One of the last major franchise films to debut in 2016 also happens to be one of the most highly anticipated: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The prequel to the original series/sequel to the prequels/standalone adventure has captured our imagination, but that doesn't mean the production has been without some degree of turmoil. Gareth Edwards' upcoming Star Wars film recently underwent reshoots to tweak the film prior to its release, but now it seems that Edwards might not even have been part of this process.
In new editorial column, Deadline Co-Editor-In-Chief Mike Fleming Jr. recently revealed some new and fascinating rumored details about who specifically helmed those Rogue One reshoots. He elaborated:
Even the big tent poles are fraught with uncertainty; they keep news about Star Wars locked up like Fort Knox, but I heard on those Rogue One re-shoots, it was Tony Gilroy behind the camera and not Gareth Edwards.
So it seems that Disney and Lucasfilm wanted more Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but they didn't bring Gareth Edwards back onto the project in order to get them done. Mike Fleming admits that Disney intentionally keeps the behind the scenes information regarding its projects incredibly vague, but the rumors seem to indicate that screenwriter and director Tony Gilroy actually handled all of the Rogue One reshoots.
It's worth noting that this might not be that big of a deal for the next Star Wars movie. Reshoots have become an incredibly common facet of the filmmaking process, and most major blockbusters use them to some degree. It's entirely plausible that Gareth Edwards didn't take part in these reshoots because they were so minor that they didn't require him being around at all. Either way, we should certainly consider the fact that Tony Gilroy helmed the 2012 thriller The Bourne Legacy. Regardless of what you thought of that film's plot, the man knows how to film action, and he's at the very least a competent filmmaker, having also helmed Michael Clayton and Duplicity. We continue to hold out hope that Rogue One may have even benefited from his presence on the set.
Check out the trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story below. Although it's still a long way off, reshoots or not it looks like the project came together nicely:
We will keep you posted regarding any and all pertinent details related to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as the film's recent reshoots, as more information becomes available to is. Rogue One will blast its way into theaters this holiday season on December 16. Stay tuned for more details!
