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The Acolyte is one of the newest additions to the Star Wars franchise, but many consider it one of the weakest entries. Despite Disney investing around $160 million in its production, the show fell short of expectations. Low viewership led to its cancellation after just 8 episodes. Some blame issues like racism and misogyny for its downfall, depending on who you ask.

Several petitions have been launched to renew the show for a second season and bring it back to life, but Disney has remained silent on the matter. However, new data suggests that interest in the series may be even higher than previously anticipated.

Parrot Analytics, which measures content demand through audience interactions, streaming viewership, and social media engagement, places The Acolyte among the top-performing Star Wars series, behind only The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew. This level of demand places it in the top 2.7% of shows, a strong indicator of sustained audience interest.

The Acolyte was not long for this world, as the Star Wars series was canceled at Disney+ after a single season. While that was obviously not the best news for the show's cast and crew, Dafne Keen still sees the positive side of her involvement with the short-lived series.

In The Acolyte, Keen played Jecki Lon, a Jedi Padawan who meets an unfortunate end before the end of the season. Per Screen Rant, Keen commented on the show getting canceled while at the Saturn Awards. While she admitted that it was difficult news for the team to hear, she is nevertheless happy to have been a part of the show's brief run. Pplaying Jecki still gave Keen a chance to play a Jedi on-screen, which was a bucket list item she's now able to tick off while still rather early into her acting career.

RelatedSigourney Weaver Addresses Her Star Wars Movie Role,...

Isla Fisher is known for bringing her all to comedy roles, but the actress is now crediting her former co-star Kirsten Dunst for teaching her an invaluable trick of the trade: how to act drunk.

Fisher and Dunst co-starred together in 2012 film “Bachelorette,” which was directed by Leslye Headland and adapted from Headland’s off-Broadway show. The dark comedy had an all-star ensemble cast that included Lizzy Caplan, Rebel Wilson, James Marsden, Adam Scott, and Ann Dowd. And while Fisher had famously already played an unhinged character in “Wedding Crashers,” her “Bachelorette” role of an aging alcoholic former high school popular girl had a different level of nuance.

Fisher said during “The Drew Barrymore Show” while promoting “Dog Man” and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” that it was Dunst who helped her embody the layers of the character. When asked by host Drew Barrymore which former co-star she learned the most from,...

It’s that time of year for the Dahls, the close-knit Christian family at the center of Leslye Headland’s bleak and biting new play Cult of Love. Christmas is their favorite holiday, an occasion for the four adult children (plus their spouses) to convene at the elder Dahls’ house and imbibe on batch Manhattans, gorge on dense confectionaries, stow away extra figgy pudding and sing carols exalting their Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

No matter that a handful of the Dahls are having a crisis of faith, that one might be losing their memory, that another is in active recovery from drug addiction and a third might be buckling under the weight of their mental health issues. The Dahls, in service of their own self-image, prefer to lie and deny.

Produced by Second Stage and now at The Helen Hayes theater in New York, Cult of Love (directed by...

Almost five months after the series was unceremoniously cancelled, the cast of The Acolyte reunited to support showrunner Leslye Headland on her ongoing Broadway play. Released in 2024, the Disney+ Star Wars series takes place in the dying days of the High Republic and follows a former Jedi padawan, who becomes the suspect in a string of Jedi murders that leads to the unraveling of a hidden tragedy. The Acolyte featured an all-star cast led by Amandla Stenberg, Lee-Jung Jae, Manny Jacinto, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, and Jodie Turner-Smith.

Though the story may have ended early, the cast and crew of The Acolyte have remained supportive of one another. Following a recent performance of Headland's Cult of Love, Henderson, who plays Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh, shared a photo on Instagram alongside her wife, showrunner, Barnett, Keen, and Margarita Levieva outside the Hayes Theatre. Barnett and Keen, who played...

2024 is about to end and the year brought along several top-notch shows across different genres. However, a few managed to appeal to the masses and impressed everyone across the board, proving themselves worthy of the best show title. Nonetheless, when netizens took to social media to discuss which show deserved the title, Star Wars fans were surprised to find one entry.

The Acolyte was divisive even for Star Wars fans (Credit: Lucasfilm).

On social media, netizens proposed a four-way battle for the best show of 2024. However, the shortlist also included The Acolyte, which is arguably the most divisive of the Star Wars projects to ever see the light of day. As a result, fans of the epic space opera franchise themselves withdrew the show’s claim from the list of the year’s best show, and here is what netizens had to say.

Star Wars Fans Pull Out The Acolyte...

