Tony Gilroy, the visionary behind the critically-acclaimed Star Wars series Andor, reveals he faced tough negotiations for the show's second season budget after Disney declared "streaming is dead."

Speaking at the ATX Television Festival (via IndieWire), Gilroy confirmed Andor carries a staggering $650 million price tag - exceeding the budgets of recent Star Wars sequel films and nearly doubling The Last Jedi's production costs.

Despite lower viewership than Disney+'s The Mandalorian and industry concerns about high-budget streaming projects following Marvel's underperforming series, Disney ultimately greenlit Andor's equally expensive second season.

"Disney invested $650 million in this project," Gilroy stated, praising the studio's creative freedom. The show boldly explores mature themes rarely seen in Star Wars - including discussions of rape and genocide, plus brothel scenes.

"Across 24 episodes, we only received one note," Gilroy explained, recalling when Disney requested toning down Maarva's iconic season finale line from "F*** the Empire" to "Fight the Empire."

He continued: "For Season 2, Disney claimed 'Streaming is dead' and budget constraints, but we fought hard. They never compromised our vision - that creative freedom comes with responsibility."

Critical Reception of Andor

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This responsibility translated into delivering premium quality worthy of the massive investment - a feat most critics agree Gilroy achieved.

IGN praised in our spoiler-free Season 2 review: "Andor Season 2 elevates everything that made Season 1 exceptional, deepening the prequel era lore. Gilroy masterfully transforms prequel limitations into narrative strengths, making this the most compelling Star Wars content in years."