Andor Showrunner Reveals Budget Cuts Forced Scrapping of K-2SO Horror Episode

In Andor season 2, Cassian Andor's meeting with the KX-series droid K-2SO was portrayed differently than originally planned. Showrunner Tony Gilroy revealed that an entire episode, written by his brother Dan Gilroy, was conceived as a self-contained horror story featuring a rogue KX droid trapped in a massive tanker ship, creating a monster movie atmosphere. However, due to budget constraints and a shift in Disney's financial policies following Bob Iger's return, the ambitious episode was scrapped and the story was condensed. The aired episode presented K-2SO initially as a menacing enforcer during the Ghorman massacre before his reprogramming and alliance with Cassian, retaining some horror elements but in a more limited form. This change was part of broader cost-cutting measures affecting the production scale between seasons. Despite the scrapping, the original horror concept has been praised for its creativity and potential to add a unique tone to the series.