Andor Creator Fights for $650M Budget Despite Disney+ Challenges

Tony Gilroy, the mind behind the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor, revealed he battled fiercely to secure the show's second season budget after Disney declared streaming's decline.

At the ATX Television Festival (via IndieWire), Gilroy disclosed Andor's staggering $650 million cost—surpassing any recent Star Wars sequel trilogy film and nearly doubling Star Wars: The Last Jedi's budget.

Despite lower viewership compared to Disney+ hit The Mandalorian and concerns over the profitability of pricey Disney+ projects after underwhelming Marvel series, Gilroy said Disney funded Andor’s equally costly second season.

"Disney’s investment is $650 million," Gilroy stated, emphasizing Disney's hands-off approach to Andor’s content. The show features rare Star Wars elements, like discussions of rape and genocide, and brothel settings.

"For 24 episodes, I never received a single note," Gilroy said, though he recalled one change. "We used 'F*** the Empire' in season one, and Disney asked us to adjust it." (The line, spoken by Maarva in the finale, became "Fight the Empire.")

"In season two, Disney warned, 'Streaming’s not what it was, budgets are tighter,' so we fought hard for funding, but they never interfered with the content. That freedom carries weighty responsibilities."

Every IGN Andor Review

Those responsibilities meant delivering a series worthy of Andor’s massive budget—a goal most critics agree Gilroy achieved.

"Andor’s second season elevates nearly every strength of its first, deepening the Star Wars prequel era," IGN noted in our spoiler-free season two review. "Gilroy and his team masterfully blend dramatic irony into the narrative, making Andor season two the most compelling Star Wars story in years."