‘Andor’ Creator Says Disney Spent ‘$650 Million for 24 Episodes’ and ‘We Fought Hard’ for Money After Being Told in Season 2: ‘Streaming Is Dead. We Don’t Have the Money We Had Before’

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During a recent Q&A session at the ATX Television Festival, as reported by IndieWire, “Andor” creator Tony Gilroy revealed an astonishing piece of information: The total budget for the 24-episode “Star Wars” series was a staggering $650 million. This expensive production will be divided across two seasons, with the first airing in 2022 and the second in 2025. The series recently concluded its run last month to widespread critical praise. Based on the 2016 film “Rogue One,” which Gilroy co-wrote, the show focuses on Diego Luna’s character, Cassian Andor, a thief who becomes a rebel spy.

Gilroy stated, “In Disney’s terms, that amounts to $650 million. Throughout the 24 episodes, I didn’t receive a single note from them. In our first season, we boldly declared ‘Fuck the Empire,’ and they asked us to reconsider. In Season 2, they claimed streaming was no longer viable due to financial constraints, so we had some tough negotiations about budget. However, they never intervened or made any changes, which is a privilege that carries its own set of responsibilities.

The studio remained silent when EbMaster inquired about Gilroy’s budget disclosure. Filming for “Andor” Season 2 was halted noticeably during the industry-wide strikes. A production insider revealed that the labor strikes resulted in approximately $20 million in additional costs to “Andor’s” budget, and each episode is estimated to cost around $20 million post-tax incentives, much like the reported episode costs for “House of the Dragon” and “Severance.

Gilroy stretched the limits of Disney and the “Star Wars” universe with the series “Andor.” Although he initially avoided having a character utter “screw the empire” in the final episode of the first season, he successfully incorporated themes like genocide and abuse into the show’s second season without studio intervention. Gilroy revealed at ATX that he deliberately began “Andor” with a scene set in a brothel to gauge Disney’s tolerance level.

Since I contributed to ‘Rogue [One]’, I was aware of the acceptable limits for violence. Interestingly, these restrictions became more flexible during production. In fact, I deliberately initiated the film with a scene set in a brothel to test boundaries and explore how far we could push it. There are adult themes, including sexual content. To my surprise, this aspect that initially seemed like a cause for concern turned out to be inconsequential throughout the entire project.

As a cinephile penning my thoughts post-viewing, let me share an intriguing tidbit: During negotiations with Disney, I, the director, drafted a compelling argument in the form of a legal document. I asserted that incorporating the phrase “fuck the empire” into the show would be financially advantageous and artistically sound. In essence, I presented my case, backed by reasons for its economic viability and creative merit.

Director Benjamin Caron explained to EbMaster that Disney wouldn’t allow the use of the original phrase. Instead, they altered it to read “fight the empire.” During a conversation with Tony Gilroy, there was a moment of doubt: “Will we manage to pull this off without any issues?

The creators of “Andor” weren’t able to use the phrase “fuck the empire,” as Disney wouldn’t allow it, but they were permitted to address the topic of genocide in Season 2, which the creator, Jon Favreau, described as “remarkably seamless.” In the second season, Adria Arjona’s character, Binx, publicly denounced an attempted sexual assault. Bix directly yells at an officer, saying, “He tried to rape me!

Arjona shared with EbMaster that she recalled feeling frightened when reading about the misuse of power within the scene. Yet, there was an undeniable strength – I’ll put it bluntly – a tremendous force in the opportunity to portray this in a distant galaxy. Tony entrusting the role to her was a significant honor, and it felt fitting. After all, Bix is at her most vulnerable, and someone tries to exploit her situation. We’ve witnessed this narrative repeatedly.

Both seasons of “Andor” are now streaming on Disney+.

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2025-06-04 01:16