Andor proved itself to be one of the most effective examples of storytelling in the galaxy far, far away. The series serves as a prequel to the 2016 film Rogue One and explores the backstory of Cassian Andor played by Diego Luna. The series received almost overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and is expected to return with a second season.

Andor is one of the best Star Wars shows (Credit: Lucasfilm).

Given the success of the first season, fans have been eagerly waiting for the second installment, which will serve as the final chapter in the titular character’s story. However, fans might not have to wait for too long, as new reports hint that a release date for the rebel spy’s final outing has been locked. Here is what you need to know about Andor season 2’s release date and other details.

Disney+ Reportedly Confirms Release Date For Andor...

While fans struggle to process The Acolyte's cancellation, its cast members are now sharing their thoughts on the abrupt ending.

Earlier, Lee Jung-jae told Entertainment Weekly that he hopes Disney will eventually greenlight another season of the show, even though his character died in the Season 1 finale. Lee shared his disappointment at the series being canceled before showrunner Leslye Headland got an opportunity to go further with the main characters:

I thought that she was a great writer and director who was very talented in the storytelling, as well as creating characters and creating meaningful structures within the story. So I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a Season 2 with her at the helm.Lee Jung-jae

Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays Master Indara, also shared her feelings on the show's sudden cancellation after one season. In an interview with ComicBook's Chris Killian, Moss called the news "a bummer...

Leslye Headland served as the creator and showrunner for The Acolyte. The series received mostly negative reviews from critics and fans alike and was canceled after one season. However, in an interview, Headland discussed her approach to the story which explores the Sith and their rule of two while taking inspiration from George Lucas’ prequel trilogy.

Leslye Headland created The Acolyte (Credits: Lucasfilm).

Headland explained that in the series most of the characters believed they were doing the right thing and had a compelling reason for this approach. Headland’s comments prove that despite the show’s failure, she had a good starting point to craft a compelling story that could have been a fine addition to the galaxy far, far away.

Leslye Headland Believed The Acolyte Characters Were Doing the Right Thing

Created by Leslye Headland, The Acolyte follows the mystery around the murders of a Jedi group with...

Jac Schaeffer serves as the showrunner and creator for Marvel’s latest television series Agatha All Along. The series is a spin-off to Schaeffer’s 2021 miniseries WandaVision, which introduced Agatha Harkness, played by Kathryn Hahn. Aside from serving as the showrunner, Schaeffer also directed the first two episodes of the spin-off series.

Agatha All Along could have failed like The Acolyte (Credit: Disney+).

During an interview, Schaeffer revealed the reason she wanted to helm the first two episodes, which turned out to be better than the opening of The Acolyte. Meanwhile, the series also improved one other concept it shares in common with the Star Wars series. Here is what Schaeffer had to say about directing Agatha All Along.

Jac Schaeffer Directing First Two Episodes of Agatha All Along Worked Wonders Unlike The Acolyte

Jac Schaeffer created Agatha All Along, a spin-off series surrounding the titular witch played by Kathryn Hahn.

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ has been making headlines recently, but not for positive reasons—it was canceled after just eight episodes. While Lucasfilm and Disney haven’t provided specific reasons, insiders indicate that high production costs and low viewership were key factors.

The show was controversial even before its debut, so many were not surprised by the cancellation.

The show faced review-bombing campaigns, which might not have been as impactful if the series hadn’t also suffered from low quality, including poor acting, scripting, directing, and character development.

As previously mentioned, it came as no surprise when Lucasfilm decided to cancel the project, even though Headland expressed interest in exploring stories for a potential season 2.

However, if critics can organize, so can the fans. Shortly after the cancellation, a petition to renew the show was launched on Change.org. We’ve been tracking this campaign closely and wanted to provide an update.

Shailene Woodley has joined the cast of the upcoming Broadway play Cult of Love from Leslye Headland, the creator of The Acolyte.

She joins Zachary Quinto and Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira, who have also boarded the play about four adult children from the Dahl family returning to their childhood home with their partners for the Christmas holidays, only to see their harmony interrupted as old and new conflicts arise.

Big Little Lies star Woodley, who currently appears in the Three Women TV series for Starz, is making her Broadway debut, as is Headland. The play’s ensemble cast also includes Molly Bernard, Roberta Colindrez, Rebecca Henderson, Christopher Lowell and Christopher Sears.

Woodley’s other credits include the Divergent film series and roles in The Fault in Our Stars, The Spectacular Now and The Descendants. Bernard is best known for playing Lauren Heller on Younger. She also starred in Milkwater and...

No other Star Wars project has stirred as much controversy as The Acolyte. Since Disney took over Lucasfilm, many Star Wars productions have faced fan backlash, but none compare to the level of outrage aimed at this series, which escalated into a full-blown hate campaign by self-proclaimed “true fans.”

