If you have been waiting to quench your thirst for Diensy Plus’ Star Wars series The Acolyte Season 2, we have bad news for you. The show has reportedly been shelved following the 1 season and will not return to address the cliffhanger that previously made room for another season.
Disney Cancels The Acolyte After 1 Season
Amandla Stenberg. Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Amandla Stenberg-starrer The Acolyte will not move ahead at Diesny as Lucasfilm has decided to opt out of the project following season 1 as reported by Deadline. Created, directed, and executive produced by showrunner Leslye Headland, The Acolyte chronicled the rise of the Sith about 100 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
While The Acolyte shelving is not surprising for many fans some have wondered about the cliffhanger but now it seems it would never be addressed. Still, it was almost inevitable as the show which was in astounding hype divided critics for the creative decision to make the show stand out with inclusiveness. While The Acolyte earned a staggering 78% on Rotten Tomatoes positive score, fans’ reaction to the show was downright poor crediting the show with an 18% average audience score.
End of the day, fans’ reaction to a project matters most, and in this case, it was well-reflected in the viewership. The Acolyte, which premiered on June 4, reciprocated well with the hype claiming 4.8M views on its first day on Disney Plus. The show was also ranked as the biggest series premiere on the streamer this year.
After five days, The Acolyte gained 11.1 million global views even debuting on Nielsen’s Top 10 originals chart standing at no 7 in the first week with a little promotion in the following as The Acolyte was standing at no. 6. But the viewership of the big-budget show soon plummeted.
Leslye Headland Pitched The Acolyte Season 2
Amandla Stenberg. Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Leslye Headland was quite optimistic about The Acolyte season 2. She has been a massive Star Wars fan and reportedly pitched the ideas for the show’s season 2. However, Headland who has been a member of the LGBTQ+ community added her own touch to the show which provoked certain fans resulting in an audience review bomb as most saw the first season of the series as “woke.” The show’s first season was diverse, which is also believed to have contributed to the downfall of the viewership of the Star Wars series.
“Honestly, I feel sad that people would think that if something were gay, that would be bad. It makes me feel sad that a bunch of people on the internet would somehow dismantle what I consider to be the most important piece of art that I’ve ever made,” Holland told The Hollywood Reporter in June addressing the viewership decline and immense criticism.
Reportedly made with a $180 million budget, The Acolyte features Amandla Stenberg as the lead, Verosha “Osha” and her twin sister, Mae-ho “Mae” Aniseya. The show also stars Lee Jung-jae as Sol, Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar, and Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon alongside Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Dean-Charles Chapman, Margarita Levieva, David Harewood and co.
The Acolyte Season 1 is streaming on Disney Plus.
