The Acolyte cast respond to cancellation
David Farnor | On 28, Aug 2024
The cast of The Acolyte have responded to the cancellation of the Star Wars series by Disney+.
From creator Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), the drama is set in the final days of the High Republic era and follows an investigation into a shocking crime spree that pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.
Co-starring Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo and Carrie-Anne Moss, the series premiered on Disney+ in June.
“This stylish, enjoyably dark tale of revenge takes Star Wars in a refreshing new direction,” we wrote in our review.
Now, however, Disney+ has taken the decision not to renew the show for a second season. Jung-Jae, who learnt English phonetically in a few months to play Master Sol, spoke to Entertainment Weekly at the weekend and said he was “surprised” by the cancellation.
“I really loved Leslye’s writing,” said the Squid Game star. “I thought that she was a great writer and director who was very talented in the storytelling, as well as creating characters and creating meaningful structures within the story. So I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a season 2 with her at the helm.”
Jacinto, who played Qimir, also posted a still from the series on Instagram with a heart.
The decision behind the show’s cancellation hasn’t been announced by Disney, although it’s likely due to the project not gaining enough viewership to reward its expensive budget of $180 million, rather than the negative online reaction to the series by a minority of Star Wars fans.
