‘Rogue One’ Reshoots: ‘Execs At Disney Are Not Happy’
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was screened for executives at Disney and the result was an order for a major overhaul, leaving many Star Wars fans wondering just what went wrong with Rogue One. As details emerge and the studio makes plans for a four week reshoot, the news stirs even deeper interest in the Star Wars offshoot film, but will it appeal to fans, once Disney finishes tinkering with the newly edited story?
Disney Orders A Major Reshoot For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Gareth Edwards made headlines with his 2014 re-envisioning of the Godzilla legacy, which has become a favorite with genre fans, but it seems Disney isn’t quite as impressed with his work on their Star Wars spin-off. The executives ordered an extensive reshoot, following their viewing of the first cut of Rogue One, stating that they were very unhappy with the film they had been shown.
“The execs at Disney are not happy with the movie,” a Hollywood source stated. “Rogue One will have to go back into four weeks of expensive reshoots in July.”
Edwards is the type of director known for taking big risks and those risks have almost always paid off for him, so the Rogue One director is used to doing things his way. In that vain, Edwards has done everything possible to limit Disney’s interference with his Rogue One vision, but the studio has a great deal invested in their newly acquired Star Wars franchise and they obviously want to be sure Rogue One maintains that classic Star Wars feel. It may have been wise for Gareth to work more closely with Disney on this project, only because a more intimate collaboration might have eliminated this need for a major reshoot.
There would still have been a need for shooting additional scenes, says the source, confirming that Disney is keeping a very close eye on their Star Wars properties.
“The film-making team and the studio always anticipated additional shooting and second unit work to make the film the absolute best it can be and the actors were aware there would be additional shooting,” says the source of the Rogue One film. “Coming off The Force Awakens, there’s an incredibly high bar for this movie and we have a responsibility to the franchise and to the fans to deliver the best possible movie we can.”
Disney Wants Rogue One To Have A Lighter Tone
The studio executives were disappointed in Rogue One for the serious tone of the film, suggesting that the overall sense of the story needed more classic Star Wars humor and levity interspersed with the drama and action. Rogue One sources say that Disney’s main concern is that the film must maintain the general mood setting associated with Star Wars films.
“Anything less than extraordinary won’t do,” says a Disney insider.
The plot of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes place just prior to Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope and revolves around the rebel spies responsible for stealing the plans to the first Death Star. The story of Rogue One was written to include appearances of Darth Vader (with James Earl Jones set to reprise his role as Vader’s voice) and a young Han Solo.
Many Star Wars fans are hoping for a young Princess Leia as well, considering the critical part the character played in obtaining those Death Star plans and ultimately delivering them into the hands of the rebel alliance. Leia’s presence in Rogue One may steal the show from Felicity Jones’ character, Jyn Erso, even if the duo work together in a rebel plot. This is Jyn’s big moment and with the knowledge of Princess Leia’s future as a senator, soldier, and spy, Star Wars fans would certainly expect a more detailed exploration of Leia’s youth instead of the planned telling of Jyn Erso’s exciting new Star Wars adventure.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is expected to hit theaters in December.
[Image by Disney/Lucasfilms]
