Disney has reportedly cancelled the Star Wars series The Acolyte after just one season – find out more below.
The Acolyte‘s cancellation is reportedly by Deadline, per undisclosed sources close to the project. A reason for the cancellation was not shared, and has not been officially announced by Disney, Lucasfilm or series creator and director Leslye Headland.
The alleged cancellation isn’t entirely surprising, given its reception by Star Wars fans. The series was well-received by critics (including NME), but was divisive to fans and resulted in a dire 18 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series was already panned by fans before its release, with many slamming its trailer earlier in the year for “looking cheap”. Series lead Amandla Stenberg also experienced severe racism for her role in the show, leading to her writing and releasing a song in response to her haters.
However, it was admittedly never guaranteed that The Acolyte was being planned as a multi-season show. Other notable Star Wars series such as The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi never received second seasons. The Acolyte, however, ended on a cliffhanger and had teased big events in a potential second season, with showrunner Leslye Headland going on record to say she was hoping for a renewal.
The Acolyte was created by Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland and stars Stenberg (The Hate U Give, Bodies Bodies Bodies) in the twin lead roles of Osha and Mae. The two characters are raised by a coven of witches, led by Jodie Turner-Smith, and are separated by tragedy, with Osha training as a Jedi before lapsing, while Mae turns to the dark side.
In a four-star review of The Acolyte, Paul Bradshaw wrote for NME: “As with everything in Star Wars, balance is everything – but it feels like Headland has managed to walk a finer line than most with The Acolyte. It’s new, without feeling unconnected. Pristine, but not too shiny. Fun, but still substantial. It feels like a place to grow from, as well as a worthy stand-alone story in its own right.”