Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy has finally explained the real reason he thinks there will never be anything like this show again - and it's because "streaming is dead." I confess I was rather surprised when, a month ago, I first read comments from showrunner Tony Gilroy saying nothing like Andor would ever happen again. At first glance, they seemed more than a little egotistical; but that isn't how they were meant to come across.
That isn't how they were meant, of course. " "Not because we’re so great," he clarified, "but because " Now, speaking at the ATX TelevisionFestival last Thursday, he's explored exactly why that's the case - and the reason is pretty shocking.
Gilroy dropped something of a bombshell during the panel, when he openly discussed Andor's $650 million budget. "I mean, [for] Disney this is $650 million," he reflected, and then proudly added that he only ever had one note requesting a change for season 1. "In Season 2, they said, ‘ so we fought hard about money, but they never cleaned anything up." His thrust, of course, was the remarkable creative freedom he's been given; but that apparently throwaway comment, "streaming is dead," stands out.
Disney entered the streaming race six years ago, with the launch of Disney+. , because the House of Mouse needed a larger content library to be competitive. In addition, Disney required every studio to focus on content for their new streamer, in accordance with the argument that successful streaming platforms are dependent on new content.
It's long been clear Disney is shifting focus again, moving back towards theatrical releases. Marvel Studios has cut down on the number of MCU TV shows, while only one upcoming live-action Star Wars TV show has been confirmed - Ahsoka season 2, now in production and due out next year. Lucasilm and Marvel both intend to be "ramping up" movies instead. What's actually going on?
Disney+ was a hit in terms of subscriber numbers, dramatically exceeding Disney's wildest dreams. In spite of that, though, ; according to Forbes, the Direct To Consumer (DTC) division reported operating losses of $11.4 billion between the platform's launch and April last year. Stringent cost controls, the launch of a new ad tier, a crackdown on password sharing, and other measures improved matters by the first quarter of 2025.
Streamers are essentially spending money just to stand still in terms of subscriber numbers.
In truth, the problems are inherent in the streaming model itself; there's a risk of "churn," with subscribers canceling until new shows they're interested in are released. This results in significant pressure to have a constant stream of new content, in order to keep subscribers engaged. The market for this content has grown increasingly competitive, with costs ballooning, but streamers are essentially spending money just to stand still in terms of subscriber numbers.
Meanwhile, there's been real concern that the pivot to streaming has damaged theatrical releases for Disney. Pixar movies released on Disney+ during the pandemic, and there are indications the brand was damaged, with dramatically reduced box office takings afterwards. Marvel Studios' Disney+ TV shows are now seen as diluting the MCU's brand, while the studio lacked the bandwidth to properly produce these shows and movies - meaning quality has declined.
Disney isn't getting out of streaming, of course; rather, I think we're heading into a period marked by a very different strategy for Disney+. There were initial hints of this as far back as February 2023, with reports Lucasfilm was under orders to "ramp up" movie production ahead of Star Wars Celebration 2023. Since then, it's become clear that Disney studios are back to focusing on theatrical releases. These releases then drop exclusively on Disney+.
There will still be Disney+ releases, of course, but these won't command anything like Andor's budget; they'll also include originals such as Percy Jackson, where costs are kept under much more careful control. But . Last year, Nielsen data revealed that Moana has been among the four-most-watched films on any streaming service every year since the launch of Disney+ - showing this library's consider value.
It's probably an exaggeration to say that "streaming is dead." But it does feel as though a Rubicon has been crossed, a moment where the industry has changed. I can now see why Tony Gilroy faced more budgetary challenges over Andor season 2 than with the first season - and I think he's right that there will never be anything quite like it again.
