Regarding the series “The Acolyte”, its cast persists in promoting its ratings success, yet the actual viewership numbers suggest otherwise, with very few people tuning in. Interestingly, this fan base appears determined to shift blame away from themselves, as well as Leslye Headland, the showrunner, and Harvey Weinstein’s former assistant, Leslye Headland’s wife. Instead, the finger is being pointed at you and me for the show’s termination. However, Leslye Headland’s spouse is asserting that blame should be placed where it truly belongs…on us.
In other words, let me provide you with a slightly different perspective:
(This piece serves as a commentary, allowing for a less structured and more expressive style. Shall we proceed?)
Indeed, let’s delve right in…
(Instead of saying “By the way this is an editorial so it’d gonna be a little more freeform than usual. Ready? Alright, here we go…”, you could say “This piece will have a more conversational and less formal tone, as it’s an editorial. Shall we start now?”)
The aftermath of “The Acolyte”‘s poor showing persists, yet instead of acknowledging the situation, Rebecca Henderson, Leslye Headland’s spouse, has opted to retaliate against the fans. In a recent social media update, Henderson – who portrayed the green-skinned Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh in the series (a role that I’m certain had no connection to her marriage to the showrunner…) – accused “The Acolyte”‘s critics and Star Wars fans of causing its cancellation while presenting deceptive figures about the show’s success.
Johnny here, excitedly posting about the latest ratings for ‘The Acolyte’, a fantastic series written by my wife. Guess what? It turns out to be the second most-watched show on Disney+ in 2024! Now, can someone remind me again why they claimed it was canceled due to lack of viewership and not because… well, you know the reasons.
It seems clear that due to her overtly condescending tone and the fact that she appears to be deliberately deceiving (as this is an editorial where I, the editor, have freedom of speech), I will now refer to her simply as “Leslye Headland’s Wife” for the rest of this piece. I will treat it as a proper noun for emphasis and clarity.
In other words, although Leslye Headland’s Wife didn’t explicitly explain the meaning of “YOU KNOW WHY,” it seems she implies that the cancellation of The Acolyte might have been due to factors beyond poor ratings – possibly racism and sexism. This sentiment is reminiscent of remarks made by series lead Amandla Stenberg (often referred to as a star due to her intense performance) and Jodie Turner-Smith, who is known for being rather challenging to work with.
However, there seems to be an issue… Let’s retrace our steps to the picture. Can you spot the part at its base which reads “Entire Report can be read here”?
If you take a look, you’ll find that the piece she posted clearly reveals the truth behind the show’s poor performance. Those who truly read it would understand that The Acolyte being Disney+’s second most-watched series is not a triumph for The Acolyte—it’s a harsh and damning critique of Disney+’s ongoing struggles.
Because The Acolyte’s Rank on Disney+ means absolutely nothing.
If LHW or anyone else had opened the complete report (for simplicity, I’m abbreviating it), they would immediately notice that being the second most-popular show on Disney+ isn’t something to boast about. Instead, it underscores the platform’s decline. As we previously mentioned, The Acolyte garnered 2.7 billion minutes of viewing, which may initially appear good, but falls short when measured against the industry average.
In simpler terms, the Netflix series “Love Is Blind,” which ranked last among the Top 10 streaming originals for the year, amassed a staggering 7.3 billion minutes of viewership – almost three times more than “The Acolyte.” Interestingly, Netflix held seven out of the top ten positions in these rankings, and both Paramount+ and Amazon Prime also featured on the list.
Disney+ was completely absent.
In more straightforward language, if “The Acolyte” ranks as the second most popular show on Disney+ but doesn’t approach the success of other top-performing streaming shows, it raises some questions about Disney+’s overall performance.
2024 finds no individual Disney+ series standing toe-to-toe with those offered by Netflix, Amazon, or Paramount+ in terms of competition.
That’s not a flex. That’s an embarrassment.
Instead of deriding fans, LHW overlooks the fact that the audience for The Acolyte significantly decreased during its broadcast. Previously discussed, the show initially garnered a large number of viewers upon its debut (a common occurrence with most shows), but it lost viewers week by week, resulting in the finale recording the lowest viewership out of all episodes in the series.
It’s beneficial when a show begins with a large number of viewers, but it’s unfortunate if that’s the highest number you get. In fact, this is the opposite of what usually happens in shows where audiences are captivated. Ideally, viewership should either remain consistent or even grow as we approach the finale due to increasing excitement. Unfortunately, The Acolyte seemed to drive viewers away, leaving many who started the series without finishing it.