The Acolyte won’t be returning for a second season, as Lucasfilm has confirmed its cancellation after just eight episodes. While fans had hoped for a continuation, the show’s fate is sealed. However, this report isn’t about the series’ cancellation—it’s about how it could have been better.

With an intriguing premise, The Acolyte had the potential to ignite a wave of Old Republic content leading into the Prequel Trilogy. Unfortunately, the show fell short of expectations. We believe that its potential might have been better realized if Kathleen Kennedy had entrusted the project to a different female director,...

No other Star Wars project caused so much controversy as The Acolyte. Since Disney’s takeover of Lucasfilm, numerous Star Wars projects have been targeted and criticized by the fans, but nothing compares to the level of controversy caused by this series, as it basically turned into an all-out hate campaign against the show by those calling themselves “true fans.”

As you know, The Acolyte is not getting a second season with Lucasfilm after eight episodes, and although fans had been hoping for a second season, it was recently confirmed that the series will not be coming back. But, this report won’t actually be on the fate of the series – it’s canceled and that’s that – but about how it could have been better.

The Acolyte had an intriguing premise, for sure, and it had the potential to spark a series of Old Republic shows that would lead into the Prequel Trilogy.

When it comes to series with high expectations, few can hold a candle—or a lightsaber—to the thrilling universe of Star Wars. Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte was supposed to be the next big thing, a breath of fresh interstellar air with new characters and unique lightsabers that promised to challenge our understanding of the Jedi.

Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte | Credits: Lucasfilm

However, the series wasn’t exactly met with open arms, leading to its untimely cancellation (after season one). And, adding insult to injury, Amazon’s show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is still reportedly forging ahead with its five-season quest, despite experiencing a drop in viewership.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Is Still Going Strong After Ratings Drop

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been on quite the adventure, and not just about the Middle-earth variety.

Diego Luna debuted as Cassian Andor in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office hit, leading to the birth of a spin-off/prequel series focusing on Luna’s rebel spy. The first season of Andor was also well-received, with a second and final installment on its way.

Andor season 2 is expected to premiere in 2025 (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During an interview, Luna reflected on playing the role of Andor for almost a decade in the galaxy far, far away. At the same time, the actor also revealed why his role was so special and what set it apart from other Star Wars roles. Here is what the actor had to say about his stint as Cassian Andor and what fans can expect from his upcoming final outing as the character.

Diego Luna Revealed What Makes His Star Wars Role...

The Acolyte proved to be a colossal failure for Disney and the Star Wars franchise as a whole. The series was canceled after just one season amidst low viewership. Moreover, its massive budget compared to its poor viewership, makes it a tough loss to swallow for Disney. As a result, the show’s failure has become a much-debated topic among fans online.

The Acolyte was canceled after just one season (Credit: Lucasfilm).

Created by Leslye Headland, The Acolyte was met with divisive reactions with the hate aimed at the series cited as the primary reason for its cancellation. However, the truth of the matter is that the series failed to justify its cost compared to its viewership. As a result, Headland forgot one important lesson from Star Wars creator George Lucas, and here is why it doomed the series.

George Lucas Proved Himself a Master of Return on Investments With...

Actor Manny Jacinto is still holding out hope for a second season of Star Wars series The Acolyte despite the recent cancellation. During an appearance at Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia (via @DigitalLA), Jacinto was asked about his future goals and what he would like to achieve before he leaves this mortal coil. For the actor, this answer was not a difficult one, with Jacinto pondering his response for a second before replying simply...

Season 2 of The Acolyte.

His answer was met with rapturous cheers and applause from the crowd, who clearly would also love to see the actor and the rest of The Acolyte cast return for more stories in a galaxy far, far away. Set at the end of the High Republic era before the events of the Skywalker Saga, The Acolyte follows a Jedi as he begins to investigates a series of crimes. Jacinto joins the Star...

As fans see more of Amandla Stenberg’s talents, they are convinced that Leslye Headland and the writers did not do justice to the actress. Fans shared a video of Stenberg playing the Star Wars theme on violin at The Tonight Show, which showed how much of a fan she actually was. However, her acting chops in The Acolyte were far from the talent seen in this show.

Amandla Stenberg in a still from The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/Lucasfilm

Fans blamed Headland for not giving her actress better resources and advice during the run of the show. The Acolyte was canceled after the first season garnered low viewership and poor audience ratings. Stenberg blamed the toxic fandom for the cancelation, sharing that it wasn’t a huge shock considering the rampage of vitriol from fans.

