The Acolyte, WandaVision and Percy Jackson: The 15 most expensive Disney+ shows ever made
Disney launched its own streaming platform in 2019. Since then, Disney+ has finally turned a profit and reached 118 million paid subscribers. But its still trying to catch up to streaming pioneer Netflix, which outgoing CEO Bob Iger called the industry’s “gold standard.” All the while, the platform has streamed dozens of original series like “The Mandalorian,” “WandaVision,” and “Andor” — all of which cost over $12 million per episode to produce.
Here are Disney+’s top 10 most expensive shows.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians — $12 to $15 million per episode
The Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and Olympians,” based on a novel series of the same name, premiered in 2023. It reportedly cost $12 to $15 million an episode to produce the eight-episode first season. A second season is set for next year.
The Mandalorian — $15 million per episode
The first live-action Star Wars TV spinoff, “The Mandalorian,” premiered on Disney+ in 2019. The show has ran for three seasons, with plans for a fourth and a feature film. The show reportedly costs $15 million per episode to make.
Obi-Wan Kenobi — $15 million per episode
The 2022, six-episode miniseries staring Ewan McGregor reportedly had a total budget of $90 million — coming to $15 million per episode.
The Book of Boba Fett — $15 million per episode
“The Book of Boba Fett,” another Star Wars miniseries, reportedly also cost $15 billion per episode to make. The seven-episode series premiered in 2021.
Ashoka — $15 million
Like most Star Wars live-action spinoffs, “Ashoka,” from 2023, is estimated to have cost $15 million per episode.
Andor — $20 million per episode
“Andor,” a prequel series to the Star Wars film Rogue One reportedly had a slightly higher budget than other Star Wars shows. The 12-episode first season cost $250 million to produce or about $20 million per episode.
The Acolyte — $22.5 million per episode
Disney’s latest Star Wars spinoff, which premiered earlier this year, was the most expensive to make. The eight-episode season had a total budget of $180 million or about $22.5 million per episode. The show was recently cancelled.
Loki — $23 million per episode
The second season of “Loki” cost $141 million to produce, Forbes reported. With six episodes, that comes to about $23 million per episode. Loki is one of my spinoffs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise on this list.
Moon Knight — $24 million per episode
The six-episode “Moon Knight,” another MCU spinoff, reportedly cost $147 million to make or about $24 million per episode.
WandaVison — $25 million
Disney+ first wave of MCU spinoffs were kicked off with “WandaVision” in 2021. The nine-episode miniseries cost up to $25 million per episode, like many other MCU spinoffs.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — $25 million
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” an MCU spinoff following characters from the Captain America franchise premiered in 2021. Its first and only season so far had six episodes that cost about $25 million each to make.
Hawkeye — $25 million
“Hawkeye” is another MCU miniseries. The six-episode miniseries following one of Marvel’s Avengers premiered in 2021. It cost about $150 million to produce, at $25 million per episode.
Ms. Marvel — $25 million
“Ms. Marvel” is another six-episode miniseries that takes place in the MCU, however, its based on a character that previously only appeared in Marvel Comics. Like the majority of MCU shows its estimated that it cost $25 million per episode.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — $25 million
“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” is estimated to have cost about $225 million to produce, with a significant portion of the money going toward funding the CGI protagonist. With an 9 episode first season, each episode cost about $25 million to make.
Secret Invasion — $35.3 million
Finally, Disney spent $212 million to produce the MCU miniseries “Secret Invasion.” The budget for the 2023 six-episode miniseries came out to about $35.3 million per episode to make.