Lucasfilm’s mystery-thriller set 100 years before ‘Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace’ will not return for a second season; numerous negative reviews calling the series too ‘woke’ may be to blame.
The dark side has won again. Lucasfilm’s Star Wars prequel series The Acolyte, set in the final days of the High Republic era, has been canceled at Disney+ after its first and only season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Widely panned by audiences, the series was considered too “woke,” per fan reviews, with its diverse cast and creator Leslye Headland, a female and LGBTQ+ community member.
“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.”
Set 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, the series stars Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), and Dean-Charles Chapman (1917).
Creator, showrunner, and executive producer Headland (Russian Doll) also directed the first two episodes. Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef also executive produce, with Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow serving as producers.
VFX studios on the series include ILM, beloFX, Clear Angle Studios, Hybride, Luma Pictures, Outpost VFX, and Rising Sun Pictures, with previs by Proof Inc. Julian Foddy serves as production VFX supervisor, with Carlos Ciudad serving as production VFX producer.
The Acolyte Season One streams on Disney+.
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
