The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland has mirrored on the cancelation of the Disney+ collection after only one season, pointing to the numerous impression Star Wars content material creators had on the dialogue across the present.
Star Wars proprietor Disney canceled The Acolyte after Season 1, leaving plenty of plot threads, chief amongst them the dramatic first look of Darth Plagueis in live-action kind, dangling, maybe by no means to be resolved.
For the reason that cancelation, plenty of actors who appeared in The Acolyte have mentioned they nonetheless hope for a Season 2. In December final 12 months, Manny Jacinto, who performed Qimir, mentioned Darth Plagueis would have had an even bigger position in additional seasons of The Acolyte, however did not reveal an excessive amount of as a result of “we may come again.”
In the meantime, Sol actor Lee Jung-Jae has mentioned he was “fairly shocked” to listen to The Acolyte would not get a second season, which Headland was occupied with even earlier than Season 1 premiered. Others, together with Black feminine lead Amandla Stenberg, have mentioned they weren’t shocked by the cancellation. “I’ll be clear and say that it isn’t an enormous shock for me,” she mentioned. “I used to be within the bubble of my very own actuality, however for individuals who aren’t conscious there’s been a rampage of vitriol that we have confronted for the reason that present was even introduced. When it was nonetheless only a idea and nobody had even seen it.”
Mom Aniseya actress Jodie Turner-Smith raised this problem too, calling out Disney for not doing sufficient for the forged who confronted waves of racist abuse on-line. “They’ve obtained to cease doing this factor the place they don’t say something when persons are getting f**king dog-piled on the web with racism and bulls**t,” she mentioned.
Now, in a brand new interview with TheWrap, Leslye Headland supplied a response of her personal, admitting she feared The Acolyte was set for the chopping block as on-line response from Star Wars content material creators took a flip for the more serious.
“I used to be not shocked by [the cancellation],” Headland mentioned. “I feel I used to be shocked on the swiftness of it and the publicness of it. I used to be shocked by the way it was dealt with. However as soon as I used to be getting specific cellphone calls in regards to the response and the criticism and the viewership, I felt like, ‘OK, the writing’s on the wall for positive.’”
Headland went on to debate the impression of Star Wars content material creators on The Acolyte’s efficiency, and mentioned Hollywood makes use of them nearly like focus teams.
“The content material that’s being put out by the streamers or the studios is being snatched up by these different creators, and so commentaries, synopses, dwell movies, the entire ways in which these creators earn a living — via viewer-based advert revenues and their Patreons — there’s some huge cash to be made,” she mentioned.
“And by the best way, have at it. Get your coin 100%. But it surely revealed to me that there’s a misunderstanding between the studios and that engagement. They consider it as fandom, and in methods it’s, however studios use it nearly like this focus group.”
In consequence, Headland predicted a transfer in the direction of a world the place “the content material being made about Star Wars shall be extra culturally impactful than precise Star Wars.”
“I’m a Star Wars fan, which suggests I’ve all the time been, for the reason that launch of YouTube, a part of the Star Wars recap/criticism/lionization fandom neighborhood,” Headland defined. “These guys I’ve identified for years and years. So after I obtained the knowledge from others about what the climate report was, there was this actual concern from pals of mine or co-workers of mine that saddened me. I additionally was like, ‘I do know who these guys are.’ You don’t have to inform me who’s speaking about it or how unhealthy it’s on-line, I do know precisely who they’re. I supported them on Patreon.
“There are a few of them that I respect, and there are a few of them that I feel are completely snake oil salesmen, simply opportunists. Then, in fact, there are the fascists and racists. So it runs a gamut. It isn’t only one factor or the opposite. So I feel that in the event you’re in a part of the fandom, you perceive the style and the tone of specific channels and creators. So in some methods I wasn’t shocked, after which in different methods I used to be disenchanted. I feel you all the time try this once you create one thing, it’s simply that Star Wars is on a large stage of visibility.”
Headland additionally touched on her now-dashed hopes for Season 2, saying “it may have been price it to permit the viewers it was meant for to search out it.” Finally, she sounds resigned to defeat on The Acolyte, and Disney has made no indication of reversing its resolution to cancel the present. “However that wasn’t as much as me,” she continued. “So I totally respect the choice, even when I’m unhappy about it.”
Final month, Headland confirmed The Acolyte would have gone on to characteristic a connection between The Stranger and villain Kylo Ren. Headland mentioned The Acolyte’s central villain, Qimir also referred to as The Stranger, would have finally began The Knights of Ren, the cult the younger Kylo Ren joined following his departure from the Jedi. Certainly, The Acolyte would have confirmed The Stranger as the primary Knight of Ren.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
