Prime Video is reportedly maintaining its commitment to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, with plans to continue through all five seasons.

When it comes to series with high expectations, few can hold a candle—or a lightsaber—to the thrilling universe of Star Wars. Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte was supposed to be the next big thing, a breath of fresh interstellar air with new characters and unique lightsabers that promised to challenge our understanding of the Jedi.

Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte | Credits: Lucasfilm

However, the series wasn’t exactly met with open arms, leading to its untimely cancellation (after season one). And, adding insult to injury, Amazon’s show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is still reportedly forging ahead with its five-season quest, despite experiencing a drop in viewership.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Is Still Going Strong After Ratings Drop

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been on quite the adventure, and not just about the Middle-earth variety. Fans can finally breathe a little easier, as it appears Prime Video is still committed to taking the show all the way to its planned five-season epic.

A fresh report from THR reveals that despite a few bumps along the road, the studio is standing firm. Sure, the show’s viewership numbers might have taken a bit of a nosedive recently, but according to THR, Prime Video “remains committed to the show’s original five-season plan.”

In the opening salvo of Season 2, a modest 902,000 U.S. households tuned in within the first four days—a 50% drop compared to the Season 1 premiere (via Deadline). It’s like having a party where only half the guests show up, and the ones who do are busy texting under the table.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Credit: Prime Video
However, per THR, Prime Video announced that 40 million viewers have graced Season 2 with their presence in the first 11 days. However, they’ve left us hanging like a cliffhanger, not revealing just how much of the season or each episode these viewers actually took in.

Despite the fret and worry over Season 2’s numbers—especially considering the show’s hefty budget (see Deadline)—Prime Video isn’t ready to throw in the towel on its fantasy epic just yet. With three more seasons in the pipeline, it seems like they’re betting on a comeback. Whether they can turn the ship around or not remains to be seen.

The Acolyte Canceled After Just One Season on Disney+

But while The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues its saga, the fans of The Acolyte might just be left feeling more than a little burned. The beloved Star Wars series by Leslye Headland has been shown the door after just one season at Disney+.
Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte | Credits: Lucasfilm
Sure, the series had its share of struggles, including some serious review-bombing on Rotten Tomatoes, where it earned a dismal 18% audience score compared to a much more favorable 78% from critics.

Even though the series landed with a thud, fans aren’t exactly ready to let it go without a fight; some have launched a Change.org petition titled ‘Renew The Acolyte’. They’re rallying for Disney and Lucasfilm to give the show a second season, despite Headland’s grand plans for “at least three” seasons. As of now, this petition has racked up over 75,000 signatures.

But not long after the ‘Renew The Acolyte’ petition blasted off, another with a decidedly different mission appeared, named ‘Help De-canonize The Acolyte’. While it doesn’t have quite the same star power, it’s still managed to gather over 23,000 signatures.

Clearly, opinions are as polarized as a debate between the Jedi and the Sith. Regardless, The Acolyte fans are left to lick their wounds and wonder what might have been.

The Acolyte is available on Disney+. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.