Upon its debut in late 2022, Andor‘s inaugural season quickly became one of the most praised entries in the Star Wars franchise during Lucasfilm’s time under Disney. The series garnered eight Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Drama Series. According to Tony Gilroy, the creator of Andor, the overwhelmingly positive feedback has played a crucial role in persuading Disney and Lucasfilm to align with his creative direction for the upcoming second and final season.
In an interview with Empire, Gilroy noted, “The critical acclaim for the show was incredibly beneficial, if not vital, in helping Disney accept the cost of what this entails.” It’s reported that the first season of Andor had a hefty budget of $250 million, and based on Gilroy’s remarks, it seems the second season will either match or exceed that expenditure. Fans of the series generally feel that the budget for season one was well-spent, as the quality was evident in every episode.
Lucasfilm has a reputation for being heavily involved and somewhat risk-averse when it comes to its Star Wars productions. However, the success of Andor season one appears to have allowed it some leeway in this instance. Gilroy shared with Empire that he “never received any notes on this show.” He remarked, “In terms of creative feedback, no one has come to me and said, ‘No, they shouldn’t say that.’”
Given the accolades for Andor’s storytelling and dialogue, it seems prudent for Lucasfilm to grant Gilroy this level of creative freedom. The studio, however, has a history of tightly controlling its Star Wars projects, which includes significantly reworking 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and changing directors mid-production for 2018’s Solo. Fortunately, fans can rest assured that when Andor returns next year, it will do so with the creative independence that its creator truly deserves.
Andor season 2 is set to premiere on April 22, 2025, exclusively on Disney+.
