Rumor: Star Wars May Reduce Its TV Production

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Rumor: Star Wars May Reduce Its TV Production

Key Takeaways

  • Star Wars plans to reduce TV series output on Disney Plus to one per year from 2025.
  • The shift in strategy aligns with Disney’s cost-cutting initiative amid unclear financial returns.
  • Star Wars focuses on theatrical releases, but will maintain a presence on Disney Plus with upcoming projects.

As a dedicated Star Wars fan who has grown up with this epic saga, I must say that the recent news about the franchise scaling back its TV output on Disney Plus has left me feeling a bit like Luke Skywalker when he lost his hand – a mix of shock, disappointment, and a strange sense of anticipation.

Due to some adjustments, Star Wars is reducing its television production, and while this may temporarily halt certain projects, it’s for a beneficial reason. Lately, the company has been concentrating on creating more TV shows instead of movies.

It seems like this approach has worked well so far, but it’s time for a change since they are adjusting their priorities towards a more expansive, long-term objective.

Based on a report from The Direct, it appears that industry insider Daniel Richtman suggests that Star Wars may be scaling back its television production for Disney Plus starting in the next year. Traditionally, Lucasfilm has released at least two series on the platform each year, but the proposed plan is to release only one series annually. While Star Wars has not yet confirmed this, the information aligns with Disney’s broader strategy, which affects the company as a whole, including Star Wars.

It appears that multiple series are being worked on, but it looks like they intend to debut just a single live-action series annually, beginning from the year 2025.

Five years have passed since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” premiered in 2019, and since then, the series has been focusing more on television, releasing about two live-action shows per streaming platform each year. Whether introducing new series or continuing established ones, “Star Wars” has maintained a busy release schedule. Last year, Lucasfilm put out episodes for three different live-action series, followed by two more this year, with plans to release another two by the end of 2024. While this approach has generally been successful, “The Acolyte” was recently canceled after only one season in July. Now, a major change is on the horizon for “Star Wars” television. Starting from 2025, the franchise aims to reduce its live-action series output to just one per year. However, this adjustment won’t happen right away as several shows are already being produced and scheduled for release in the near future. It’s worth mentioning that while “Star Wars” is scaling back on live-action projects, it’s not entirely stopping them. Furthermore, the current reports only concern live-action projects, leaving animated series unaffected for now, hinting that this change might only impact one aspect of the franchise.

A major strategy change is being implemented due to several influential factors. This strategy aligns with broader changes in media that are impacting Disney’s entire collection of properties. Last year, Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, announced plans to reduce production and spending company-wide. This action is part of Disney’s larger initiative to cut costs, known as their “cost containment plan.” Creating new content for extensive franchises such as Star Wars involves substantial financial risk. Although the Star Wars series have generally been successful, Disney has admitted that they haven’t seen the same level of financial gain from their streaming investments as before. This is especially concerning given the rising production costs. For example, the production of The Acolyte reportedly cost over $180 million, yet the series was canceled after only one season. Reducing the number of live-action Star Wars series seems sensible in this situation. Given these challenges, scaling back the Star Wars series could save the company a substantial amount of money.

A key factor influencing the change in approach is Disney and Lucasfilm’s ambition to revert to blockbuster cinema releases. Having been absent from the big screen for quite some time, they are now gearing up for a grand cinematic return, which offers a far greater opportunity for significant earnings compared to streaming platforms. The Star Wars franchise is slated to make its comeback in theaters in 2026 with Jon Favreau’s much-anticipated “The Mandalorian and Grogu” film, followed by two more unnamed Star Wars movies in late 2026 and 2027. However, it’s important to note that Star Wars is not completely leaving Disney Plus. In the pipeline are projects like “Skeleton Crew,” scheduled for release this December, and “Ahsoka” Season 2, with filming set to start next year, as well as several other shows in development.

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2024-09-10 19:24