoodwin) May 29, 2024
Just make it a movie at that crazy price. Wow!
— BullsKickAss (@Bullskickass) May 29, 2024
So slightly more than Obi Wan but a bit less than Andor
— Slice of Anime 🩵 (@TheSliceofAnime) May 30, 2024
Well that can mean one of two things, they are investing more money into Star Wars projects which can only be good or this show is getting a big budget at the cost of other projects that will receive less budget, which is bad
— SamJReimer (@SamuelStark93) May 29, 2024
While The Mandalorian, the most successful show to come out of the franchise, started off with a $120 million budget (via IGN), the miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi reportedly only cost $90 million. The most expensive show is Andor, which reportedly cost $250 million.
The Acolyte Creator Talks About Handling The Star Wars Franchise
Leslye Headland, who created The Acolyte, reportedly pursued Lucasfilm for quite some time before she got the opportunity to pitch a Star Wars show. Known for her work on Russian Doll and Sleeping with Other People, Headland was hardly the first choice for a sci-fi epic project. However, her pitch for a show focused on Jedi Knights was accepted.
According to The NY Times, Headland wanted to make the show accessible to new watchers who had no idea about Star Wars while also appealing to old-school fans. She reportedly had a tough time navigating the middle ground as the fans are notorious for being hard to impress. She said,
It was like working on a razor’s edge. You’re thinking, ‘This is what people want from Star Wars. This is what people don’t want.’ It can mess with your head. During the creative process. I had to give myself the forgiveness, as an artist, to fall off the razor — as long as I got back up. That was my promise to myself.
The show’s trailer seems to have received mixed responses as of now, with many praising the decision to center the story around Jedi Knights, who have been largely absent from other media.
The Acolyte will begin streaming from June 4, 2024, on Disney+.
