One of the most (if not the most) controversial Star Wars stories is proving to be surprisingly popular despite its sudden cancelation. Beginning in June last year, the Star Wars prequel series The Acolyte proved to be another deeply divisive adventure in a galaxy far, far away. But, while the series has now been canceled by Disney, a new report reveals that the cries from fans for The Acolyte Season 2 are louder than anyone would have expected.
According to Parrot Analytics, who study viewing metrics, streaming data, and more, calls for The Acolyte Season 2 are “20.8 times the average,” which they conclude “stands as a compelling candidate for further investment and development.” Despite a slight drop in demand from fans (dipping from a previous high of 22.6 times the average), The Acolyte “remains exceptionally rated within the drama genre at the 99.3rd percentile,” which they believe “indicates a high loyalty and engagement level from a dedicated audience, which should affect acquisition and programming decisions.”

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While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Disney will rethink their plans for The Acolyte, which was unceremoniously canceled not long after its final episode in August last year, no doubt The House of Mouse will be looking carefully at the high demand for more from the series, and could certainly result in a return to The Acolyte franchise in the future.
Why Was ‘The Acolyte’ Canceled?

Lucasfilm

This latest insight comes following the revelation that, despite the divisive (and often toxic) response, The Acolyte was not only pretty popular among viewers, it was the second-most viewed show of 2024 on Disney+. According to figures that have since emerged, The Acolyte trailed just behind the hit fantasy series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which took the top spot on the streamer thanks to its more than 3 billion minutes viewed, with The Acolyte falling slightly behind with 2.7 billion minutes.
So, why was the Star Wars series canceled? It’s likely that the harsher response from a certain section of the fandom pushed the decision over the line (the series received solid reviews from critics), but the official explanation given by co-chair of Disney Alan Bergman pointed fingers at the show’s huge budget. “So as it relates to Acolyte, we were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two. So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that,” he said.
Created by Leslye Headland for Disney+, The Acolyte features an ensemble cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, Margarita Levieva, Lauren Brady, Leah Brady, Harry Trevaldwyn, and David Harewood. The first season is available to stream now, and you can check out the official synopsis below.

“A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”

Source: Parrot Analytics