Star Wars Andor Creator 'Fought Hard' for $650m Budget After Disney Declared 'Streaming Is Dead'

Tony Gilroy, creator of critically-acclaimed Star Wars bid Andor, has said helium had to combat "hard" for the show's 2nd play fund aft being told by Disney that "streaming is dead".

Speaking astatine the ATX Television Festival (thanks IndieWire), Gilroy confirmed Andor outgo an eye-watering $650m — that's much than immoderate of the caller Star Wars sequel trilogy movies, and astir treble the fund of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Still, Gilroy said Disney had yet paid — and agreed to money Andor's equally-expensive 2nd play — contempt the show's little viewership than Disney+ deed The Mandalorian, and wider concerns astir the ongoing profitability of high-cost projects designed for Disney+, aft a spate of costly but disappointing Marvel series.

"I mean, [for] Disney this is $650 million," Gilroy said, going connected to emphasise the information that Disney had been hands-off erstwhile it came to Andor's content. Indeed, the amusement includes the kinds of things you don't usually spot oregon perceive successful a Star Wars task — specified arsenic treatment of rape and genocide, and scenes acceptable successful a brothel.

"For 24 episodes, I ne'er took a note," Gilroy continued, though noting the 1 clip Andor did marque a change. "We said 'F*** the Empire' successful the archetypal season, and they said, 'Can you delight not bash that?'" (This refers to the enactment of dialog spoken by Maarva successful Andor's archetypal play finale, which yet was changed to "Fight the Empire.")

"In Season 2, [Disney] said 'Streaming is dead, we don't person the wealth we had before,' truthful we fought hard astir money, but they ne'er cleaned thing up. That [freedom] comes with responsibilities."

These responsibilities fundamentally meant turning successful a amusement of the prime that befitted Andor's sky-high fund — thing astir critics present hold Gilroy succeeded in.

"Season 2 of Andor builds connected astir everything that worked truthful good astir play 1, and continues fleshing retired the prequel epoch of Star Wars," IGN wrote successful our Andor play 2 spoiler-free review. "Gilroy and institution negociate to weave the melodramatic irony inherent successful a prequel bid into the storytelling itself, making Andor play 2 the astir engaging the Star Wars franchise has been successful a agelong time."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social