Just a few years ago the sky was the limit for streaming services. With audiences stuck at home during COVID lockdowns millions signed up to try and kill some time. But the boom times haven’t lasted and with a cost-of-living crisis and multiple streaming options available subscriber numbers have fallen.
Now Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy just seems glad he sneaked the show under the wire before Disney tightened their belt. In total, the first season cost an estimated $250 million, a budget that likely wouldn’t have been approved nowadays. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gilroy said:
“We got lucky making this during the gold rush a few years ago. A lot of people now have cold feet, and you can’t do this show inexpensively. I’m just so relieved at the reaction because we were making this huge, obscure thing and we knew it was crazy. Like, ‘Is this too much? Have we gone too far?’ There were no focus groups or test audiences. Now it will be good if we can stick the landing and go out strong.”
Andor season two is currently shooting in the UK and mercifully doesn’t seem to be seriously affected by the ongoing writers’ strike. Gilroy has confirmed that he completed all writing work on the second season before midnight on May 1 and has ceased all non-writing functions on the show for the duration of the strike. Fortunately, as with season one, he’s brought in a great set of directors to realize his vision, so we’re hopeful that Cassian’s story will conclude as planned.
We don’t have an exact release date for Andor‘s return yet, though it’s widely expected to hit Disney Plus two years on from the season one premiere around September 2024. We’ll be counting the days until this incredible show comes back to show us all what Star Wars can be when it’s approached with care and maturity.