Amandla Stenberg’s Talent Makes Fans Turn Against Leslye Headland And The Writers Amandla Stenberg...

Amandla Stenberg has finally reacted to the cancelation of The Acolyte after its first season. The Star Wars show did an okay job with the critics but it had a low viewership on Disney+. Stenberg shared that the show’s cancelation did not come as a surprise to her after the “rampage of vitriol” from fans. She shared that the brutal attacks against the show started way before it was even announced.

Amandla Stenberg in The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/Lucasfilm

While Stenberg blames the show’s axing on “alt-right” groups in the Star Wars fandom, Lucasfilm had little options to continue with the series which had a budget of $180 million. Other cast members like Lee Jung-jae were quite surprised personally at the cancellation of the series.

Amandla Stenberg Blames The Acolyte Cancelation On “Bigotry” From Certain Fans Amandla Stenberg in The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/Lucasfilm

Amandla Stenberg has now opened...

Keanu Reeves was reportedly almost cast in the leading role of The Acolyte, but Lee Jung-jae ultimately got the role instead. Leslye Headland found inspiration for Master Sol from Jung-jae's performance in Squid Game while she was writing the character. Keanu Reeves may still have a chance to join the Star Wars franchise in another project, as the franchise is reportedly still interested in casting him.

New reports about Star Wars: The Acolyte have started to emerge following the Star Wars TV show's cancelation, and one suggests that Keanu Reeves was nearly cast in one of the series' leading roles. The Acolyte already has a star-studded cast, from Carrie-Anne Moss to Lee Jung-jae, but it seems as if another star may have been close to joining this dazzling roster. While Jung-jae garnered plenty of praise in The Acolyte for his role as Master Sol and was often pointed to as the series' highlight,...

Earlier this week, we got word that Lucasfilm/Disney will not be moving forward with a second season of The Acolyte despite several major storylines and character arcs being left unresolved by the end of the season 1 finale.

The decision was met with a mixture of indifference and disappointment, but it's very clear that a lot of Star Wars fans - and some of the actors involved with the show - were surprised by this development.

Showrunner Leslye Headland was hoping to be able to continue her High Republic era-set tale, and rumor has it that the studio was planning a second season up until fairly recently.

So, what happened?

Despite speculation that the negative backlash from many Star Wars fans contributed to the decision, Jeff Sneider (via SFFGazette.com) is reporting that The Acolyte was cancelled because it didn't get enough viewers, plain and simple.

"Insiders explain that The Acolyte...

This isn't about good or bad. This is about spoilers for "The Acolyte," and who is allowed to use them, so proceed with caution.

There's been a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in aggravation about the giant mess that is the streaming landscape and how it's embodied in "The Acolyte" being canceled. Leslye Headland's "Star Wars" series is undeniably imperfect, with the quality of its writing, direction, and even acting varying wildly from episode to episode. When it comes to the big picture, however, it's readily the franchise's most daring live-action TV series this side of "Andor." Indeed, Headland's High Republic adventure expands upon the more radical ideas introduced in George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, further exposing the hubris of the Jedi at the height of their powers and revealing just how little they or anyone else in a galaxy far,...

Warning! The Following Contains Spoilers from The Acolyte.

Despite his characters mastery of the Force, which includes some Jedis ability to see future events, actor Lee Jung-jae himself was quite surprised when The Acolyte was canceled controversially after one season on Disney+. Creator and showrunner Leslye Headlands highly scrutinized Star Wars series ended with Jung-jaes Jedi character, Master Sol, succumbing to a Darth Vader-esque Force choke during what has become the contentious series finale. But even though his character was killed, Jung-jae was still taken aback when news broke that The Acolyte wouldnt be renewed for Season 2. Jung-jae said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

To hear the news, I was quite surprised personally as well.

The Acolyte 2/5 ActionAdventureDramaSci-Fi

Star Wars series that take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.

Seasons 1Studio Disney+, LucasfilmFranchise...

Lee Jung-jae, who portrayed Master Sol, in Disney+’s The Acolyte, is speaking out about the recent cancellation of the series after one season.

In an interview with EW, Lee says he had expected to see a Season 2 and was disappointed and “quite surprised personally” when he heard the news.

“As you know, my character had died already in the first season,” Lee told the publication. “So I wouldn’t have appeared in the second season if there was one anyway. But personally speaking, I really loved Leslye’s [Headland] writing. I thought that she was a great writer and director who was very talented in the storytelling, as well as creating characters and creating meaningful structures within the story. So I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a season 2 with her at the helm.”

Lee, however, is not giving up on seeing more of The Acolyte. “Honestly,...

