How Much Did Disney Spend on Andor? Shocking $650 Million Budget Revealed

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While fans mainly see the entertainment world as an avenue for creating art, it’s crucial to remember that for the creators and producers behind the scenes, it’s both a creative outlet and a substantial business endeavor – often involving significant financial investment. We frequently discuss movie budgets and box office earnings, but in today’s context, television production can be even more costly, as demonstrated by the recent case of ‘Andor’.

It is widely acknowledged by even the most skeptical fans that Andor stands among the top-notch contributions to the Star Wars universe since Disney acquired the franchise. However, producing such a high-quality series didn’t come cheap, and I’m still left wondering about the exact production cost of Andor.

What Andor Cost

Studio budgets are usually kept confidential and can be hard to ascertain, often relying on speculation or mathematical approximations. But during the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas, creator Tony Gilroy of the show Andor disclosed an actual figure (reported by Deadline), stating that the budget for both seasons amounts to approximately $650 million.

Based on projections, the cost for Season 2 of Andor is approximately $300 million. This figure is slightly higher than Deadline’s estimate for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘s budget, meaning that each season costs roughly as much as a standalone Star Wars movie.

In simpler terms, a film such as “Rise of Skywalker” needs to earn approximately $1 billion worldwide just to turn a profit, given its high production budget. This is rather astounding. Keep in mind that the economics of streaming services are quite intricate, even for studios, making it hard to believe they would approve such a substantial investment.

How Tony Gilroy Felt About Andor’s Budget

Without a doubt, Tony Gilroy was aware of the implications that large sums of money brought with them. He openly acknowledged that he approached decisions regarding the show with great care, as he was mindful of the substantial amount of someone else’s funds at stake. This awareness led to one of the significant alterations from the initial season of Andor, as Gilroy explained…

In simpler terms, Disney finds this $650 million quite significant. Throughout the production of 24 episodes, I didn’t jot down a single suggestion. In the first season, we expressed “F-ck the Empire,” and they asked us to reconsider using such language.

In an open discussion, the showrunner admitted that an expletive directed towards the Empire was initially scripted for the end of Season 1; however, Disney executives requested this line be altered. It appears that one reason for his compliance was recognizing the financial stakeholders involved.

It’s quite clear that these budgets play a crucial role in their significance. We understand that the termination of “The Acolyte,” another Disney+ Star Wars series, was more about its production costs rather than viewership numbers.

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Indulge in both seasons of Andor, along with an extensive collection of Star Wars movies and series, on Disney+. With so much of the galaxy far, far away waiting for you on Disney+, consider saving money on your subscription by opting for the annual plan, which allows you to pay in advance for a whole year. Check out the offer now!

Gilroy stated that financial disagreements arose during Season 2 of Andor, as Disney+ seemed to be considering reducing expenditure for this season compared to the first one. However, Gilroy emphasized that while he actively advocated for the show’s budget requirements, it seems there were more discussions than actual disputes about costs, which the showrunner found commendable. He further added…

In Season 2, they stated, “We no longer have the financial resources as before due to streaming issues, and streaming is obsolete,” leading to a tough battle over funds. However, it was apparent that they neglected to fulfill their duties in terms of cleaning up. This responsibility goes hand-in-hand with such decisions.

Gilroy has been open about his dislike for how streaming services have transformed the entertainment industry. Given our limited understanding of how streaming series operate, we may never truly determine if Disney’s $650 million investment in Andor was profitable for the studio. However, it appears that it was valuable to the fans, likely resulting in a significant influx of Disney+ subscription revenue.

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2025-06-07 00:37