‘Ahsoka’ Season 2 Makes Disney History With Record-Breaking Production
Disney appears to be taking a much more careful approach with the second season of Ahsoka after the massive spending problems linked to The Acolyte.
According to recently released U.K. financial filings, pre-production costs for Ahsoka season two were far lower than the early spending on The Acolyte. The reports show that the company behind Ahsoka season two spent around $33.7 million before filming officially started. In comparison, The Acolyte spent about $42.4 million during a similar stage of production.
The difference became even bigger after tax reimbursements from the U.K. government were included. Reports show Ahsoka season two received around $5.4 million back through the country’s film incentive program, lowering its pre-production spending to roughly $28.3 million. The Acolyte’s equivalent figure reportedly ended at around $35.9 million.
The information comes from financial filings connected to the U.K.-based production companies created for each series. Disney often uses separate companies when filming major productions in Britain because studios can receive reimbursements for part of their spending there.
The Acolyte was filmed in the United Kingdom through a company called Blue Stockings (UK). The series became one of the most talked-about Star Wars projects in recent years, but not always for positive reasons.
Before the show even premiered on Disney+, online criticism had already started. Some viewers called the series “woke” because of its female-led and diverse cast. When the first episode launched in 2024, audience reactions on Rotten Tomatoes quickly dropped. The show eventually fell to a very low audience score, although critics gave it a much stronger rating.
The bigger problem for Disney was the viewership. According to Nielsen ratings mentioned in reports, The Acolyte struggled to keep audiences interested after its opening weeks. The series eventually disappeared from the streaming charts, and Lucasfilm later canceled plans for a second season.
The show’s final reported budget reached more than $230 million after production costs increased heavily during filming. Disney now appears determined to avoid the same situation with Ahsoka season two.
Unlike The Acolyte, Ahsoka already had a strong fanbase before its live-action series even began. The character first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and became one of the most popular characters in modern Star Wars storytelling.
The live-action version stars Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano. The series also features Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin Skywalker and David Tennant as the droid Huyang.
The first season performed much better with audiences compared to The Acolyte. Disney announced that the premiere reached 14 million views in its first five days on Disney+. Nielsen also reported very strong streaming numbers during its debut week.
Season two is being filmed in the U.K. through another Disney company called Robot Dog Pictures (UK), believed to be named after Huyang, Ahsoka’s loyal droid companion.
The series is once again being led by Dave Filoni, who wrote every episode of the first season. Reports also say Bryce Dallas Howard will direct two episodes after previously working on other Star Wars shows.
Production on the new season wrapped in late 2025, but fans will need to wait longer than expected. Disney recently delayed the release of Ahsoka season two until early 2027.
For Lucasfilm, the delay may also give the studio more time to make sure the series delivers both creatively and financially after the expensive problems connected to The Acolyte.
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