Another day, another wrinkle in the story of Disney’s plans for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story reshoots.
At the beginning of the week, news first broke that the House of Mouse ordered Gareth Edwards’ back before the cameras after seemingly taking issue with the initial cut. That report was somewhat blown out of proportion, however, with Disney later clarifying that the planned reshoots are designed to inject the “fun, classic Star Wars feel” into the 2016 release. And though the company’s do-over is said to comprise 40 percent of Edwards’ military spinoff, it’s a minor overhaul that Christopher McQuarrie won’t be a part of.
Word comes by way of /Film, who reached out to the Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation director and writer to get some new perspective on the story. It was here that McQuarrie not only ruled himself out of the reshoots, but also leaped to the defense of Edwards’ flick, asking fans to lend the offshoot “the benefit of the doubt.”
If there are any reshoots on Rogue One, I’m not supervising them. For any outlet to say so is not only wrong, it’s irresponsible. Gareth Edwards is a talented filmmaker who deserves the benefit of the doubt. Making a film – let alone a Star Wars chapter – is hard enough without the internet trying to deliberately downgrade one’s years of hard work. Who does that even serve? Let him make his movie in peace.
Perhaps the one thing that was overlooked amid the hullabaloo was the fact that The Force Awakens was also subject to reshoots as production wore on. Plus, the official statement from Disney indicates that, much as reports had anticipated, the studio is keen to bring Rogue One more in line with the franchise’s rip-roaring sense of adventure.
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.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story remains on course to hit theaters on December 16.
