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Andor cost is through the roof!

Disney spent $645 million on Andor

Disney has revealed that the cost of making Star Wars streaming show Andor has surged to $645 million (£504.8 million) after it spent a record $290.9 million (£232.1 million) last year on filming its second season which will debut in April 2025.

It is the highest-ever annual spending on a Star Wars production disclosed in Disney's public filings. The staggering sum eclipses the $280.7 million (£211.8 million) spent on Star Wars: The Last Jedi over the almost 11 month period to March 16, 2019. Likewise, it is higher than the $243.8 million (£193.6 million) cost of The Force Awakens, Disney's debut entry in the sci-fi saga, during the year-ending November 15, 2016.

Remarkably, the cost of Andor's second season is set to soar even higher as the $290.9 million was spent during the year to November 22, 2023 which doesn't even cover all of the shoot. Filming began in November 2022 but was suspended in summer 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. It resumed in January this year and wrapped the following month though this was far from the end of the story.

In an interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Andor's special effects supervisor Neal Scanlan revealed that around six weeks of pre-production had been done on Andor by the time that the U.K. went into lockdown at the end of March 2020.

Filming was delayed repeatedly due to the pandemic leading to E&E Industries (UK) banking a $1.6 million (£1.2 million) government grant along with $2 million (£1.5 million) from an insurance claim.

Filming finally ended in late September 2021 and by late November, a total of $271.6 million (£202.9 million) had been spent on Andor's first season, including the $7.2 million of expenses on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Over the following year a further $82.5 million (£69.8 million) was spent on Andor, and it is believed that this was largely dedicated to post-production as the show premiered in September 2022. However, pre-production on series two also accounted for some of this spending as it began filming in November 2022. Disney spent $290.9 million on it over the course of the following year but it doesn't stop there.

The filings reveal that the show also received a massive $129.3 million (£101.2 million) reimbursement in return for filming in the U.K. This brings Andor's spending so far down to $515.7 million and the financial statements confirm that "the final cost was forecasted to be within the production budget."

The final stages of filming followed by post-production should increase the cost somewhat but it seems unlikely that it will rise much further. That's because the recently-released synopsis for season two describes it as Andor's "long-awaited conclusion." With so much money on the line Disney will be hoping that it goes out with a bang. source

Quote of the Week

RotS 20th Anniversary Logo

Revenge of the Sith 20th Anniversary Logo revealed

The logo for the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith has been revealed by way of a Star Wars Insider Hardback Special from Titan Books arriving on June 3rd to celebrate two decades since the release of the final prequel film, originally released in 2005.

The black, red and white striking logo features Anakin Skywalker fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi on the lava planet of Mustafar in-front of a silhouette of Darth Vader’s helmet. We expect to see the logo on a plethora of items including books and collectibles from Funko, Hasbro, LEGO and many others. source

Trivia! 

Did you know?

"How many estimated deaths are there in the original trilogy?“

“2,002,795,192.”

Cosplay of the Week

Anakin Skywalker by reddit user zenixian

Comic of the Week

Star Wars Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon

Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon is an upcoming graphic novel featuring Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories series of graphic novels. The issue will be written by George Mann, illustrated by Andrea Mutti, and published by Dark Horse Comics. Originally announced at New York Comic-Con in October 2023 with a release date of January 2024, it has instead been repeatedly delayed, with a current release date of March 4, 2025.

Publisher’s Summary

From his youth as a gifted Padawan under Count Dooku, to his years as a skilled Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the most respected Force wielders in the history of the Jedi Order.
Our story spans his life as a series of recurring events slowly ties together over the years to help Qui-Gon complete the puzzle of one of the Force's many mysterious cults...The Brotherhood of the Ninth Door.
The Brotherhood's secret Force abilities could make them a great ally to the Jedi, or a powerful enemy. Master Qui-Gon and his eager young Padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi, must uncover their secrets before they fall into the wrong hands!
Join Star Wars author extraordinaire George Mann, co-architect of the Star Wars High Republic initiative, and internationally renowned artist Andrea Mutti for this quintessential tale of one of the galaxy's most powerful Jedi Masters in Star Wars Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon! Featuring covers by award-winning artist Michael Cho!
source

Meme of the week

THE END

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