But those stories aren’t cheap to make. Aside from George Lucas’ original Star Wars movie, which was made on a modest $11 million budget (approximately $55 million today), and its sequels, Star Wars productions have all had massive blockbuster-level budgets – and the live-action shows are no different. Each of these streaming shows was made on a movie-level budget. That’s not entirely surprising, as Star Wars, more than most franchises, relies heavily on special effects. One series, however, was decidedly more expensive than the rest.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The lowest overall budget, but a high cost per episode
The Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, which examined Obi-Wan’s life on Tatooine years after dropping Luke off with Owen and Beru Lars, is reportedly Star Wars’ least expensive live-action show to date, with a full production budget of $90 million (via Epic Stream). One might attribute this to the number of episodes, as it’s the only Star Wars Disney+ show to produce a mere six episodes – most of the other live-action Star Wars shows have produced eight episodes per season. However, this meant that each episode still cost around $15 million.
When the show first aired, audiences complained that the environments and CGI in Obi-Wan Kenobi looked “cheap” compared to other productions with similar budgets. When Obi-Wan visits Fortress Inquisitorius in episode 4, the environment was compared to the same location in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Equally, the Grand Inquisitor’s prosthetics were called into question, especially when compared to his animated appearance in Star Wars Rebels. Given the show’s relatively high episodic budget, some of these complaints were generally justified.
Ahsoka
Ahsoka’s budget hasn’t been officially confirmed by Lucasfilm
Ahsoka season 1 saw Ahsoka Tano team up with her former apprentice, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels, to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn from returning to Star Wars’ primary galaxy. More than most other Star Wars shows, Ahsoka delved deep into the mystical side of Star Wars’ lore, featuring massive space whales known as purrgil, the otherworldly realm of The World Between Worlds, and plenty of lightsaber battles and Nightsister magick. As such, it’s no surprise that Ahsoka had a blockbuster-level budget, though it’s still estimated to be lower than some of its fellow Disney+ shows.
Though the official budget for Ahsoka season 1 has yet to be revealed, most estimates place the full, eight-episode season at around $100 million (via Dexerto). If this estimate is correct, that would mean each episode cost around $12.5 million to make, slightly lower than other related shows like The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian. Now that Ahsoka has been renewed for season 2, the show’s production budget may be increased to match the demands of the story as the so-called “Mandoverse” builds towards an epic climax with Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The Book of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett’s budget is almost the same as The Mandalorian’s
The Book of Boba Fett was The Mandalorian’s first proper spinoff, giving iconic legacy character Boba Fett a chance to shine. Unfortunately, given its placement on the timeline, Boba Fett was overshadowed by Din Djarin and Grogu. Despite having only seven episodes compared to The Mandalorian’s eight, the scope was very similar, so it’s no surprise that both shows would have comparable budgets. Boba Fett is estimated to have had a budget of around $15 million per episode (via Movie Web). This would put Boba Fett’s total budget a little higher than Ahsoka’s, at $105 million for seven episodes.
The Mandalorian
Disney+’s flagship Star Wars show isn’t the most expensive one
Despite being Star Wars’ flagship live-action TV show, The Mandalorian isn’t the most expensive production. At $15 million an episode, one single season of The Mandalorian costs $120 million to produce (via IGN). Given The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian share many of the same production challenges – shooting in the Volume, the creation of dozens of Mandalorian costumes, practical effects, and so on – it makes sense that these shows would have similar budgets.
The total cost for all three seasons of The Mandalorian so far, then, comes in at a whopping $360 million. Interestingly enough, it’s been reported that The Mandalorian & Grogu, the first of four announced Star Wars movies, will have a similar budget as one season of The Mandalorian. However, keep in mind that this budget is on par with the budget for George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel movies – Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, for instance, had a budget of $113 million.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew’s budget proves Lucasfilm’s belief in the concept
Very little is currently known about Star Wars’ upcoming series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Starring Jude Law as an as-yet-unnamed Jedi, the series will see a group of kids, lost in the galaxy, try to find their way home. Inspired by ’80s movies like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Goonies, Skeleton Crew is sure to appeal to a wide demographic, which may explain the series’ reportedly high budget.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the entire budget for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is $136 million, over $15 million more than one season of The Mandalorian. Skeleton Crew, much like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, is reportedly set to consist of eight episodes in total. This would mean that each episode will cost roughly $17 million, more than Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte’s pre-production budget is surprisingly high
Set during the High Republic Era, a century before the events of the Skywalker saga, The Acolyte presented a deeply flawed vision of the Jedi Order. Helmed by Leslye Headland, the Disney+ TV show told the story of two Force-sensitive twins whose lives unraveled due to the influence of the Jedi, and who found their way to the Sith. It proved deeply controversial, and was canceled after its first season.
According to Forbes, Lucasfilm spent $49 million on pre-production alone – more than half of Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s budget. It was initially believed the total budget was roughly $170-180 million, but this turned out to be a dramatic underestimate; tax returns filed in the U.K. revealed Lucasfilm spent £172 million ($231 million) on the show, meaning the episodes had a budget of $28.75 million. Surprisingly, though, even this isn’t the most expensive Star Wars TV show to date.
Andor
Andor is Star Wars’ most expensive Disney+ live-action show
Given Andor’s grounded narrative, some may be surprised to discover that Andor is, by far, Star Wars’ most expensive live-action show. A prequel to the billion-dollar-grossing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor follows Cassian Andor’s road to becoming one of the Rebellion’s most effective agents. Each episode of Andor costs between $15-25 million to produce. Andor season 1, unlike the other Star Wars Disney+ live-action shows, consisted of 12 episodes in total, bringing Andor’s total budget for one season up to around $250 million.
Much of Andor was shot on location, and massive sets were built instead of making use of the Volume, as most other Star Wars shows have done. This adds to the grounded feel of the show and has made it one of the franchise’s most visually striking series. Though the budget is undeniably massive, the final product makes it clear where all that money went. Andor season 2 has just finished production and is expected to be released in late 2024 or early 2025. Andor might be expensive, but it is also, without a doubt, an absolute triumph for Star Wars.
