Disney exec Alan Bergman addresses High Republic Era adventure had proved remarkably controversial, but news of its cancelation shook the fandom nevertheless. This was the first Star Wars Disney+ TV show to officially be canceled.

Four months later, Disney's Alan Bergman - co-chair of Disney Entertainment, responsible for overseeing all of the company’s content creation and platforms - has finally addressed the cancelation in a 2024 round-up with Vulture. "We were happy with our performance," he explained, "but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two. So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that." According to Bergman, then, The Acolyte was canceled because it was simply too expensive for its viewership.

What Alan Bergman's Comments Mean For Star Wars

Lucasfilm need to get budgets under control

The Acolyte was one of the most costly Star Wars TV shows; there were initial reports the total budget was roughly $170-180 million, but tax filings in the United Kingdom revealed Lucasfilm spent £172 million ($231 million) on the show. Given the expense, it does make sense that The Acolyte required strong viewership to be renewed for a second season. In the end, the demand simply wasn't sufficient to justify the costs.

The comment will no doubt raise concerns about Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which is estimated to have cost about $136 million. Viewership appears low at this point - Skeleton Crew didn't even make the streaming top 10 with its premiere - but there's positive word of mouth, meaning it could still perform better in the longer-term. Only time will tell how this will play out.

Our Take On The Acolyte's Cancelation

A sad moment for Star Wars

The Acolyte was incredibly controversial, and its cancelation left parts of the fanbase demoralized. It doesn't help that the cliffhanger ending promised a second season far more exciting than the first, with the first glimpse of the live-action Darth Plagueis. Viewers who were engaged with the show have a strong sense of what they're missing out on, and are deeply frustrated. Vocal campaigners who pushed for the cancelation feel vindicated. Bluntly, it's something of a mess.

Fortunately, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has been better received than The Acolyte. This at least means Lucasfilm is ending the year with something popular, a relief after quite a rocky year. Looking forward, viewers have Andor season 2, Ahsoka season 2, and a number of mysterious unknown TV shows to look forward to as well. No doubt more will be revealed at Star Wars Celebration this year.

Source: Vulture