Summary
Lucasfilm’s silence onThe Acolytespeaks far more loudly than the studio would like. TheStar Warsfandom has always been both divided and divisive, butThe Acolyteseems to have been something of a special case. ShowrunnerLeslye Headland proved controversialbefore the show even came out, and its release was accompanied by a vocal backlash and a review-bombing campaign. At first, it seemed as though Lucasfilm had learned lessons from the mistakes of the past;Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy addressed sexismand racism in the fandom at the end of May, as though assuring the cast and crew she had their backs.
Fast-forward three months, though, and - in the wake ofThe Acolyte’s cancelation- that has proved to be a false impression. Unlike other studios,Lucasfilm made no official confirmation of cancelation; it was reported by the trades.The AcolyteisStar Wars' first officially canceled Disney+ TV show, and yet it has gone unacknowledged, with absolute radio silence from the studio. And that is becoming indefensible.
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Lucasfilm Has Struggled To Address Racism & Sexism In The Fandom
The Star Wars fandom has a dark side
There’s a dark side to theStar Warsfandom, one that carries the distinct taint of prejudice, and Lucasfilm hasn’t done a good job protectingStar Warscast and crew from it. “I’m the only cast member whose experience of Star Wars was based on their race,” John Boyega reflected in an interview withGQ Magazineback in September 2020. “Do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side,” he complained, reflecting on his time inStar Wars.
Boyega’s experience is far from unique.Kelly Marie Tran deleted her Instagramafter she was targeted on social media;“It’s a rare and awful thing to have that level and volume of hate come at you so relentlessly,” Kit Steinkellner - who was working with her on a TV show at the time - recalled when speaking toTHRyears later. “I was really impressed with how she dealt head-on with the intense and complicated feelings that anybody would have about this, while continuing to really give as an artist and friend and human.” She shouldn’t havehadto deal with this, of course.
Lucasfilm has struggled to figure out how to respond to this kind of abuse.
Lucasfilm has struggled to figure out how to respond to this kind of abuse. Boyega’s Finn was so much less important a character than he should have been, and Tran’s Rose Tico was overtly sidelined inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The cast have often been swifter to protect their colleagues than the studio itself;Ewan McGregor’s video defense of Moses Ingramwas a powerful statement against racism and sexism, and a necessary one. But she was targeted all the same, and the pattern continues to this day.
The Acolyte’s Cast Have Been Subjected To The Same Treatment
The Acolyte’s backlash isn’t just a reflection of the show’s quality
The Acolyte’s castis the most diverse seen inStar Warsto date, which seems to explain the furious hatred the show received before it even came out. In the wake ofThe Acolyte’s cancelation, prejudice and sexism are on full display;just look at the comments Amandla Stenberg is receiving on Instagram. Certainly the actors believe there’s a throughline going on here, becauseJohn Boyega has backed Stenbergwith a meme saluting her and implicitly offering support. Again, as in the cases of Boyega and Tran, there is silence from Lucasfilm.
When Kennedy stood against the racist and sexist trolls back in May, it looked as though Lucasfilm was finally going to stand up to the trolls. Nothing was said whileThe Acolytewas coming out on Disney+, though, and since then there’s been silence. Other studios publicly acknowledge their cancelations, perhaps issuing a statement in which they thank the cast and crew. Lucasfilm hasn’t even done that, meaning the people involved inThe Acolyteseem to have been left out in the cold.
Lucasfilm Need To Stand Up To The Trolls At Last
It’s time to stand against the dark side
Star Warscan’t carry on like this. We’re now in a situation where simply getting involved withStar Warsis to risk incurring the wrath of the worst elements in this fandom. This is especially true for women;Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, writer and director of Daisy Ridley’s upcomingStar Warsmovie, has already been targeted. Even more frustratingly, the studio tends to course-correct in response to the fandom’s fury, and the results have rarely been creatively impressive. The entireStar Warssequel trilogy became somewhat incoherent after pivots fromStar Wars: The Last Jedi.
By remaining silent, Lucasfilm gave the impression of surrendering to the trolls.
ShouldThe Acolytehave been canceled? Realistically, there’s absolutely no reasonThe Acolyteseason 2had to have the $180 million budget of its first season, and lower costs are a game-changer because they mean a show needs lower viewership to be sustainable. Leaving this aside, though, the cancelation should have been done differently, in a much better manner, with cast and crew receiving public support. By remaining silent, Lucasfilm gave the impression of surrendering to the trolls. Worse still, they told anyone else who dreams of appearing inStar Warsthat the same could happen to them.
According to legend, Medieval mapmakers inscribed the phrase “Here Be Dragons” on the unknown parts of the world, signifying hazards that made these places too risky to explore. Given everything that’s happened, it’s easy to imagine actors and creators considering theStar Warsfranchise to be off-limits, looking at the treatment stars such as Stenberg have received and concluding that there are indeed dragons there that would devour them. That would be the worst-case scenario, and it can only be averted if Lucasfilm breaks its silence onThe Acolyteand starts handling this kind of situation better.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
