Topline
Some stars and crew members who worked on the “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” are lamenting that it was canceled after only one season—including its lead actress, Amandla Stenberg, who criticized the right-wing backlash the show faced in a series of Instagram stories posted Wednesday evening.
Amandla Stenberg criticized the "hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol" she faced. (Photo by Stuart ... [+]
Key Facts
Amandla Stenberg, who played the twin protagonists Osha and Mae Aniseya, said in a series of Instagram stories the series’ cancellation was “not a huge shock for me,” pointing to the “rampage of vitriol” and “hyper-conservative bigotry” the show has faced since its premiere, and slammed critics who have “hatred for anything that is other.”
Stenberg said she is “very sad” about the cancelation, adding it was an “incredible honor” to be part of the “Star Wars” universe, and lamented that fans who were invested in the show won’t get a second season.
Lee Jung-jae, who plays Jedi Master Sol in “The Acolyte,” told Entertainment Weekly he was “quite surprised” the show was canceled and said he was looking forward to seeing where showrunner Leslye Headland would take a second season, expressing hopes it could still be renewed.
Manny Jacinto, who also stars in “The Acolyte,” posted a frame from the show on Instagram Thursday night with a heart emoji as a caption, prompting many actors and fans to offer sympathy for the show’s cancelation in the comments.
Rebecca Henderson, an actress in the show and Headland’s wife, shared Jacinto’s post to her Instagram story.
Jen Richards, a writer for “The Acolyte,” posted a lengthy thread to X stating “no one with power/money in Hollywood wants the ‘risk’ of an original idea or diverse stories,” claiming “what survives has a tiny window to achieve virality, or it's cancelled.”
John Boyega, who starred in several “Star Wars” films, commented a GIF of Han Solo saluting on one of Stenberg’s older Instagram posts, a possible gesture of solidarity as both actors have faced online anger and racially motivated attacks for their “Star Wars” roles.
Did ‘the Acolyte’ Have Good Ratings?
“The Acolyte” debuted with decent ratings, though they failed to match the highs of other “Star Wars” series and declined quickly after. The series debuted at No. 7 on the Nielsen streaming originals chart after its first two episodes premiered June 4, logging 488 million minutes viewed. Its debut fell behind “Star Wars” series including “Ahsoka,” which garnered 829 million minutes viewed in its first week last year, and the third season of “The Mandalorian,” which racked up 823 million minutes viewed in its debut week. “The Acolyte” charted at No. 6 in its second week, and fell off the Nielsen streaming originals chart the following week, failing to return until it re-entered at No. 10 after it logged 335 million minutes viewed for its finale, which Deadline reported may be the lowest viewership for a “Star Wars” finale. Deadline reported Disney+ has a high standard for viewership for renewing shows, particularly since the first season of “The Acolyte” reportedly cost more than $100 million to produce.
Why Was ‘the Acolyte’ Controversial?
“The Acolyte” became a target for right-wing critics in early June when some popular right-wing social media accounts shared interviews of Headland and Stenberg in which they joke they made the “gayest” entry in the “Star Wars” universe. A scene from the show where a character asks about another’s pronouns also roiled some critics, though the writer shot back that it was a joke because the character in the scene was not human. The series also frustrated some fans who felt it changed some accepted “Star Wars” lore, including how the Force operates. The series faced a review-bombing campaign on Rotten Tomatoes and currently holds an 18% audience rating—much lower than the 78% critics rating. In June, Stenberg slammed the “intolerable racism” she had faced and released a song on Instagram dissing her critics, stating she’s “sick and f***ing tired of repressing my rage.”
Key Background
Headland previously said in interviews she had ideas of what she wanted to explore in a potential second season of “The Acolyte.” She told Inverse in July she wanted to explore the relationship between Osha, played by Stenberg, and the Stranger, played by Jacinto, which she called the “juiciest relationship that I would love to dive into.” Headland told Entertainment Weekly in June she knew a second season was not guaranteed, so she “threw everything into season 1, because who knows what's going to happen?” She told Entertainment Weekly again in July she had still heard “nothing” about a possible second season.
What To Watch For
Whether Headland addresses the show’s cancelation. She has not commented yet, despite being a primary subject of criticism online from right-wing critics of “The Acolyte.”
Further Reading
‘The Acolyte’ Canceled: No Season 2 For Disney+’s ‘Star Wars’ Series (Deadline)
