Buoyed by the $2 billion dollar success of The Force Awakens, Disney is all but revelling in Star Wars fandom with plans in place for a new movie to be released annually over the next two-to-three years.
In 2016, it is Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that will be stepping up to the plate, whisking moviegoers back to a time period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Without a Jedi or Lightsaber to be seen – at least, that’s what we’re being told – the militaristic Anthology film represents something of a risk for the House of Mouse, and reports coming out of Page Six now claim that the company has ordered reshoots of the film.
Citing a source close to both Disney and Lucasfilm, Page Six reveals that additional shooting will take place over the summer, with an insider even going so far as to say that Rogue One hasn’t been testing well during early screenings. “Disney won’t take a back seat,” the source claims, “and is demanding changes, as the movie isn’t testing well.”
What is surprising is the fact that Disney is hosting test screenings of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, given how secretive production has been up until this point. Again, it circles back to the offshoot being viewed as a risk, particularly as it arrives on the heels of the barnstorming – and, crucially, crowd-pleasing – The Force Awakens.
Responding to allegations that the film may be in trouble, another source close to Disney claims that those reshoots were part of the plan from the beginning.
“The filmmaking 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. 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.
