Andor season 1 had a bigger budget than any other Star Wars Disney+ TV show, but there's a reason it was so expensive. The streaming wars have led to an explosion in expensive original content, and companies are only now beginning to realize they need to rein in the costs. Disney is ramping up Star Wars once again, but the House of Mouse's financial circumstances mean there will now be budget constraints. The problem, of course, is that it's proven to be very difficult for Lucasfilm to keep Star Wars' costs under control.
Speaking to the Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy recently insisted it's not possible to make Star Wars on the cheap. The latest reports from The Hollywood Reporter suggest there's a reason he made this statement, because Andor was the most expensive Star Wars Disney+ TV show to date. According to THR, it had a budget of a staggering $250 million – well in excess of the likes of The Mandalorian ($100 million for season 1, with subsequent seasons believed to be roughly equal), Obi-Wan Kenobi (estimated at $150 million for the full season), and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (reportedly $136 million, albeit with $20 million in tax credits). Why was Andor so expensive?