The news that Lucasfilm will not be renewing The Acolyte for a second season broke earlier this week, and while some weren't overly surprised (or bothered), others were very disappointed that this High Republic era-story will not continue.

The series, which was created by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), received mostly positive reviews from critics, but was not as warmly embraced by the fandom, earning just an 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. A certain amount of the negative feedback can be attributed to review-bombing, but even so, it's clear that The Acolyte was not one of the more popular Disney+ Star Wars shows.

The enigmatic Sith warrior known as The Stranger, aka Qimir, and the flawed Jedi Master Sol were two of the show's most popular characters, and actors Manny Jacinto and Lee Jung-jae have now shared their responses to the cancellation.

Lee admits that he was "personally, quite surprised" by the news.

There was a great disturbance in the Force on Aug. 19 when news broke that Disney+ had cancelled Star Wars offshoot The Acolyte after a single season — but one cast member is hopeful that we haven’t seen the last of Osha and the gang.

“Honestly, I am hoping that maybe there could be changes in the future,” Lee Jung-jae, who played Jedi Master Sol, tells EW. “Because you never know what’s going to happen. So on a personal level, I really hope we could get to see further stories of [creator Leslye Headland] second season.”

More from TVLineJames Spader Returning as...

Lee Jung-Jae Opens Up About The Acolyte's Surprise Cancellation - Main Image

The Acolyte star Lee Jung-Jae has finally weighed in on the cancellation news of the Star Wars series.

Earlier this week, we learned that Lucasfilm has decided to not move forward with the second season of the High Republic-set series. A lot of fans have expressed their disappointment on the news online.

So far, there are no plans yet from Lucasfilm to continue the storyline in the series in some capacity and resolve the cliffhangers that were left off in the final episode.

Lee Jung-Jae Reacts to The Acolyte Cancellation

In a recent interview, Lee opened up about his reaction to the surprise cancellation of The Acolyte.

While he was not expected to appear in the second season since his character Sol died in the final episode, he expressed his grievances on the situation and was "surprised" when he heard the news.

Fans and actors alike are saddened by the cancellation of Star Wars' first official Disney+ show, The Acolyte. The cast, including Manny Jacinto and Amandla Stenberg, are receiving support amidst social media trolling. Despite the cancelation, The Acolyte's devoted fanbase is petitioning for its renewal and tie-ins are still happening.

Star Wars actors are beginning to react to The Acolyte's cancelation. Created by Leslye Headland, The Acolyte introduced viewers to the High Republic Era - the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic, which came to an end roughly a century before the Skywalker saga. After a divisive first season, The Acolyte has become Star Wars' first official Disney+ cancelation; Headland's plans for The Acolyte season 2 have officially come to an end.

It's sad news for Star Wars fans, but even more so for the actors themselves. Now, responses are beginning to emerge on social media, with Manny...

The Acolyte's cancelation reveals Star Wars' fear of new ideas and overreliance on nostalgia. Star Wars must accept that it shouldn't always appear to everyone and embrace niche fandoms to grow. Dealing with a divided fanbase, Star Wars must address toxic behavior and explore new directions.

On September 19, 2024, the Star Wars fandom felt a disturbance in the force, like the Death Star blowing up Alderaan. The news broke that The Acolyte was not returning for Season 2. While it was framed as a cancelation, it was more like The Book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan Kenobi, where a second season wasn't ordered. Still, cancelation is a buzzier word, and unlike those series, The Acolyte ended with a cliffhanger that seemed to set up a second season. This news was a disappointment for many fans. There were others, though, that celebrated the series cancelation. They didn't just enjoy the series cancelation but...

It's only been a day since Disney canceled its latest Star Wars series, The Acolyte, but fans are already quickly mobilizing support for the polarizing show. Over at Change.org, a petition was created by a fan named Blue Smith to save Leslye Headland's High Republic-set series, and, in just 24 hours, it blew up with over 700 signatures. While the poor reception from some viewers, along with more malicious review-bombing, was evident throughout the show's run, the swift and proactive reaction from fans shows a dedicated fanbase that was eager to see what Headland and company were ultimately cooking.

The powers that be at Disney and Lucasfilm recently decided not to move forward with "The Acolyte" season 2, meaning the Disney+ "Star Wars" series will instead be a one-and-done. That's going to leave fans feeling many different ways, to be certain, not least of all when it comes to the many plot threads left dangling by the "Acolyte" finale (which may or may not eventually be picked up in another medium). More than that, it's highly likely that Lucasfilm won't be rushing to make more live-action "Star Wars" projects set during the High Republic era. That, in my humble opinion, is the real tragedy here.

