The Acolyte Canceled As Star Wars Takes Another Hit
Despite ending its debut season with several cliffhangers and unresolved plot lines, The Acolyte has been canceled. The Star Wars spin-off series was given just eight episodes on Disney+ before executives at Lucasfilm decided to shelve the ambitious and costly project. With a lukewarm reaction from fans, the show had seen a steady decline in viewership over the final five episodes of its first and now only season.
A Massive Debut
When The Acolyte premiered on June 4, the show was met with an impressive amount of interest from fans, scoring 4.8 million views in just one day, making it the most-watched series premiere on Disney+ in 2024. Five days following its debut, the show amassed 11.1 million views on the streaming service, flaunting the potential of turning into a cash cow for the Star Wars series. The Acolyte managed to crack the Nielsen Top 10 originals charts, landing at the 7th spot with over 488 million minutes viewed.
The Audience Went Away
By the show’s second week, it managed to inch up an additional spot on the Nielsen Top 10 originals charts, moving into 6th. However, that was the last time the show was featured in the Nielsen Top 10 until its season finale on July 15, which earned a disappointing 335 million minutes viewed, a number that ranks as the low mark for a Star Wars season finale in the franchise’s history. A combination of lackluster reviews and dwindling viewership are likely the primary reasons for The Acolyte being canceled.
Announced Years Ago
The Acolyte was first announced during the annual “May The 4th” celebration in 2020, which is in reference to the famous Star Wars quote, “May the force be with you.” In addition to the show’s announcement, Leslye Headland was also announced as executive producer, writer, and show runner for the highly anticipated series. Headland is best known for creating the Netflix Original sci-fi comedy series Russian Doll, which earned her a pair of Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Some Stars Need To Come Back
The eight-episode first season of The Acolyte dropped on Disney+ just over four years after its original announcement. The Star Wars spin-off series starred Amandla Stenberg, who put in the effort for two roles, appearing as twins Osha and Mae in the show. Filling out the rest of the cast were Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Charlie Barnett, and Carrie-Ann Moss.
Tried To Do Something Different
The show was set in the final days of the High Republic era as shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers threaten to bring chaos and terror to the once peaceful galaxy after training and using the force for evil. Before being canceled, The Acolyte followed a former Padawan after she reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of shocking crimes, but as their investigation takes them deeper and deeper, the duo realizes that the dark forces they are after will stop at nothing to see achieve its sinister plans come to fruition.
Although the show offered a different take on the Star Wars universe, many fans were not happy with the direction of the story. Boasting a putrid 18 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the Star Wars mystery-thriller never struck a chord with viewers. With The Acolyte being canceled, it remains to be seen how much pressure Disney+ will put on Ahsoka to perform in its second season.
Source: Deadline
