With the disastrous Star Wars series’ future still uncertain, showrunner Leslye Headland says that “online support” will be the deciding factor in whether or not The Acolyte receives a second season.
Headland issued her internet call-to-arms while speaking to Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt following the premiere of the series’ first season finale.
Asked by her host if there was anything fans could do to help sway the minds at Disney to renew The Acolyte, the showrunner asserted, “Truly, any online support and love you can send the show.”
“It’s a little tricky because of the way that the internet works, but if you enjoyed the show and you want to see more of the story, any support that you can give the show on social media platforms would be super helpful,” said Headland. “Sending love to the cast, too. You’ve seen what Hayden [Christensen] went through. He’s getting the love now, but give the love now if you enjoyed the performances. Even if you were kind of like whatever on the show, if you enjoyed the performances, get on their social media, let them know that you love them, or that you support them or that the performances were great.”
As to what specific actions such online support would entail, Headland recommended, “Encourage your friends to watch the show.”
“A lot of my work has been word of mouth,” said the showrunner. “We were talking about the review bombing, so just telling people don’t pay attention to the IMDb score. If you enjoyed it, tell people. It kind of seems that it’s sort of basic, but I think what’s interesting is that, nowadays, if you like a show, you’re very rarely going to go online and be like, ‘I liked this show!'”
“You watch it, you move on, maybe you mention it to somebody over dinner and be like, ‘Oh, I just binged this show. It was fun. Lee Jung-jae is an awesome actor,'” she further explained. “It usually comes up that way, as opposed to going online and saying, “I love this show.’ So, if you did love the show, then pivot and be appreciative.”
Drawing her thoughts on the matter to a close, Headland ultimately affirmed, “By the way, I know this is already happening, even though I’m not online.”
“People have been sending me fun tweets and beautiful artwork, and all of the ship comments, and I’m absolutely loving it,” she added. “I know it’s out there. But if you aren’t doing it, I would encourage you to do it and support the show. So, thank you.”
Curiously, with Headland’s interview, it appears that ‘asking fans to help save a franchise television entry from its own poor performance’ has become the standard operating procedure for the overall Star Wars universe.
Previously, Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor told fans that should they wish to see him return for another solo adventure, they could help make it happen by directly contacting Disney and expressing their interest in a second season.
“Can everyone write to Disney?” the actor asked attendees of his 2024 MegaCon Orlando speaking panel. “If we just – I’ll give you some email addresses at the end – Just say ‘Dear Disney, let’s have another. Let’s have a bit more of Obi-Wan Kenobi, please.”
Unfortunately for Headland, given the series’ abysmal ratings, it’s unlikely that any amount of online hashtags or letter writing campaigns will sway Disney’s decision in green-lighting another season of The Acolyte.
However, that doesn’t mean Osha and Qimir have no chance of returning period. After all, as evidenced by the fact that Rey is set to receive her own cinematic trilogy, Disney is not averse to doubling down on those aspects of the franchise canon that most fans could do without.
To that end, as noted above, whether or not The Acolyte receives a second season is currently up in the air.
NEXT: Nielsen Data Shows ‘The Acolyte’ Had Second-Worst Premiere Ratings Of Any Disney Star Wars Series