Disney+ decided not to renew one of its Star Wars series, with poor ratings and divisive views plaguing the show once it aired.
Following the unexpected cancellation of Disney’s Star Wars: The Acolyte after its inaugural season, the series’ lead, Amandla Stenberg, has opened up about the decision to axe the show.
Turning to Instagram, the actress shared her candid feelings on the matter and indicated that the axing of the show wasn’t entirely unforeseen because of the reactions it had been garnering from audiences.
She stated: “There are many folks out there that I want to acknowledge and I want to show appreciation and love and support for, so that’s why I’m hopping on here to talk about this, which is that our Star Wars show has been cancelled.
“And I’m gonna be transparent and say that it’s not a huge shock for me. Of course I live in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it.”
Stenberg elaborated on her experience leading up to the cancellation, indicating that she had been emotionally processing the show’s demise for some time now, reports OK!.
She elaborated: “And this really affected me when I first got the job. Even though I anticipated it happening, it’s not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it’s happening to you.
“However, I feel like I’ve kinda moved through those feelings in various ways, including being vocal about it myself.
“For me, it just became a situation where there was no option but for me to honor my sense of ethics and my belief system and my value system while being in this very unique position.”
The startling news was disclosed in August, post the broadcast of the show’s first-ever episodes in either June or July on the Disney+ platform earlier this year.
Featuring eight gripping episodes, the first season introduced audiences to the captivating story of twin sisters Verosha ‘Osha’ and Mae-ho ‘Mae’ Aniseya, portrayed by Amandla.
The series, which boasted a stellar cast lineup including Amanda alongside Lee Jung-Jae, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Carrie-Anne Moss, also received considerable attention.
Set in the expansive Star Wars universe, Acolyte unfolded in the concluding chapters of the High Republic era, setting the stage before the epic Skywalker Saga and centered around a Jedi-led inquiry into a string of sinister activities.