The High Republic, for those who may not be familiar, started as a publishing initiative by Disney and Lucasfilm. Launched in 2020, it aimed to tell a connected series of stories largely through books and comics set in an era when the Jedi were at the height of their power.

It’s official – The Acolyte has been canceled and will no longer move forward with Season 2. Despite the show’s fairly average critical score, Lucasfilm decided to pull the plug on the extremely expensive miniseries following backlash from fans.

Credits: Disney+’s The Acolyte / Lucasfilm

Leslye Headland served as the showrunner and has previously expressed her love and passion for Star Wars, and if given a chance, she would like to make it a trilogy. Now, that hope has been crushed.

The Acolyte Squandered Its Budget For An Underwhelming Story

Leslye Headland’s work on The Acolyte is considered a historical event by many as she became the first out queer person to helm a Star Wars property with the prequel show. With a staggering $180 million budget, that estimates to $22.5 million money spent per episode. This is incredibly pricey for a miniseries.

Lucasfilm may have come to the realization that...

This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Acolyte

Disney isn’t moving forward with a second season of The Acolyte, according to Deadline, which is an absolute shame. This Star Wars series offered a unique take on the galaxy far, far away, not only exploring an era that had yet to be shown in live-action but also exposing unexpected sides of the Jedi and Sith. The finale even introduced Darth Plagueis, a villain fans have longed to see in live action since he was first referenced in Revenge of the Sith, and promised to delve deeper into the story of Emperor Palpatine’s enigmatic master than ever before. But Disney’s decision means that we’ll never get to see that story, at least not as envisioned in The Acolyte.

A second season would have also shown us Osha’s next steps as Qimir’s Sith acolyte, Mae’s new life on Coruscant,...

Cancelling The Acolyte on Manny Jacinto's Birthday is 'Beyond Evil', Fans Protest - Main Image

The Acolyte fans are pissed at the Star Wars show's reported cancellation which apparently happened on Manny Jacinto's birthday. Considering that Qimir aka The Stranger's performance shined the brightest in the series, fans found the untimely announcement quite distasteful.

The Acolyte Gets Cancelled on Manny Jacinto's Birthday

The Acolyte wrapped up its eight-episode run on June 4, and while showrunner Leslye Headland confirmed that a second season could be in the future roster, Lucasfilm is not proceeding with the continuation of the series.

What disappointed fans chanting 'Renew The Acolyte' even more is the fact that the news sprung online right on the Qimir actor, Manny Jacinto's birthday, August 19.

To think that The Good Place star previously shared the incorporated "Filipino-ness" into the works of The Stranger's fighting style in Star Wars, and his...

It's a sad day for fans of The Acolyte, the latest Star Wars series to debut on Disney+. Deadline reports that the streamer and Lucasfilm have decided not to move forward with a second season of the series. That's a pretty quick cancelation decision considering that The Acolyte only aired its finale just over a month ago. It's not wholly unexpected, considering the divisive reaction the series garnered, along with its diminishing viewership numbers.

According to Deadline, The Acolyte's two-episode debut brought in around 4.8 million views on its release day, which was the largest series debut of the year on Disney+. That number rose to over 11.1 million views after five days, and continued to hold strong enough to put the show onto the Nielsen Top 10 for the first two weeks of its release, at Number 7 and Number 6, respectively. According to Nielsen, the show was watched for around 488 million minutes viewed during that first week,...

[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for the season, now series, finale of “The Acolyte.”]

There is every indication that, as of San Diego Comic-Con just weeks ago, Lucasfilm was planning on a future for “The Acolyte.” Instead, on August 19, Deadline first reported that the Disney+ “Star Wars” prequel series was canceled.

So it’s strange that at Comic-Con on July 26, the annual Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away panel showed that Lucasfilm Publishing had invested a great deal in “The Acolyte,” with multiple new tie-in books and comics related to the show. Random House Worlds will be publishing a novel in 2025 by Justina Ireland about Rebecca Henderson’s Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh and Carrie-Anne Moss’s Master Indara. February 2025 will introduce “The Acolyte” character Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi Master, into the ongoing “The High Republic” comic book series from Marvel. And in July 2025, there will even be a YA novel focusing on Charlie Barnett’s Yord and Dafne Keen’s Jecki.

Star Wars fans heard in the opening episode of Leslye Headland’s dark side-focused story The Acolyte that “an Acolyte kills the dream”. And for fans of that show, it seems the dream is over: according to reports, The Acolyte won’t be receiving a Season 2, and the story of Osha, Mae, and the Stranger ends here. While the show was only ever picked up for a single season (and therefore hasn’t technically been ‘cancelled’), Headland had previously talked of thoughts and plans for a second run – which it appears the powers-that-be have declined to explore.

