Tax returns reveal that The Acolyte was significantly over-budget, further explaining Disney’s decision to cancel the show. Helmed by showrunner Leslye Headland, The Acolyte introduced viewers to the High Republic Era, a century before the Skywalker saga. The Star Wars TV show met with mixed reviews, and Disney ultimately canceled The Acolyte season 2.

New tax filings, unearthed by That Park Place, offer new insight into The Acolyte‘s cancelation. According to tax documents filed by the Walt Disney Company’s UK branch, Lucasfilm spent £172 million ($231 million) on the show, meaning the budget ballooned to an eye-watering $28.75 million per episode. This comes in significantly over-budget, given previous comments that had seemed to indicate it cost $180 million – making it the most expensive Star Wars TV show to date.

What The Acolyte’s Budget Means For The Future Of Star Wars

Did The Acolyte ever really have a chance?

The Acolyte was controversial from the outset, with a vocal review-bombing campaign throughout its streaming run. Its cancelation has left the Star Wars fandom divided, with critics of the Disney era feeling emboldened and those who’d enjoyed it demotivated and discouraged. But these tax filings show the real reason the Disney+ TV show was canceled; costs were incredibly high, making it one of the most expensive TV shows ever made.The Acolyte‘s viewership just wasn’t good enough given those costs. Here’s how The Acolyte compared even to other Star Wars shows.

Star Wars TV shows by reported budget

Obi-Wan Kenobi
$90 million

Ahsoka
$100 million

The Book of Boba Fett
$105 million

The Mandalorian
$120 million

Skeleton Crew
$136 million

The Acolyte
$231 million

Andor
$250 million

It’s unclear quite why The Acolyte was so over-budget, but this certainly explains why Lucasfilm invested heavily in tie-ins and merchandise. While all attention is on viewership, merchandise is probably Star Wars‘ biggest source of income, so Disney is using merch to make up for the costs. At the very least, this likely means The Acolyte tie-in novels are safe. Some lovers of The Acolyte had been deeply concerned.

Lucasfilm Really Do Need To Relearn George Lucas’ Most Important Lesson

George Lucas excelled at keeping costs under control

The streaming era has had a massive effect on TV show budgets, and it frankly doesn’t feel sustainable. Budgets have gone through the roof, episode counts have dropped, and seasons release with years in between rather than annually. Star Wars in particular needs to relearn a simple lesson from George Lucas; he excelled at keeping the costs under control, meaning even the more expensive prequels were a tremendous return of investment.

Lucasfilm is reportedly reducing its number of live-action TV shows, turning a lot of attention back toward the big screen. This is probably a good idea, because the kind of budgets seen by The Acolyte should really be reserved for theatrical releases. It is to be hoped Lucasfilm learns a lot from whatever went wrong with The Acolyte, resulting in these high costs.