Star Wars’newest TV show,Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, has released its first two episodes on Disney+, and, so far, it has been met with very positive reception—but how does its budget stack up against fan-favoriteStar WarsshowThe Mandalorian?Star Warshas had its fair share of criticism, obstacles, and backlash in recent years, asThe Acolyte’scancelationmade clear. Already, though,Skeleton Crewseems to have quite a bit of promise.
BytheSkeleton Crewepisode 2 ending, the show had revealed many of its thrilling new ideas for and additions toStar Wars, fromthe pirate empire of Port BorgotoSkeleton Crew’scast of charactersprimarily comprising children. A budget doesn’t always directly translate to success, however, especially when it comes toStar Wars. Given the popularity of both shows,which live-actionStar Warsshow had a bigger budget:The MandalorianorSkeleton Crew?
Surprisingly, Skeleton Crew Was More Expensive Than The Mandalorian
Based onhow much everyStar Warslive-action show cost, surprisingly,Skeleton Crewwas more expensive thanThe Mandalorian, by a fairly wide margin.Skeleton Crewis estimated to have cost about $136 million, whereas seasons ofThe Mandaloriancost about $120 million each. Of course, withThe Mandaloriangetting three seasons thus far, the full show has cost more.
Skeleton Crewis estimated to have cost about $136 million, whereas seasons ofThe Mandaloriancost about $120 million each.
IfSkeleton Crewwere to get a season 2 or additional seasons beyond that, which isn’t yet confirmed, presumably, the show’s seasons would continue to be more expensive thanThe Mandalorian’s. It’s difficult to know precisely why shows or movies end up costing as much as they do, particularly because many companies don’t want to disclose the exact budget, much less a breakdown of what the specific expenses were. It’s safe to assume that many ofSkeleton Crew’sexpenses were similar to those of otherStar Warsshows, including elaborate costuming, practical effects, etc.
Will Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 2 Happen?
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How Skeleton Crew Compares To Other Live-Action Star Wars TV Shows
Skeleton Crew Is The Third Most Expensive Live-Action Disney Star Wars Show
In addition to being more expensive thanThe Mandalorian,Skeleton Crewis the third most expensive of all the live-actionStar Warsshows thus far. Budgets have been a major topic of conversation in theStar Warsfanbase of late, with many criticizing the reported costs of certain shows and arguing the final product didn’t justify the cost. This argument was especially made aboutThe Acolyte, one ofStar Wars’ most controversial projects, which cost $231 million to make.
For a live-action show, that is a truly jaw-dropping budget, but evenThe Acolytewasn’t the most expensive.Andor, arguably one ofStar Wars’ best TV shows, cost around $250 million. This suggests thatSkeleton Crew’shigh cost isn’t necessarily breaking the mold for the franchise, but it is nevertheless surprising that the show was so expensive and that the budget was ultimately higher than that ofThe Mandalorian.
The first two episodes ofStar Wars: Skeleton Creware now streaming on Disney+.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
The Mandalorian
Released on July 05, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
