Disney+ Cancels ‘The Acolyte’ – No Second Season for Star Wars Series

Recently news emerged that Disney+ has decided not to continue “The Acolyte” with a second season. This Star Wars series starring Amandla Stenberg wrapped up its first season on the streaming platform, but it will not be moving forward. 

The show, created and directed by Leslye Headland, completed its eight-episode run on Disney+ over a month ago. The decision not to renew isn’t entirely surprising. While critics gave “The Acolyte” a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the show received mixed reactions from Star Wars fans, which impacted its overall viewership.

“The Acolyte” had a strong start when it premiered on June 4 with two episodes, drawing 4.8 million views on its first day. It was Disney+’s biggest series premiere of the year, reaching 11.1 million views globally after five days. The series also made it to Nielsen’s Top 10 Originals chart, debuting at No. 7 in its premiere week and climbing to No. 6 the following week.

However, the series couldn’t maintain this momentum. It dropped out of the Top 10 in its third week and stayed off until it returned briefly at No. 10 after the finale aired. The finale’s viewership was the lowest for a Star Wars series finale on Disney+.

Like other major streaming platforms, Disney+ sets high viewership standards for renewing expensive, big-budget series. Headland had shared her hopes for a second season in interviews, but it wasn’t enough to secure a renewal.

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“The Acolyte” was a mystery-thriller set in the final days of the High Republic era, exploring dark-side powers and hidden secrets. The cast included Lee Jung-Jae, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Carrie-Anne Moss.