Why won't there be a second season of The Acolyte?
Will we learn more about the end of the High Republic era in a second season of The Acolyte?
The sixth live-action Star Wars series to arrive on Disney Plus, The Acolyte, has now finished airing its first season, filling in part of history hitherto unseen in a galaxy far away.
The series, which comes from creator Leslye Headland, was set approximately 100 years before The Phantom Menace and saw some seriously shocking and dark moments throughout its run.
But, now that the first season has come to an end, is there more to come, or is this the end of the road for the prequel series?
Read on for everything you need to know about The Acolyte season 2.
Warning: contains spoilers for The Acolyte season 1.
Why won't there be a second season of The Acolyte? Cancellation explained
There will not be a second season of The Acolyte.
Lucasfilm has confirmed that The Acolyte will not be renewed for a second season on Disney+.
The series failed to make a huge dent in the Nielsen ratings in the US, and the toxic online discourse surrounding the show appears to be a factor in the series' end.
Indeed, prior to the show's release, lead actor Stenberg said she had been "flooded" with "intolerable" racist abuse on social media, which grimly echoes the experience of past Star Wars actors including Kelly Marie Tran, Moses Ingram and John Boyega.
The volatility of the online discourse appears to have been a factor in The Acolyte's cancellation, with an industry source telling The Hollywood Reporter that it "hurt the public perception of the show".
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Headland said of bringing the show's first season to its conclusion: "I'll tell you my philosophy on first seasons. Something that I've noticed is first seasons will end on what should have been the break into act two. It feels like everyone's really expecting to get a second season, and I don't feel that's a good idea.
"I think you should put everything you can into the first season and give the audience a nice resolution that feels satisfying, but enough nods to mysteries that you would want to see a second season.
"So it’s a little bit of both. You don't want to leave it so wrapped up that, like Obi-Wan or a standalone mini-series, that there's no reason to watch a second season, but I think there's enough stuff in the last few episodes that you would want to have answered."
When asked whether she had outlines or scripts prepared for season 2, Headland said: "I remember reading that Vince Gilligan in writing and doing the first season of Breaking Bad really didn't plan on, 'We're getting seven more seasons, and this is what's going to happen to Walter White.'
"It was much more, 'Here's everything we got. We're throwing everything at the wall.' And then with the pickup, he mapped out, 'Okay, here's what's going to happen over the course of however many seasons.'
"So I took that approach with this. I threw everything into season 1, because who knows what's going to happen?"
Looks like now we know.
Star Wars: The Acolyte launched on Disney Plus on Tuesday 4th June. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
