Star Wars' latest TV show, The Acolyte, reportedly has a massive budget of $180 million, bigger than the original trilogy’s budgets combined.
Offering a new perspective of the Force and a sneak peek of what the Jedi Order looked like at its peak during the High Republic era, The Acolyte brings Star Wars fans 100 years before the start of Episode 1 of the Prequels.
So, how is this massive budget being allocated?
As revealed by The Acolyte series creator, writer, and director Leslye Headland in an interview with the New York Times, the series has a whopping $180 million for the eight episodes.
A significant portion, $49.2 million, is dedicated to pre-production costs, ensuring that every aspect of the series is meticulously planned and prepared. The remaining $130 million is for reshoots and post-production, guaranteeing that the final product meets the highest standards of quality.
While that figure it is already a staggering amount, The Acolyte’s budget is even more astronomical than the original trilogy's budget and more than any movie of the prequels.
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For reference, A New Hope’s budget was around $11 million, The Empire Strikes Back comes at $30.5 million, and Return Of The Jedi sits at $32.5 million, just totalling a mere $74 million, not even close to what is half of The Acolyte’s budget.
Prequel movies such as The Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones have budgets of around $115 million, with Revenge of the Sith having a budget of $113 million. However, each movie does not come close to The Acolyte’s budget for the eight 45-minute episodes.
Despite the significant budget, The Acolyte is not the priciest Star Wars series; Andor holds that title with a $250 million budget for its first season. Both series benefit from UK tax breaks, allowing for a more substantial production budget.
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