In contrast to “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which was also broadcast on Disney+, the initial performance of “The Acolyte” appears less favorable. Notably, “Percy Jackson” premiered nine days prior to the start of Luminate’s 2024 count. As a result, its first episodes were not included in the Luminate 2024 report.
Yet it still beat The Acolyte in total viewership.
Despite the significant promotion using the Star Wars brand, intensive marketing efforts, and consistent support from Access Media, The Acolyte didn’t seem to garner much enthusiasm.
As a discerning movie critic, I must confess that LHW’s insightful post sheds light not on the triumph of The Acolyte, but rather on the troubling circumstances facing Lucasfilm and Disney+. Contrary to expectations, this series, intended as a major ratings draw and an illustrious addition to the Star Wars lore, has instead become one of the least-watched and most criticized projects in the franchise’s history.
Despite its flop, the fact that it remained the second most popular series on Disney+ implies a troubling reality: Disney seems to be struggling to produce successful shows.
(Well, no original hits anyway. People seem to love Bluey…)
As a film enthusiast, I must clarify that the cancellation of “The Acolyte” wasn’t some elaborate plot to undermine the show’s underlying themes or its talented creators, though they were indeed subpar. The reality is far more straightforward: it boiled down to financial considerations.
UK tax records uncovered by That Park Place showed that Lucasfilm and Disney spent a whopping £172 million (around $231 million USD) on the production of the series, making each of its eight episodes cost approximately $28.75 million.
Disney co-CEO Alan Bergman said as much when he commented on the series’ cancellation.
Bergman stated, “Although we were pleased with our results, they didn’t meet the mark considering the expense associated with that project. In all honesty, it wasn’t financially feasible for us to produce a second season.” Therefore, that’s why we decided not to proceed with another one.
Disney+ can’t afford to continue losing money on content that isn’t successful, and with the Star Wars brand deteriorating more rapidly than a Krayt dragon in the Tatooine sun under Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, Lucasfilm is no longer able to support flops as they once did.
It’s hardly unexpected that Leslye Headland has parted ways with her Netflix project, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” following the clear failure of “The Acolyte.” When studio executives find that a showrunner’s recent venture not only failed to appeal to viewers but also resulted in financial losses for the company, they often choose to explore new opportunities. In reality, it’s common for individuals to move on when their projects have underperformed, even though it may seem like some people can still advance despite failure.
Netflix, like Disney, isn’t interested in keeping showrunners around who can’t deliver results.
Allow me to express it more straightforwardly for LHW and her fellow cast members: The issues aren’t stemming from the fans – it’s the show itself and the participants that have caused the controversy. This includes your friends, your spouse. It appears that the blame lies with your spouse, Madam. I apologize for having to deliver this news to you. To make it easier, I’ll let someone more personally acquainted with the situation clarify it for you instead.
Leslye Headland shared her thoughts on the possible low ratings for ‘The Acolyte’ before its premiere, in an interview with The New York Times.
“If it doesn’t succeed, it’s because of me,” Headland said. “That’s really scary to think about.”
Leslye Headland, by her own right, has the freedom to express frustration towards her fans if she chooses. In turn, those fans and leaders in entertainment news have the liberty to find humor in such expressions.
They’re also allowed to write songs about it. Here’s Mine:
As a movie critic, it’s undeniable that “The Acolyte” didn’t strike the right chord with viewers, as the ratings clearly indicate. Interestingly enough, I have reason to believe that myself and many other content creators pocketed more coin from this production than Disney did. To put it bluntly, if you managed to scrape even a single dollar in profit by discussing this show, then congratulations, because you’ve officially come out ahead of any Disney or Lucasfilm personnel involved with this flopping vessel.
To wrap up, let me add that the show “The Acolyte” didn’t manage to engage audiences very strongly, and its cancellation was due solely to its subpar performance.
No amount of snarky social media posts can change that reality.
In essence, Henderson’s outburst serves as a clear confirmation of what viewers had suspected all along. The creators of The Acolyte, it seems, prioritized their personal narratives over crafting an engaging Star Wars tale for the audience. This tactless disregard for the very fanbase they relied on for support left many viewers dissatisfied. It’s little wonder then that the series ultimately failed to make a lasting impact, and The Acolyte now finds itself relegated to obscurity.
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2025-02-04 23:56