Star Wars is a long-running multimedia science fiction franchise that has been dominating the markets over the past five years. Between the release of the newest season of The Bad Batch and the final instalment of the Star Wars sequel saga, The Rise of Skywalker, Disney is digging their heels in to prove that they are worthy of carrying the franchise name.
While some were doubtful of Disney releasing a live-action series, The Mandalorian revived Star Wars in a way that many fans thought impossible. The series' popularity prompted Disney to start releasing several other live-action series, including Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi, both of which came out last year, and the upcoming Ahsoka. The biggest reason that live-action was left to the wayside is most likely due to the costs of these productions as opposed to how much it takes to make an animated series. Here's how much each live-action TV series costs.
The Mandalorian — $15M Per Episode
The Mandalorian revolves around main character Din Djarin, a Mandalorian who saves a little green creature from the clutches of the Imperial remnants. The pair forms an unusual bond and winds up going on a number of thrilling adventures. The Mandalorian costs $15 million per episode to make (via The Washington Post). With a total of 16 released episodes, and eight more on the way, The Mandalorian has cost a total of $360 million. This budget does not include the cost of the Grogu animatronic, which set creators back a total of $5 million. Of all the series on our list, The Mandalorian is the most expensive, but it is also the most popular and therefore the most profitable live-action series. Fans can look forward to the release of the third season on March 1, 2023.
Andor — $15-25M Per Episode
Andor follows the adventures of Rebel spy Cassian Andor before he joined the Rebellion. Between committing a robbery and escaping an Imperial prison, Andor brings us several antics to show the build-up to the events of Rogue One. The episode budget of Andor was a total of $15-25 million per episode, much like The Mandalorian. However, a big part of the show's budget went towards filming on-location in places like Scotland, as opposed to using a great deal of CGI. A second season of Andor has been greenlit to begin production, and it is going to have the same budget as the first, giving the crew ample room for a phenomenal second season, which is expected to be released some time in 2024.
Obi-Wan Kenobi — $90M Total
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a highly anticipated live-action series revolving around an old Obi-Wan in hiding on Tatooine after Order 66. While you may expect that Kenobi would have a budget similar to Andor and The Mandalorian, you may be shocked to hear that the budget is surprisingly low. With a total of six episodes, Kenobi only cost a total of $90 million. While this is no small amount of money by any means, The Mandalorian's budget is four times bigger than Kenobi's. It's unclear whether or not there will be a second season of Kenobi, but fans are certainly hopeful.
The Book of Boba Fett — $15M Per Episode
Set five years after Return of the Jedi, The Book of Boba Fett revolves around Boba Fett acting as the new daimyo of Mos Espa, while also showing what happened to him after he managed to escape the Sarlacc Pit. Just like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett has a budget of around $15 million per episode, coming out to a grand total of $105 million for the entirety of the first season. It's unclear whether a second season is in the cards for us as nothing has been confirmed regarding a new season, but fans are hopeful to see more of the older Boba Fett and less of the Mandalorian in The Book of Boba Fett.