The story will not be continuing for the live-action Star Wars series The Acolyte as Disney+ has chosen to cancel that one after a single season. That show made it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings for the first two weeks of its inaugural season and also showed up one more time the week of its season finale. It also scored relatively well with critics, currently holding a 78% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But fans of the franchise were not as happy with it seeing as it only has an 18% Audience Score. Creator and showrunner Leslye Headland did have plans to continue the series and made a pitch to Disney+ execs for how it would carry on into a second season and more. But with a price tag of $180 million for the eight-episode first season, the streamer was not interested in keeping the show going based on its subpar viewing numbers (there were already rumors that it would not go beyond its first season due to the cost). And that means that this one is pretty much dead at this point seeing as Disney owns the Star Wars franchise and is unlikely to allow the show to move to another venue.
This announcement counts back to the 2023-24 season and brings the Cancellation/Renewal Score for that year to 22 cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy entries (28% of shows tracked) vs. 36 renewed (46%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current and prior seasons at our Cancellation Watch Page.
The Acolyte follows an investigation into a shocking crime spree that pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems. It stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, and Charlie Barnett.
The 2024-25 season has just begun, but there are still shows from the prior year waiting for word on their fates, and I expect more announcements to come over the next month or so. You can see the status of all this season’s shows at this link. And be sure to follow this site as well as our Twitter and Mastodon accounts for updates and breaking news.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
