We've been hearing rumblings about there being plans in place for The Acolyte to get a second season for some time now. However, even though we've had no official confirmation, it sounds like producing another batch of episodes is still very much the plan at Lucasfilm.
According to StarWarsNews.net (via SFFGazette.com), the Star Wars TV series - set hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace - a second season is currently "planned." As of now, we don't know whether it's entered development, especially after delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
The Acolyte producer Karyn McCarthy is suing Disney and Lucasfilm following her dismissal from the series and, in her lawsuit, it was confirmed the studios had assured her "the story arc of the show, as well as the company’s business plans, called for The Acolyte to run for multiple seasons."
Current Disney CEO Bob Iger is looking to reduce costs and minimise the company's streaming output, meaning it's unclear whether that's going to ultimately lead to a reduction in Star Wars content on television. We know the plan is to get this Galaxy Far, Far Away back into theaters in the long run but Star Wars has found a huge amount of success on the small screen since The Mandalorian debuted in 2019.
Production on The Acolyte is believed to have wrapped back in June, and while we'd initially hoped to see the series hit Disney+ this year, both that and Skeleton Crew now look to be gearing for a 2024 release instead.
Very little has been revealed about the show - only fans at Star Wars Celebration have seen a teaser trailer - but fans remain hopeful it informs what we've seen throughout the rest of this franchise (speculation Emperor Palpatine's Master, Darth Plagueism is a lead character continues to run rampant).
The Acolyte will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era with the story of former Padawan who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, Margarita Levieva and Joonas Suotamo.
In addition to writing and directing, Leslye Headland serves as an executive producer with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson produce. As for the rest of the show's writing team, that's said to include Jason Milcallef, Charmaine De Grate, Jasmyne Flournoy, Eileen Shim, Claire Kiechef, Kor Adana, Cameron Squires, Jocelyn Bioh, and Jen Richards.
The Acolyte is currently expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2024.