Leslye Headland, who was once a personal assistant to Harvey Weinstein and is known for creating Disney’s “The Acolyte,” has unexpectedly departed from her ongoing Netflix production, titled “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Although it seems like she’s claiming the decision was made independently, the timing raises questions, given that it occurred only a few days following the disclosure of The Acolyte‘s actual viewership figures – figures which positioned the series well below its highly anticipated standing.
This situation has sparked questions among many, wondering if Headland voluntarily departed or if Netflix discreetly parted ways with her following the poor reception of her Disney+ show’s performance.
Netflix’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s hit novel was set to be another major production for director Natasha Lyonne (of Russian Doll fame). However, in an unexpected turn of events, she announced her departure from the project. She expressed, “I am no longer involved with that project. I continue to be a huge admirer of the book and the team working on it. It’s one of those situations where you just know it’s going to be a massive success.
Although she portrayed it as a free choice, there were hints of ambiguity in her speech.
She said, “I felt, ‘Oh no, I won’t be part of it, but it’s bound to be incredibly successful.’
Due to the recent downfall of “The Acolyte”, a series that both critics and viewers found unimpressive and which failed to make significant impact on streaming charts, there are speculations arising as to whether Netflix foresaw its impending failure and chose to distance themselves from any future projects by Leslye Headland.
The Acolyte’s Catastrophic Failure by the Numbers
In contrast to a strong marketing effort and widespread media support, the series The Acolyte experienced a surprising drop in viewership throughout its broadcast. As per Luminate’s 2024 Film and TV report, the total watch time for The Acolyte was approximately 2.7 billion minutes. Initially, this might appear impressive, but understanding the context is crucial.
For comparison, this number wasn’t even close to the Top 10 streaming originals of the year.
Among the shows on that list, “Love Is Blind” by Netflix, which is at the bottom in terms of ranking, was watched for a staggering 7.3 billion minutes, almost triple the combined viewership of “The Acolyte”. To add to Netflix’s pride, it occupied seven out of the top ten spots, while Amazon Prime and Paramount+ claimed the remaining positions.
The absence of Disney+ on the list serves as a stark reminder of its decreasing significance in the ongoing competition among streaming services.
However, the real disaster for The Acolyte comes from its episode-by-episode decline.
Initially, the show attracted a massive audience at its debut. However, as more episodes aired, viewers gradually decreased. Interestingly, there was a minor resurgence in viewership during episodes six and seven; yet, neither episode managed to match the popularity of the first one.
As the final episode aired, viewership had sunk to an all-time low during the entire run of the series.
Generally, a series associated with a well-known franchise such as “Star Wars” tends to draw more viewers towards the finale due to rising excitement. However, in contrast to this trend, The Acolyte experienced its lowest viewer participation during the final episode, suggesting that many viewers had stopped watching it before the end of the story.
The Acolyte’s Failure Spells Trouble for Headland
In the Disney+ universe, The Acolyte faced significant challenges. It was overshadowed by the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which, despite being only partially included in Luminate’s 2024 data, managed to surpass the Star Wars spin-off from Headland. To add insult to injury, the show suffered a setback due to audience dissatisfaction over its inconsistencies with Star Wars canon and its unimpressive narrative development.
Perhaps Netflix might be reassessing their collaboration with Leslye Headland, recognizing that her creative and commercial influence, which was previously thought substantial, may not be as strong as initially believed, now that these figures are out in the open.
Headland’s remarks imply that she supports the project but feels it doesn’t suit her. Considering that The Acolyte was criticized as a flop and Headland’s success in significant productions seems to be due to Hollywood’s internal connections, it’s plausible to ponder if Netflix deliberately excluded her to prevent another potential blunder.
It’s not unprecedented for Netflix to encounter criticism over its creative decisions, and given that The Acolyte didn’t seem to connect with viewers, it appears they might have chosen to sever ties before production started. If this is the case, the strategy could be to protect the success of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which benefits from a pre-existing fan base due to the book’s widespread popularity, without being tainted by a showrunner whose previous work was both critically and commercially unsuccessful.
Independent of the stated reasons, Headland’s departure represents another setback for her career, coming after the less-than-impressive reception of The Acolyte. Whether this indicates a shift by Hollywood away from her work is yet unclear, but it’s undeniable that her capacity to spearhead significant film projects has become questionable.
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2025-01-31 20:55