Second season of Disney+ series 'The Acolyte' canceled

Television

Second season of Disney+ series 'The Acolyte' canceled

Published: 21 Aug. 2024, 14:48 Updated: 21 Aug. 2024, 17:39

A still from Disney+ mystery action thriller series ″The Acolyte″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

The second season of Star Wars franchise Disney+ series “The Acolyte,” starring Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, has been canceled after the first season failed to impress viewers, according to U.S. news reports.

"The story of 'The Acolyte' will not continue, with Lucasfilm opting not to proceed with a second season of the Star Wars offshoot starring Amandla Stenberg," U.S. media outlet Deadline said Monday.

The cancellation comes over a month after the first season of the series premiered on June 4 and concluded on July 16.

The series peaked with 11.1 million views around the world just five days after release, upping expectations that "The Acolyte" may be the biggest success of Disney+ this year. However, reviews crashed with the finale of the series, leading to the cancellation, according to Deadline.

“'The Acolyte' did O.K. with critics, with 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but divided Star Wars fans, which was reflected in its overall viewership,” said the media outlet.

The user score on the review aggregator website is currently at 18 percent.

The series was “review-bombed, an insidious practice most often employed as a form of digital protest against inclusive casts centered around actors of color and LGBTQ characters,” U.S. media outlet Variety said Monday.

Actor Lee played Jedi Master Sol in the series, where he sets out on a quest to find out the truth of an alleged murder by his former pupil, Osha, played by Stenberg.

Lee was the first Asian actor to play a Jedi master, a role that gained controversy among "Star Wars" fans, as many Jedi roles have typically been played by white actors.

To find out more about Lee Jung-jae, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]