As reported by Deadline, the streaming numbers on The Acolyte started strong, before declining as the series continued – and while the exact economics of the streaming era mean it’s never quite clear what level of viewership is required for a show to be successful, the results weren’t enough to continue the story.

The news that Lucasfilm canceled The Acolyte has been met with a mixed response from Star Wars fans. Ever since the Disney+ series debuted, it has faced an uphill battle; fans began reviewing-bombing it before a single episode aired. During its run, it generated a great deal of engagement and discussion (i.e. arguments), with many fans appreciating how the series pushed Star Wars in a new direction, while others were more critical. Certain fans were expressing honest criticisms of the show; a large segment of the fanbase only hated the series for featuring a more diverse cast of characters.

Fan reactions to the cancelation on social media has been as mixed as the series itself. Many fans have expressed disappointment in Lucasfilm and Disney's decision to cancel The Acolyte, noting the potential for where the series could've gone. Others were more critical of the series, pointing out the issues...

Manny Jacinto, the Canadian actor who recently celebrated his birthday (August 19), has undeniably climbed the Hollywood ladder rung by rung, proving that talent & perseverance can make even the tallest mountain surmountable. With his latest role in Disney’s Star Wars: The Acolyte, Jacinto has garnered a fresh army of fans, adding to the millions who first adored him on NBC’s The Good Place.

Amandla Stenberg in The Acolyte (2024) | Credit: Lucasfilm

Now, Jacinto’s acting chops are no secret; he’s been around the block and has played his cards in both big blockbusters and TV shows. From his minor role in Top Gun: Maverick to a slew of other impressive gigs, he’s been sharpening his skills like a lightsaber. But despite the buzz around his The Acolyte performance, the ride hasn’t been entirely smooth. Disney+ recently pulled the plug on the sci-fi series after just one season,...

Lucasfilm has decided not to move forward with a second season of Disney+'s latest live-action Star Wars series. The news has now been confirmed by both Deadline and THR: The Acolyte has officially been cancelled.

The series, which was created by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), received mostly positive reviews from critics, but was not as warmly embraced by the fandom, earning just an 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

A certain amount of the negative feedback can be attributed to review-bombing, but even so, it's clear that The Acolyte was not one of the more popular Disney+ Star Wars shows.

“It was an easy target,” said one source. “And it hurt the public perception of the show.”

The Acolyte got off to a strong start after its two-episode premiere, generating 4.8M views in its first day on Disney+ to rank as the biggest series premiere on the streamer this year.

The Acolyte will not return for season two, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Lucasfilm has opted not to continue the Disney+ Star Wars series, which aired its season one finale last month.

The Leslye Headland-created show earned respectable reviews from critics, but was panned by audiences, with only 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The show was review-bombed from some quarters who perceived it as “woke,” with certain corners of the internet going after Headland, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the series’ diverse group of actors.

“Honestly, I feel sad that people would think that if something were gay, that that would be bad,” Headland told THR in June. “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.”

Also in June, star...

Exclusive: The story of The Acolyte will not continue, with Lucasfilm opting not to proceed with a second season of the Star Wars offshoot starring Amandla Stenberg, sources tell Deadline.

Word of the decision comes more than a month after the eight-episode first season of the series from creator, director, executive producer and showrunner Lesley Headland wrapped its run on Disney+.

The news is not entirely surprising. The Acolyte did Ok with critics (78% on Rotten Tomatoes) but divided Star Wars fans, which was reflected in its overall viewership.

Driven by interest into the venerable franchise, The Acolyte got off to a strong start when it launched June 4 with two episodes, generating 4.8M views in its first day on the streamer to rank as the biggest series premiere on Disney+ this year. The tally rose to 11.1 million views globally after five days of streaming. Corroborating Disney’s data, the series made...

Disney’s latest Star Wars project, The Acolyte, has been the subject of multiple debates since its release and has also experienced notable review-bombing, which made it into the most controversial Star Wars project to date, and trust us, there have been controversial ones. Nevertheless, The Acolyte ended its first season after eight episodes, and most fans believe that the final episodes managed to redeem the series in more ways than one.

Several factors contributed to that redemption, and among them was the appearance of Darth Plagueis, a major character from the lore who turned out to be connected to Qimir, one of the series’ main characters, as well as that of Master Yoda, who made a cameo in the final episode.

In an exclusive interview with our friends on ScreenRant, Director Hanelle M. Culpepper discussed her work on the series and she revealed some interesting details about the potential second season,...

