We just learned that ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ was getting some reportedly extensive and expensive reshoots, due to Disney being unhappy with the final cut of the film. There were even rumors that these changes were being conducted following a poor “private advanced test screening” but anytime you hear anything about a “private advanced test screening” it’s pretty much a BIG FAT LIE, just for the record.
More details have emerged in the 24+ hours since those rumblings emerged and things aren’t as dire as initial reports seemed to imply. True, ‘Rogue One’ is getting reshoots which will cost millions… but that’s true of almost every major tentpole movie. Once films are edited together, sometimes additional footage is needed to smooth out certain scenes, clarify plot points and add elements like more drama or humor. A similar situation occurred a few months ago when Warner Brothers ordered reshoots for ‘Suicide Squad’, allegedly to add more humor. Later director David Ayer clarified that the new footage would actually be heavier on action.
The latest word is that executives felt that Gareth Edwards’ first cut of ‘Rogue One’ felt too much like a “war movie” and making it feel “off” from the rest of the ‘Star Wars’ saga.
A source reported:
“This is the closest thing to a prequel ever. This takes place just before A New Hope and leads up to the 10 minutes before that classic film begins. You have to match the tone!”
The reshoots are hopefully to help the film jell a bit more and “to lighten the mood, bring some levity into the story and restore a sense of fun to the adventure.”
Also factoring into the reshoots is the high bar set by last winter’s ‘The Force Awakens’. “Anything less than extraordinary won’t do,” one insider reported.
There is one more RUMOR that has emerged, but take this with a grain of salt. There are rumblings that ‘Rogue One’ will help set up the Phil Lord/Christopher Miller ‘Han Solo’ movie due in 2018. Roughly a month ago, Alden Ehrenreich was named the lead, playing a young Harrison Ford in the prequel film. Reportedly, Ehrenreich will film scenes for ‘Rogue One’ to help set that film up.
The one thing that makes that sound unlikely, however, is the assertion that ‘Rogue One’ “leads up to the 10 minutes before that classic film begins.” If that’s true, then we’re not talking about a YOUNG Han Solo at all. Han would be… like 10 minutes younger than he was in ‘A New Hope’.
But we’ll see.
What do you think? Are you still concerned about the reshoots? Or are you confident that this will result in a stronger finished film?
Directed by Gareth Edwards, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ stars Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, and Jiang Wen and will fly into theaters on December 16th, 2016.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline
