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Andor was something of a surprise when it debuted in 2022, a prequel to a prequel that was one of the lesser-hyped Star Wars series that were rolling out to Disney+ at the time. But, of course, it turned out to be massively well-recieved, garnering widespread acclaim and Emmy nominations for its gritty depiction of what Cassian Andor went through before the events of Rogue One.
And apparently, that critical acclaim has granted showrunner Tony Gilroy even more freedom on the highly anticipated second season. A new Empire cover story revealed that the praise granted Season 2 “a lot of momentum and key benefits going into this second season, the kind it may not have been afforded otherwise.”
“The critical appreciation of the show was really helpful, if not essential, in helping Disney choke down the price of what this is,” Gilroy told the outlet. And that price is indeed a steep one, with reports that Season 1 had a whopping budget of $250 million.
But perhaps more impressive is the fact that Disney is apparently taking a hands-off approach to Andor, which is something of a rarity when it comes to massive IP in today’s Hollywood. In fact, Gilroy said he “never got any notes on this show.”
“In terms of creative notes, no-one has come to me and said, ‘No, they shouldn’t say that,'” Gilroy said.
Rumors of creative interference with Star Wars have swirled for decades, going all the way back to George Lucas’ own distrust of the traditional studio system. A “Release the JJ Cut” movement ramped up after the divisive release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with fans insisting that a three-hour version of the movie existed somewhere that Disney refused to release (neither Disney nor director J.J. Abrams have confirmed the existence of the supposed director’s cut).
However, Jon Favreau, who created The Mandalorian, executive produces its spinoffs, and is directing the upcoming movie The Mandalorian & Grogu, has been among those to downplay Disney’s influence in the past. “I take full responsibility for everything people like or don’t like in this show,” Favreau told Esquire Middle East in a 2023 interview about The Mandalorian. “There’s no outside pressure on me from the studio, Lucasfilm, Disney, anyone.”
Rather than studio interference, Gilroy said their “limitations were economic and availability and production issues and Covid… and a strike.” Andor was one of the most high-profile shows to be impacted significantly by last year’s strikes, being just weeks away from completing production on Season 2 before the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage was called.
After various delays, Andor Season 2 is now set to debut on Disney+ on April 22, 2025. For more in the meantime, check out our review of Season 1, which we called “one of the very best TV shows of the year and as good as Star Wars has been in a long, long time.”
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