Fans were excited to see one of the most iconic Star Wars characters return in The Acolyte's Season 1 finale. The episode's director, Hanelle Culpepper, recently discussed bringing the Jedi master Yoda to life on the Disney+ show.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Hanelle, who also helmed the sixth episode of The Acolyte, revealed she was excited to learn she would get to work with the legendary Star Wars character. "I'm not sure which puppet they used for The Last Jedi... I can tell you that I was like a kid when I learned that I had the opportunity to work with Yoda," she said. Culpepper recounted the process of bringing Yoda to life, saying, " The day that we shot that, it was quite magical, Ill say, because you see Yoda... But then, a puppeteer brings Yoda to life, literally, and so it's a mind thing when you know you're looking at a puppet,...

‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ recently released its last episode, and while we’re waiting for some news regarding the second season Headland is explaining some things we’ve probably missed.

One of the most shocking moments in the final episode was definitely the moment during which Osha kills Master Sol.

If you’ve closely followed the show you are aware by now that Master Sol was directly to blame for the death of Mother Aniseya, and indirectly to blame for the death of the entire coven of the Witches of Brenodk. Sol’s biggest sin however is the fact that he blamed Mae for it and kept that information secret for 16 years.

Once Sol came clean regarding his part in the downfall of her family, Osha could no longer contain her negative emotions, the hatred, the betrayal, the pain and she decided to force choke Sol. Even in death, Sol decided to forgive her,...

Warning! The Following Contains Spoilers from the Season 1 Finale of The Acolyte.

The revelation isn't nearly as impactful as that of Darth Vader revealing he is Luke Skywalker's father. However, most Star Wars fans already knew, or, at least, strongly suspected Darth Plagueis the Wise was the Strangers Sith Master, but The Acolytes showrunner Leslye Headland has officially confirmed their relationship. While Qimir, aka the Stranger (Manny Jacinto), and Lord Plagueis never shared a scene together, fans were treated to a very quick shot of the Sith Master hiding in the shadows during the Season 1 finale. Headland said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

We wanted to answer a lot of questions. We wanted to show Qimirs master [Darth Plagueis]. We weren't going to wait a second season for that.

Qimir is arguably the most intriguing character to grace the eight-episode Disney+ series. Obsessed with finding his own acolyte, the...

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte season 1.

Darth Plagueis appeared in a surprising cameo in The Acolyte season 1 finale, raising questions about his connection to Qimir. Leslye Headland has confirmed that Qimir is Plagueis' apprentice, seemingly removing the possibility of Qimir being a Sith pretender. Qimir being confirmed as Plagueis' apprentice cements his doomed fate, as Plagueis eventually takes Palpatine as his apprentice.

The Acolyte season 1's Darth Plagueis cameo was certainly shocking, with showrunner Leslye Headland outlining the true nature of his appearance in the story. The Acolyte season 1's ending mostly wrapped up the many plot threads it had crafted across the eight-episode story. Osha and Mae's story with the Jedi was resolved, leaving the twins off for an interesting story should The Acolyte season 2's story be confirmed. Qimir's storyline was also furthered, seemingly teased to link to Star Wars' Sith Lord Darth Plagueis.

The following contains spoilers for The Acolyte Season 1, Episode 8 "The Acolyte," which is now streaming on Disney+.

Amandla Stenberg went all out on developing Mae and Osha's pasts to prepare for her dual The Acolyte roles.

Speaking to Inverse, Stenberg talked about what it was like portraying the Force-sensitive twins and workshopping their backstories in advance, which helped her greatly during the filming process. "Something that I feel like we don't really talk about that much is when you're filming something, you shoot out of sequence, so one of the most challenging things for me is always just ensuring that I am accurate within the emotional arc when we're filming things out of order," she explained.

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New figures and a Moff Gideon's Imperial Light Cruiser Hallway playset have been unveiled for Hasbro's Star Wars: The Vintage Collection line.

The Acolyte ended its eight-episode first season with an appearance from Jedi Master Yoda. According to series creator Leslye Headland, the character's presence served to counteract the presence of the villainous Darth Plagueis.

"That's why it was important to introduce Yoda," Headland told Entertainment Weekly. "If you were going to introduce Plagueis, then you needed a formidable other side of that. As somebody that knows who Plagueis is and knows where the lineage of the Sith is headed, it would be imbalanced if you didn't have somebody on the light side who carried as much gravitas. So to me, it just made sense."

Related 'That's Lifted From Tyler Durden': The Acolyte Showrunner Confirms Fight Club References

Showrunner Leslye Headland explains how Fight Club influenced The Stranger, and the final shot between him and Osha.

That philosophy ties back to what Vernestra, who was seeking Yoda's counsel, says in the final scene of the series.